Fruit Tarts with Olive Oil Crust

These fruit tarts have been my go-to dessert this summer. The crust is a breeze to put together, and the fresh fruit is what stands out. The tarts are based loosely on my mom’s simple summer fruit pies, which we would eat all summer long, for breakfast lunch and dinner. She would fill a large cookie tray with a pie for a family of five. My family are just three, so a tart pan is enough for us. The premise is fruit in a single layer, which is then only sprinkled with a small amount of sugar. The thin layer of fruit cooks quickly, and the juices evaporate out and concentrate the fruit flavor.

The possibilities are many, and wilting fruit no longer good for eating out of hand is welcome. One was a mix of blueberries and black currants, tumbled out on to the pastry which I had spread with crushed lemon cookies. I added a quarter of a cup of sugar sprinkled on top, and some lemon zest. That is it. The idea here is to focus on the fruit, of course. I am always tempted to put whipped cream on something like this, but it’s often better on its own. Another good one was made with leftovers: a half jar of red currant jam and two cups of lingering blueberries. Only a tablespoon of sugar on top with this one, just for some gloss and crunch. The jam and blueberries were sweet enough.

I adapted the pastry from this oil pie crust from King Arthur, only I used olive oil. I often use oil in baking and have made many olive oil crusts, and this is my new favorite. What I love about this particular oil crust was that it added a smidge of baking powder, which gave it just the lightness it needed. (I also like this one from the NY Times, tailored for more savory pies.)

You can play around with what fruit you put on–berries or stone fruit are both good candidates. Also, experiment with ground cookies or jam spread either under or over the fruit. Or both!