It is perhaps the most anticipated edible event of the summer season, and no, it is not the premiere of Julie & Julia. The blackberries and raspberries are ready for picking at Restoration Farm.
For months, I’ve been anticipating the first picking. Everyone with a berry share has been allocated a quart of any combinations of blackberries, raspberries or ground cherries. I ramble into the berry patch and note that it looks a bit like a jungle - vines and branches everywhere.
It has been raining, and crystalline water droplets cling to the fruit. There are some sugar-craving bees hovering about. Other than that, I am alone. I am surrounded by bramble. I feel a little like the title character in Robert McCloskey’s children’s book, Blueberries for Sal.
I start to pick, plunking one jewel-like fruit at a time into my quart container. The blackberries are plump and inky black.
The raspberries grow on gangly branches and shimmer deep rose and ruby red.
For some time, I have intended to celebrate the first picking of berries with a quintessential summer fruit tart – not something baked that would alter the composition of the fruit, but a recipe that would accentuate their just-picked, finger-stained freshness. I choose this recipe, and replace the suggested blueberries with a combination of the blackberries and raspberries.
The iridescent black and red fruit is scattered atop creamy-white buttermilk custard and bursts with the sweetness and tang of late summer.
It was well worth the wait.
©2009 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved
oo buttermilk in a tart sounds great! I've always wanted to go berry picking but my hubs has this phobia of sour berries.
ReplyDeleteHow fun and your tart looks beautiful. I couldn't resist eating some of those berries while picking. Thanks so much for taking us along to Restoration Farm. I would love to be able to go there someday - it is a lovely place.
ReplyDeleteSam
This looks beautiful! But how are your arms? Did you get scraped on the bramble?
ReplyDeleteYou're jealous of my tomatoes, I'm jealous of your berries... :)
That sounds like a lot of fun. I don't think I've ever picked raspberries or blackberries. I think you chose the perfect dish to show them off.
ReplyDeleteIt's been enchanting rambling through Restoration Farm with you these past months, T. W. Today's post is the "icing on the cake." Thanks for sharing...
ReplyDeleteToday must be your lucky day, you WON The Best Summer Drinks give-away!
Your picture of the tart is some of your best photography yet! It looks gorgeous and tasty!
ReplyDeleteLove this blog post. Berries are at their summer peak and this buttermilk tart is perfect.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
Gorgeous Tart!
ReplyDeleteI was berry picking in the shadow of Denali one summer. Berries called baked-apple berries. They were amazing, and hot from being in the sun. Maybe I was influenced by their name but they tasted like hot apple pie.
LL
Now I'm truly envious! Those berries look phenomenal and there's nothing more delish than a berry tart!
ReplyDeleteI'm just not catching up on what my fellow food bloggers have been making. Gorgeous! I love berries (obviously, I blogged about olallies multipe times). Picking them is fun, but this year I cheated-- I paid big bucks to buy them already picked. You were a better sport about it, and what a lovely tart to showcase these...a beautiful tart shell, creamy filling and fresh berries. I'm envious!
ReplyDeleteI love picking fresh fruits. Nothing can beat this. I usually eat as much as I pick :)
ReplyDeleteThe "tart queen" (or is it the "queen of tarts?"), approves!
ReplyDeleteHappy Labor Day!
you are a natural when it comes to these tarts....I have forwarded as much info about the farm to my daughter who lives in NYC~she enjoys the markets downtown, but would really get into this one. I have picked berries until my fingers have bleed from the stickers and thorns on the stems,but it was worth all that pain.....and it would be if i could get such a luscious looking tart as you made.
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