Serves a Crowd

ANCIENT HEIRLOOM PLUM AND TOMATO TARTLETTS

by:
August  1, 2010
4.3
3 Ratings
ANCIENT HEIRLOOM PLUM AND TOMATO TARTLETTS
  • Makes 2 dozen
Author Notes

Way up in the mountains above a long narrow valley in California there is a place where I love to hike. The bones of a couple of 19th century farmhouses and chicken coops make the hike interesting and if my timing is right, the ancient apple trees and the cherry plum trees are ripe and delicious. The plums are amazing in that they have survived for so long with so much neglect. It makes them even sweeter. Here I have mixed them with some colorful grape tomatoes to produce tasty little tarts. —themissingingredient

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 packages puff pastry or make your own.
  • 2 lbs cherry plums or if you use large plums, cut them into small chunks, pitted.
  • 1 lb grape tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 4 star anise pods (about 1 tbs)
Directions
  1. In a large pot on high heat, put the plums, tomatoes and sugar.
  2. Zest a lemon and add the zest to the pot.
  3. Juice the lemon and add the juice to the pot.
  4. Put 4 star anise pods in a mortor or a spice mill and grind until fine and add to the mixture.
  5. When the mixture begins to bubble and break up, add the cornstarch (which you have made into a slurry with a little water or fruit juice).
  6. After the mixture has thickened, remove it from the flame.
  7. Prepare the puff pastry according to directions or make your own.
  8. In a muffin pan (you determine the size you want) cut squares of the puff pastry and press them lightly into each muffin cup.
  9. Spoon some fruit mixture into each pastry cup.
  10. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
  11. Great served with vanilla bean ice cream on the side.
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5 Reviews

la F.
la F. August 3, 2010
Sounds tasty!
 
dymnyno
dymnyno August 3, 2010
Plums and tomatoes....why not...they are both fruit! I used to dismiss cherry/grape tomatoes but lately I have seen gorgeous little tomatoes that are striped and yellow and red and a palate of colors. The flavors are very good too. The acidic sweet tomatoes go well with the fruity sweet plums. And, you didn't use much sugar!
 
kitchengardener
kitchengardener August 2, 2010
very unique combination to try now that we have a surplus of cherry tomatoes
 
themissingingredient
themissingingredient August 1, 2010
Thank you! The tomatoes give it a unique flavor, as does the star anise.
 
Sagegreen
Sagegreen August 1, 2010
Lovely!