Tarts are tops

My friend Andrew Wilder (owner of Svenska Mobler) had a potluck at his place a few weeks ago. His friend Matthew MacIntyre brought what I thought was a store-bought fruit tart. It looked so perfect that I assumed it came from a bakery, but lo-and-behold, Matthew's very talented mother baked it herself. Everybody loved it.
I have a surplus of quickly ripening peaches, after going peach picking for the last peaches of the season at Yingst Ranch (contact info about halfway down this page), so, inspired by Matthew's mother, I baked a peach tart. I cheated a little bit and used Arrowhead Mills Organic Chocolate cookie mix for the crust. Arrowhead Mills offers the chocolate cookie mix around Valentine's day, but you can use their sugar cookie mix in the same way. As we get closer to the holidays that one should be easy to find. Since peaches are no longer in season try apples, pears or even persimmon slices for your tart. Mine looked great when it came out of the oven and I was all ready to take a picture of it sitting on a Fissler Magic Trivet, but then I found that the camera batteries had died. I couldn't wait for the batteries to recharge to taste it so you don't get to see it in it's whole perfection, but even with a slice out I think it looks pretty good. Though not as good as Mrs. MacIntyre's!

Apricot pie for 4th of July!

It’s apricot season in Southern California so an apricot pie seemed in order. I picked the apricots out in Leona Valley, the cherry growing region that’s about an hour and a half northeast of Los Angeles (www.cherriesupic.com). There is one small apricot orchard, Stein's Apricot Ranch, amidst the many cherry picking places there. $2 a pound for apricots you pick yourself. You can get sometimes get apricots cheaper at the farmers’ markets but for a modest price you have the pleasure of a day in the country and a better knowledge of where your food comes from.

The pie was easy. Since I was invited to four parties over 4^th of July weekend I made four of them. This is a no-bake pie; ideal for summer: easy, healthy and delicious!

For four pies:

1 32 oz container lowfat plain yogurt

1 small package cream cheese

3 cups of water, boiled

3 packets unflavored gelatin

3 cups of pitted apricots

½ cup sucanat

½ cup honey or agave syrup

2 tsps vanilla extract

Graham cracker pie crust

Halved apricots for garnish

Mix gelatin, sucanat and honey or agave in a bowl. Add boiling water. Stir and let gelatin dissolve.

Chop apricots finely in food processor. Beat cream cheese, apricots and vanilla in mixer using flat paddle. Add yogurt and gelatin mixture. Mix until smooth. Divide into four pie crusts and refrigerate until firm (3-4 hours). Garnish with apricot halves.

This can be made with agar (seaweed gel) for a vegetarian pie.