1. Fresh Raspberry Tart
It is time once again for my annual raspberry post. You see, early June is my
time to contemplate all things raspberry. Why now? What’s stopping me from
meditating on the delights of baked and fresh raspberry dishes in, say, April when
spring starts, or July when everyone is making juicy fruit crisps? The answer is
simple really: raspberries are actually in season now. Not in April or July. Now.
Sure you can buy raspberries all year long; and if you’re a commercial grower I’m
sure you can extend the season from early spring to late summer or even fall. But
if you are a home gardener, this is your raspberry moment.
One thing to know about growing your own raspberries is that you can
pretty much forget about the vines for most of the year. In my backyard, they sit
alongside a fence near the barbecue. Throughout the summer they pretty much
act as a green foliage background to cover up the fence. When summer is done,
their leaves change color a bit and then start to fall, memories of their luscious
fruit barely concealed by the apples that are ripening heavily above them. By the
time winter arrives, I’m focused on pruning, cutting back dead wooden stalks to

2. make room for younger shoots that will emerge soon, the skeletons of old flower
buds that once housed berries now dry and sitting vacant. When spring arrives I
am struck with just how lovely the small white flower buds are, peaking out of the
verdant green leaves that are new and growing toward the sky. I’m always
amazed at just how tall those vines then become in the span of a month or two,
maturing and getting leggy like a young teenager until they reach the lower limbs
of my apple tree. And then just when I’m getting ready for summer, the berries
appear. It’s clandestine at first, with only a few hiding under lower leaves, their
rich raspberry red peeking out. Excited and anxious to taste them, my family
stands right out amidst the vines, eating as we pick, with none making their way
into the house. Each day more berries ripen, until we are overwhelmed with them
a week later, the vines literally drooping, laden with fruit.
It seem miraculous just how big my patch has become, and numerous the
berries. After all, I planted only one lone vine in a gallon pot six years ago. Since
that time, my patch has grown from a small one-foot area to 10 feet, now
spanning half my side yard. Even better is that these vines are thornless, so I can
let my kids romp through them on berry-picking missions without worrying about
scratched arms or poked faces.

3. So what do we do with our haul of berries? In years past we have eaten our share
of berry shortcakes and I’ve also tried my hand at making raspberry jam. This
year, however, I decided to focus on making tarts. After years of purchasing
expensive pastry cream and fruit tarts from La Farine, I thought it was time to get
over my fear of making the perfect crust and cream filling. When all was said and
done, my trusty pie crust recipe (which is really BAB blogger, Kim Laidlaw’s crust
recipe) worked beautifully, and the pastry cream (a Williams-Sonoma recipe)
couldn’t have been easier to whip up. My husband even said he liked the tart
better than La Farine’s, although I wonder if he just liked saving the money.
So if you find yourself with some sweet ripe raspberries, try making a tart. It’s
really the nicest way I can think of to bask in the season.

4. Recipe: Seasonal Raspberry Tart with Pastry Cream
A summer tart made with freshly prepared pastry cream, a flaky crust and just-
picked raspberries.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Yield: 1 10-inch tart
Ingredients:
 2 cups fresh raspberries (washed and air dried)
 1 batch pastry cream (see recipe below)
 1 batch of tart dough (see recipe below)

5. Instructions:
1. Fit tart dough into your pan and blind bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Be
sure to set some foil or parchment paper on top of the dough and then weigh it
down with either pie weights or dried beans (which will become inedible after
baking) to keep the dough from bubbling up in the oven.
2. Remove tart dough from the oven and remove the pie weights/beans and
parchment paper/foil. Bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from oven and cool.

6. 3. When crust is cooled, spread the pastry cream along the bottom and then
nestle the raspberries on top. You can dump them all on or organize in circles for
a more uniform appearance.
4. Serve as is or top with whipped cream.
Recipe: Pastry Cream
Cook time: 15 minutes
Yield: 1 cup
Ingredients:
 1 cup milk
 2 egg yolks
 1/4 cup sugar
 4 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
 pinch of salt
 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


7. Instructions:
In a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk to a simmer.
Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch,
and salt until well blended. Slowly add about one-third of the hot milk to the bowl
with the yolk-sugar mixture, whisking constantly. Then pour the combined
mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly,
until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Continue
cooking, stirring constantly, for 1 minute longer.
Remove from the heat and pour through a fine-mesh sieve placed over a
heatproof bowl. Gently stir in the butter until melted, then stir in the vanilla.
Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent a skin
from forming. Poke a few holes in the plastic wrap to hasten cooling. Let cool,
then cover tightly and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours, or up to 3
days.
Recipe: Flaky Pie or Tart Dough
Prep time: 10 minutes + 30 minutes refrigeration
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yield: Enough for one 10-inch tart
Ingredients:
 1 cups all-purpose flour
 1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
 6 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
 1/4 cup ice water + 1 tablespoon

8. Instructions:
1. To make the crust, in the bowl of a food processor, stir together the flour, and
salt. Sprinkle the butter over the top and process for a few seconds, or just until
the butter is slightly broken up into the flour but still in visible pieces. Sprinkle the
water over the flour mixture evenly, then process until the mixture just starts to
come together.
2. Dump the mixture out of the bowl onto 2 large sheets of plastic wrap. Press the
dough together into a mound and then wrap with plastic and press into a flat disk.
Refrigerate the dough until chilled, about 30 minutes or up to 1 day, or freeze for
up to 1 month.
Source: http://blogs.kqed.org/bayareabites/2011/06/09/fresh-raspberry-tart/