Italian Plum Tart

Peach and blueberry pies are what most people consider the pies of summer – however, stone fruits such as plums and nectarines are a neglected bunch. On Saturday, I spotted a box of beautiful, ripe Italian plums on 9th Street. These small, oval fruits make a marvelous tart with very little besides a crust and some sugar!

• 1 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup ice water
• 1 1/2 pounds ripe Italian plums
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

1. Place flour, butter, and salt in the bowl of a food processor – pulse until it resembles coarse meal. Slowly add ice water and pulse until dough just begins to clump together.
2. Place in a plastic bag, and work into a disk, and refrigerate for an hour.
3. Preheat oven to 400º. Roll out dough, ease into a 9″ tart pan.
4. Slice the plums in half lengthwise, and remove the pits. Arrange the plums, cut side up starting around the perimeter of the tart pan, and filling in the center. Sprinkle the sugar over the plums.
5. Bake the tart for 50 to 60 minutes, until the plums are soft. Serve at room temperature. Leftovers may be refrigerated for up to 2 days.