Well, well, well, it’s been quite a week in New York City. First an earthquake and now we’re prepping for a hurricane this weekend. Nothing like a beautiful—and tasty—cocktail to calm the nerves. This one uses a pluot—a cross between a plum and an apricot. It’s fairly mild in flavor, but it’s got a vibrant, ruby hue that’s beyond lovely to look at. So deep breath.
Cheers! To staying safe, beautiful distractions and tasty beverages.
pluot fizz
makes 1 cocktail
1/2 pluot, sliced
1/2 oz lime juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
1 1/2 oz dark rum
1-2 oz seltzer water
1
Muddle the pluot, lime juice and simple syrup in the bottom of a cocktail shaker.
2
Add the rum and fill the cocktail shaker with ice. Shake for about 10 seconds.
3
Strain into a glass and top with seltzer. Garnish with a pluot slice if you wish. Enjoy!
rustic apricot + fig tart
I’ve been in a bit of a slump lately, which is a big bummer. I mean, we’re at the height of awesome at the market, but when it comes time to actually make something—and photograph it—I find an excuse not to do it. What do you do when you’re feeling the blah’s? Well, I finally got a little inspiration and talked myself into making possibly the easiest tart ever. It’s lush with color that only comes in summer and the flavor is perfect—not too sweet—end to a meal.
I find it irresistible to walk by those little baskets of both apricots—with their beautiful blushing orange skin—and lush purple figs. I’m such a sucker for pretty food. Since both the figs and apricots are close in size, I cut them both into quarters and began methodically placing them in radiating circles on my pre-made puff pastry. There’s something comforting about this simple step, especially once all the pieces have been placed and you’re left with a tart that looks like it’s going to burst. I sprinkled a little lemon zest over the fruit to give it a little zip, then gently folded the tart over the fruit, leaving an opening to show off the pattern. Finally, I spooned a bit of sugar over the entire tart to both help it sparkle and bring a bit of sweetness to the fruit.
Twenty minutes later I had the perfect cure for my I-don’t-want-to-cook blues. It looked even prettier than it had when I put it in, the golden hue of the pastry only added to the beauty of the tart. I gently cut myself a slice, pairing it with a little scoop of vanilla ice cream. The flavor of the apricots burst forth with their juicy, sweet and tart notes while the fig played more of a textural role. The buttery crust played well with fruit and cool, creaminess of the ice cream. A perfect—and quick—way to enjoy some of summer’s delights.
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