blueberry & peach crostata

Rustic and informal but far from ordinary, I’m reposting about the crostata, a dessert tart of Italian origin. It’s made with a basic and simple shortcrust pastry piecrust, rolled out thinly with the extended edges of the crust traditionally folded over a sweet or savory filling creating a less uniform look. Every year I look forward to summer when luscious and sweet Georgia peaches and plump blueberries hit the local market at their peak. A perfect combination for the filling for this naturally-sweet fruit pie. Got the recipe for this from Food Network’s Food 911 show, one of my favorites. I must admit I’ve tried so many recipes and got a lot more cooking tips from this show than from any other show. The recipes may be complicated at times, with numerous ingredients, but the instructions have always been precise with the best results. I find the crostata much easier to make than the usual double crust or lattice-top pie. I like to make the pastry crust from scratch, that way I can combine whole wheat and all purpose flour. There are several interesting flours and flour blends in the market today which may also be combined with the regular flours. Almond, hazelnut, pecan nut flours are now also available and may all be ordered online as well. I’m thinking about ordering and incorporating one of these specialty nut flours next time I make this crostata piecrust. For the fruit filling, sliced peaches and blueberries are tossed with two tablespoons each of sugar and flour and spooned into the crust. I also prefer to bake it in either a pie or a round 9” cake pan just to avoid making a mess in the oven. The folded crust edges were brushed with eggwash and sprinkled with granulated sugar just before baking.

Cut into wedges, it’s a summer treat with vanilla ice cream and sprinkled with powdered sugar just before serving.