by Jane Rodmell for All The Best Fine Foods, a ‘Certified Good Food Fighter’

September is an exciting month in the kitchen at All The Best. Heaping bushels of freshly picked peaches, plums, early apples, peppers and glorious field tomatoes of every colour are delivered daily. Our bakers get into high gear baking fruit pies, cobblers and crisps and the chefs create wonderful savoury soups, salads and side dishes to feature our local harvest.

Plum Apple Galette
An open-face rustic tart is the perfect way to enjoy the fruits of the season. The crust is simply folded over the fruit around the edges, sprinkled with a little demerara sugar and baked. Try other combinations of fruits such as peach and blueberry or apple and blackberry. Serve warm with a topping of ice cream or crème fraîche. So simple and so delicious!

Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C)
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

1 lb (450 g) apples, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1 cm ) slices (about 2 cups (500 ml)
¾ lb (375 g) purple plums, stoned and sliced into ½-inch (1 cm ) slices (about 2 cups (500 ml)
¼ cup (50 ml) light brown sugar
2 tbsp (30 ml) unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ tsp (1 ml) ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
1 large egg, beaten
2 tbsp (30 ml) demerara or brown sugar
Your favourite pastry rolled into a circle 12-to 13- inch (about 30 cm)

In a large bowl, toss the apples and plums with sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt.

Transfer pastry circle to the prepared baking sheet. Arrange the fruit in the centre of the dough, leaving about 11/2-inch (4 cm) around the edge uncovered. Fold the outside edge of the dough up and over the fruit, makes pleats as necessary to form a neat round galette. Brush the crust with beaten egg and sprinkle demerara sugar evenly over the pastry and fruit.

Bake until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling, about 50 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes then cut into wedges and serve warm.

Serves 8

Tips: Cut small pastry rounds (about 6-inch (15 cm) and proceed as above to make individual galettes. Reduce baking time to about 30 minutes.

Be sure to check out www.allthebestfinefoods.com/menu to see our weekly menus. You’ll find specialties for Rosh Hashanah (available from September 7 to 10) and lots of new and scrumptious ways to celebrate the season.

Enjoy and all the best,

Jane