Heart of Summer: Peach Rose Tart

When it’s full-on summer and the air is redolent of ripe fruit and full blooms, why not combine both in a dessert?

Seriously, I just wanted to make a peach tart out of some peaches before they got gobbled up by other, more impatient members in my household. Ironic then that I ended up making a peach rose tart that’s essentially a zen exercise in patience. But so worth the photo-worthy presentation at the end.

I’m team tart over team pie, now and forever. If you look at the recipe for this tart, you’ll find that it’s also so, so simple and virtually foolproof, even for those with the biggest of pie anxieties. There’s no rolling and working of dough – this is a magical melted butter-and-almond-meal crust that you press into the tart pan and which bakes up perfectly flaky and crumbly. There’s no complicated filling to make – like the very best summer desserts, it’s pared down to the simplest of elements to allow the fruit to shine. A brushing of peach preserves is the only bed required for the peaches.

If you haven’t the time or inclination to spend arranging peach-petals in the tart, you can always cut the peaches into thicker 1/2″ slices and arrange in a more conventional side-by-side pattern, and it will bake up just a beautifully and deliciously. But it you’ve got some time, maybe a dreamy golden weekend afternoon, you can make an edible bloom out of your peach tart.

A few tips: you want ripe peaches, because there’s nothing worse than unripe fruit in a tart, but it the peaches are too ripe and soft it gets trickier to slice them neatly and evenly. Look for ripe but still firm-ish peaches. Try not to slice them too thin; 1/4″ thick at a minimum.

Also, if your peaches are too juicy they could end up making the crust soggy. The peach preserves are there to both enhance taste and to provide a bit of protective layer for the crust from the peach juices. I added a bit of cinnamon for spice; you could throw in a bit of nutmeg or allspice too if you like. This tart would also work wonderfully with nectarines, plums, or other stone fruit: it’s easily one you could make from now through fall.

I haven’t made as many tarts this year as I have previously, but I’m making efforts to catch up. Looking forward to creating some more sweet (and maybe savory!) tarts for the months and changing seasons to come. It’s lovely to rediscover a passion for an old love. I don’t know why I stayed away for so long.