All of the fruits I love to jam, such as plums, strawberries, peaches, and apricots, are in full swing, and so begins my summer ritual of staying up late and canning. Summer days are often too busy and too hot to be standing over a stove, so instead, after the kids are asleep, I get some quiet time for canning. Although this “quiet time” may or may not more closely resemble a solo dance party in my kitchen than late night cooking.

On the ranch we have an apricot orchard that has a few different varieties, which is great because it extends the season! We bring apricots to the farmers markets and often sell out in the first few hours- they are a market favorite for sure! As for the apricots we don’t bring to market, the process of canning begins to capture and save their sweet summer flavor for months to come. Apricots are really great in everything! I use them in pork dishes, appetizers with cheese & honey, and of course endless desserts.

Here is a recipe that is an oldie but such a goodie, that I am always drawn back to this time of year because I absolutely love it! This recipe originally was created for Martha Stewart Living Magazine in 2018 with the help of a friend and talented food editor Shira Bocar. The mixture of cherries and apricots are the perfect combination, while the cornmeal crust adds a nutty flavor! It’s a galette, but in a pie dish- so its able to hold in all the extra filling goodness, but is as simple as a galette! Add a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and you too will taste the summer that we all dream of.

Apricot Cherry Galette

Ingredients:

Crust:

-2 cups unbleached all purpose four, plus more for dusting

-½ cup coarse cornmeal

-1 tablespoon granulated sugar

-1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

-2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

-6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

• 1 ½ pound apricots, pitted and cut into ¾ inch wedges
• 1 pound fresh sweet cherries, pitted and halved
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstartch
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1 large egg, whisked
• Coarse sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Directions:

1. In a food processor, pulse flour, cornmeal, granulated sugar and salt until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle in 6 tablespoons of ice water evenly. Continue pulsing until dough holds together when pressed between fingers (consistency should not be wet or sticky). If to dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time while pulsing. Shape into a disk; wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour or freeze up to 3 months.
2. In a large bowl combine apricots, cherries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
3. On a lightly floured piece of parchment, roll out dough to a 15-inch circle. Transfer crust to a 10-inch pie dish and pour in the filling. Fold edges of crust over, overlapping if necessary. Brush edges of dough with egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 375°F, with racks in the middle and bottom of the oven. Place a foil-lining baking sheet on the bottom rack. Bake on the middle rack until the pastry is golden and juices are bubbling in the center, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. (If the crust is browning too quickly, tent with foil.)
5. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool at least 2 hours before serving. Pie can be stored at room temperature up to 1 day.

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Enjoy!

Elizabeth

Photographs by Lauren Ross