Grappa Soused Summer Fruit Recipes

SUMMER FRUIT CROSTATA

Steps:

• For the pastry:
• Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and toss quickly (and carefully!) with your fingers to coat each cube of butter with the flour. Pulse 12 to 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, but stop the machine just before the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board, roll it into a ball, cut in half, and form into 2 flat disks. Wrap the disks in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. If you only need 1 disk of dough The other disk of dough can be frozen.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to the baking sheet.
• For the pastry (makes 2 crostatas) .
• For the filling:
• Cut the peaches and plums in wedges and place them in a bowl with the blueberries. Toss them with 1 tablespoon of the flour, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the orange zest, and the orange juice. Place the mixed fruit on the dough circle, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border.
• Combine the 1/4 cup flour, the 1/4 cup sugar, and the salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts to hold together. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Gently fold the border of the pastry over the fruit, pleating it to make an edge.
• Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the fruit is tender. Let the crostata cool for 5 minutes, then use 2 large spatulas to transfer it to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SUMMER FRUIT WITH WINE AND MINT

Steps:

• Bring the wine and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Chop and combine the cantaloupe, strawberries, grapes, and mint in a large bowl. Pour the warm wine mixture over; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until cold, stirring occasionally, at least 2 hours.
• Transfer to the fruit mixture to a wide jar with a tight-fitting lid. Keep chilled.

SUMMER FRUIT GALETTES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Lay out one pie crust on a baking sheet lined with parchment or on a baking stone, leaving room for the second pie crust next to it.
• Mix together the sliced peaches with half the blueberries, 2 tablespoons of the flour and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a bowl. Pour over one pie crust leaving a 1-inch border. Fold up the uncovered border over the edge of the fruit and pinch into pleats. Sprinkle the crust and fruit filling with 3 tablespoons of turbinado (or raw) sugar.
• Lay out the second pie crust on the baking sheet. Mix together the sliced strawberries, the rest of the blueberries, 2 tablespoons of flour and 2 tablespoons of sugar in the bowl. Pour over the second pie crust and form the galette the same as the first. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of turbinado sugar.
• Bake in preheated oven until crust is lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Sprinkle with more sugar if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

GRAPPA-SOUSED SUMMER FRUIT

Steps:

• Mix grappa with sugar in a large nonreactive bowl until sugar dissolves. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, mint and pepper.
• Add fruit; toss, and let sit 2 hours at room temperature. Chill at least 1 hour before serving. For more intense grappa flavor in fruit, macerate overnight in refrigerator.
• Serve on its own or with vanilla ice cream and butter cookies.

SUMMER FRUITS

Steps:

• Place the pear, plum, lemon, and fresh ginger in a bowl. In a non-reactive saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and rice wine vinegar. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook until sugar dissolves.
• Place the fruit mixture into a spring-top glass jar and add the sprig of mint to the fruit. Slowly pour the hot pickling liquid over the fruit, filling the jar to the top.
• Cool the pickles, then refrigerate for 2 days up to 1 week before serving.

GRILLED SUMMER FRUIT

Steps:

• Spray the grill rack with nonstick spray and prepare the barbecue (medium-high heat). Thread 1 piece of each fruit on each of 6 skewers so that the cut sides line up and lay flat. Sprinkle the sugar over the cut sides of the fruit. Let stand until the sugar dissolves, about 10 minutes.
• Place the fruit skewers on the grill cut side down. Grill the fruit until it is heated through and caramelized, about 5 minutes. Transfer 1 fruit skewer to each plate and serve.