Greenage tart

Greengages are little green plums. I found them recently at the Afghan Mini Market on Backlick Rd, Springfield and at Iransara, in the Peking Gourmet shopping strip, at 6039 Leesburg Pike. Buy ones that are soft But you can make this tart with any kind of plum - or with apricots or apples. It's quick, it's easy, it's mouthwatering.

Flaky fruit tarts

Serves 6

1 pound of stone fruit, cut in half, stone removed. (Stew any leftovers in a little sugar or eat raw. To make apple tarts, buy 4 Granny Smiths or Golden Delicious. They hold their shape best. Wash them, quarter them, core them and slice thinly.)
pack of puff pastry, preferably Dufour (from Whole Foods)
lump of butter - about an ounce, melted
2-4 tablespoons sugar
2-3 tablespoons confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to its hottest. 

Bring the pastry to room temperature and roll out as thinly as you can without tearing it. Take a saucer, lay it on top and swirl the tip of a sharp knife around it to make a circle. Repeat 5 more times then peel away the left-over pastry.

Lay the fruit in circles on top, leaving about 1/8" bare at the edge. If using apples, overlap them like fish scales. If using stone fruits, place them cut side up.

Dab everything including exposed pastry with melted butter. Sprinkle over a couple of tablespoons of sugar. 

Bake till the fruit is getting touched with black - about 15-25 minutes depending on your oven. Sounds mad, but that's when the whole thing will be cooked and a little burnt caramel adds a dimension.  

Sieve over a light snowfall of confectioner's sugar. Serve warm not hot, by themselves. You don't really need vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. But it never hurts. They're also delicious cold. Especially at breakfast the day after the dinner...  

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