This recipe is worth making at least a few times during the summer!  I love that I don’t have to worry about forming the crust into a particular shape.  It’s pretty the way it’s folded over the fruit giving it a rustic natural look.  The hint of orange zest with a butter strudel and stone fruit is just heavenly!  This recipe is from Barefoot Contessa’s cookbook “At Home”.

Recipe

For the pastry (makes 2 crostatas)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup organic sugar

1/2 sea salt

2 sticks butter cold and diced

6 tablespoons ice water

For the filling (makes 1 crostata)

1 pound firm ripe peaches, peeled and sliced

1/2 pound firm, ripe black plums, unpeeled and sliced

1/2 pint blueberries

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon organic sugar

1/4 teaspoon orange zest

2 tablespoons orange juice

For the topping (makes 1 crostata)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup organic sugar

1/2 stick butter, diced

For the pastry, place flour, sugar, and slat in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.  Pulse a few times to combine.  Add the butter and toss quickly with your fingers.  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 and hour.  If you only need one dough, freeze the second disk.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

 

Roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface.  Transfer it to the sheet pan.

 

For the filling, cut the peaches and plums in wedges and place them in a bowl with the blueberries.  Toss them with 1 tablespoon flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, the orange zest and orange juice.  Place the mixed fruit on the dough circle, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border.

 

For the topping, combine the 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 stick butter in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.  Pulse until the mixture is crumbly.  Pout into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts to hold together.  Sprinkle evenly over 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.