Plum Crostata

We were invited to a last minute Labor Day cookout, and I was asked to make a dessert. When I opened my refrigerator, I knew I had to take advantage of the overflowing summer harvests taking up my bins and shelves. You see, the best part of having a fruit and vegetable share is the abundance of amazing local produce. The downside of having a fruit and vegetable share can also be the abundance of amazing local produce. It's sharp and fresh and delicious on day one. It starts to get a little wonky by day five.

I remembered ripping out a few pages from Kiwi magazine at the start of summer - recipes to take advantage of summer's bounty. When those sad little week old plums stared out at me from their bowl, I knew exactly what to make.

The best part about a crostata is that there are no crimping or fancy tricks required. The pastry dough is light and easy and can be whipped up in seconds in your food processor. The filling uses some fresh fruit and sugar. The result is a light and delicious recipe that looks impressive but couldn't be simpler.

I altered the recipe only slightly to suit my tastes and my pantry, but you can always substitute what you love and what you have. No coconut sugar? Use granulated. No plums? Try peaches or nectarines. No nut allergies plaguing your house? Add slivered almonds in the last ten minutes for some crunch. Saving this recipe for fall? Substitute the fruit here with sliced apples or pears and add some cinnamon and nutmeg to your sugar.

You need:

1 1/2 c. AP flour
1/4 c. coconut sugar
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 sticks cold, unsalted butter cut into chunks and kept chilled (until ready)
1/3 c. ice water
1.5 # lg. plums, sliced thinly
1 c. blueberries
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 tbsp. cornstarch

In the bowl of the food processor, combine the flour, 1 tbsp. granulated sugar, and salt. Pulse a few times. Add the chilled butter and pulse until the butter is evenly distributed and resembles coarse crumbs. Turn the food processor "on" and run the machine will pouring in the ice water through the feed tube just until the dough is pliable and sticks when you press it together. Do not over mix. Dump the dough onto a cutting board, shape into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for an hour.

When the hour is up, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the plums, blueberries, coconut sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and cornstarch. Mix well. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a large circle, about 14 in in diameter. Transfer to a parchment-lined or well-greased baking sheet. Using the slotted spoon, arrange the fruit mixture into the center, leaving a 1 1/2 " border. Fold up and pinch the ends of the dough. Sprinkle fruit and dough with remaining tbsp. of sugar. Bake 45-50 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before serving.