Whatever the date, summer arrives for most of us when summer fruit appears in its true ripeness. This means that apricots are soft and coral, lip-smacking in flavor. Peaches wake up your mouth and dribble down your chin. Berries are perfectly soft, chubby, deeply colored and ready to dive into a piecrust.
And, I have the perfect recipe from one of the most patient customers I know, Jack Oswald. I requested a copy of Jack’s Apple Tart Pizza two years ago and I tucked it away until I had no more apples. Not good.
Next year I lost the recipe and was too embarrassed to admit it. This time, I confessed, received a new copy, and am now presenting his creation and we don’t need to wait for apple season. We can practice on different fruit while we await the arrival of apples, which will be another month.
Jack’s Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 pizza crust of desired size
1 tub of mascarpone cheese
Raw sugar to taste
Fruit thinly sliced
Vanilla extract
Directions:
Flatten the dough as you normally would but form a discernible ridge at the outer edge of the crust.
Cut enough round fruit slices in half or thirds that will be used to reinforce the ridge formed above.
Press raw sugar into the crust per taste.
Add raw sugar to taste and 1 tsp. vanilla extract to the mascarpone and mix thoroughly with spoon.
Using a spatula, paint the mascarpone mixture onto the sugared crust. Don’t over paint.
Place fruit slices angling away from the center at about 45 degrees along the perimeter of the dough. Begin on the outer edge, circling until you meet the center.
Sprinkling more raw sugar on top with or without cinnamon is optional.
Bake at a temperature that is similar to savory pizza. When crust is done, so is the dessert. (Pizza bakes at a high oven temperature – 450 degrees or greater. Preheat the oven. Place Jack’s summer fruit pizza in the middle of the oven. Check in eight to ten minutes and keep watch.
Allow to rest and gel before serving.
Jack admits that ice cream goes well with his dessert but cautions that it is already too decadent.
This time of year as the summer sun ripens the orchard and vine fruit, it usually also overloads the need for watering farm crops. At some magical moment, at a most vulnerable time, the well usually shuts down.
Some of you might think that well water is a terrific saving on ones utility bill but it really isn¹t, as wells require electricity to pump up the water.
Last week our well shut down after draining all the gallons of water out of our two holding tanks. If it were not for the miracle working “well guy” we would have languished for days, trying to figure out what happened and how to fix it.
I have concluded, not for the first time, that our society does not give enough credit or thanks to all of the many talented folks whose knowledge and energy keep our homes, businesses, buildings, towns from shutting down. When we think of the systems upon which we depend to keep us in some sort of an ordered existence, the following are just a few who come to mind: plumbers, electricians, well diggers, linemen, garbage truck drivers, carpenters, mechanics.
If I had to name just one of those listed as “the most important of all,” I think I would give my vote to the plumber. I wonder how the rest of you would vote?
However you would, we all need to spread our gratitude around and let all these hard working folks know how much we appreciate and honor them.
(The garbage men get my close “second” vote.)
I need to bake Jack’s Pizza as a thank you gift for our ‘Well Guy” and all the folks at the Recycle and Transit Station on the hill. Those are our garbage men out here on the farm.
