Almond Pear Crostata

This is one of my go to desserts. It is really easy and always tasty. I had some pears that were pretty ripe and needed to be used so I thought I'd make this tonight. The recipe is adapted from one my mom used to use (although I think she makes it more like I do now). I think she came across the original recipe at the state fair on a little recipe card given out at the pear booth. That recipe can be found here. It is yummy but it takes a few more steps than the version I make.

A few notes: I really like Trader Joe's frozen pie crust. It is great for this recipe and saves me some time. I normally use store bought almond paste but didn't have any on hand so I made some with this recipe. I halved the recipe but ended up adding a bit more egg white so it was a smoother consistancy. I also had slivered (raw blanched) almonds on hand so I didn't have to deal with removing the skins.

Almond Pear Crostata
1 pie crust
4 bartlette pears
almond paste
apricot jam/preserves
coarse sugar (turbinado)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Peel 4 pears and slice (I think I usually get between 10-16 slices per pear). Roll out pie crust. *The TJ's version is already rolled out in a nice circle. I usually have to take a rolling pit to it to repair the cracks that happen when you unroll it. I keep the plastic on the crust when I roll it to save having to wash the rolling pin. Transfer the crust to a cookie sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper. Add almond paste to the crust. I never really measure out how much I use. I just use enough to cover the crust in a thin layer (leaving about 1 1/2-2 inch rim of crust uncovered). Mound pear slices in the center extending no further than the almond paste. Fold remaining crust up to cover some of the pears. Make sure to smooth out any tears or cracks in the crust. Add 1-2 tablespoons of apricot jam to a small dish and microwave for 15 seconds or until melted. Drizzle apricot liquid over pear mixture avoiding the crust.Add coarse sugar (optional) to the exposed crust (you may want to brush it with a little water or egg wash first so the sugar adheres better). Bake for 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Almond Paste (recipe here)

Crust with almond paste layer and pears

 

Crust folded over pear mixture and apricot mixture drizzled over pears

*I used too much apricot jam and didn't heat it long enough so it was a little more thick than normal.

 

 

Garden--Veggies planted

Today we took apart the massive planter box and cut it down to a more manageable size. It is now about 2'x4'. We'll use the rest of the wood for another project. I stopped by the local garden store and picked up a few different veggie plants. I chose three tomatoes: "Michael Pollan", "Haley's Purple Comet", and "Red Rocket dwarf".  These are all new to me so I'm excited to see how they do. My parents are planting early girl, Juliette and green zebra varieties this year so I wanted a different variety so we could share. The varieties I purchased are all smaller fruit size and I'll probably pick up another one (maybe yellow or orange colored) next weekend. I also bought two sweet peppers (yellow and purple), alpine and quinault strawberry plants, Italian parsley, carrot/radish seeds and sunflower seeds.

 

 

I planted the "Michael Pollan" and "Haley's Purple Comet" in the planter box with the yellow bell pepper. The "Red Rocket" is in the larger pot to the right and the purple bell pepper is in the other pot.

 

 

Remember the dirt patch that I wasn't sure what to do with? I planted a few dahlia bulbs, rosemary (I have some already in my herb containers) and the sunflowers along the fence. There is still room so I'll see how things do and maybe plant some lavender there too.

 

 

I bought some hosta bulbs last weekend at costco (discounted). I'll plant them in a shady spot in the back of the yard in hopes that they will fill in some of the dirt patch back there. 

In the garden... so far

I love this time of the year. Everything is green, flowers are blooming, it's beautiful outside. Here's what's blooming in our yard--what's blooming in yours?