‘Tis the season for fresh fruit! As we celebrate the summer solstice this month, we turn our eyes to recipes that celebrate the bounty of the season. Drawing inspiration from our French roots, we’ll be dishing up a “tarte aux abricots” — a rustic apricot tarte — for summer gatherings and backyard celebrations.

Apricots are in season from May through July in many parts of the country, but feel free to substitute other local, delicious stone fruits. If you’re looking for an easy way to pit stone fruit, try our handy Opinel No. 7 Chestnut Knife. The short, sturdy 1.5” stainless steel blade is perfect for quickly and efficiently removing fruit pits (and makes an excellent companion for foraging or harvesting as well).

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Ingredients

• 3 cups (380 grams) flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ⅓ cup (70 grams) sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• Two sticks plush two tablespoons (250 grams) cold butter
• ¼ cup (60 ml) ice water
• ¾ cup (80 grams) ground almonds
• 1.75 pounds (approximately 800 grams) apricots
• One egg white, beaten
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

Mix the flour, sugar and baking soda together in a mixer or by hand. Add the cold butter in pieces, using your fingers or a pastry cutter to incorporate the butter into the flour mixture. When the mixture has the texture of sand, add the water, one tablespoon at a time, and mix until the dough comes together.

Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes, or up to one day.

When ready to proceed with the recipe, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to roughly ⅛” thickness and sprinkle with almond powder.

Halve and pit the apricots with the No. 7 Chestnut knife. Cut each half into roughly four slices and add them, in a pattern or randomly, onto the dough, leaving a roughly 1-2” border of dough around the edges. Sprinkle the fruit with extra sugar.

Fold the edges of the tarte toward the center, slightly covering the outer edge of the apricots. Brush the edges of the dough with egg white, and sprinkle lightly with additional sugar.

Bake at 350° for 40 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and golden.

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