Sunday in My Kitchen- Peach and Plum tart

It's a beautiful day in the wine country, the windows are open, and the sun is breaking through the early morning fog. I hear the sounds of nature outside and a million thoughts of what to do with this day are passing through my mind. If I could only stretch this day to last more than the allotted 24 hours! I decide to go to the gym to think it over. Mountain biking, cycling, and hiking all lose in a very tight battle against my kitchen. I am going to a dinner party tonight, so I have decided to make an appetizer and a dessert for my contribution.

At the gym I ran through a mental inventory of my pantry and came up with a grocery list for all the things I want to accomplish today. I ran to my local market on the way home gathered all that is required for my plan. I spread everything out on my kitchen counter and the colors were so pleasing to the eye that they begged to be photographed. I had recently thumbed through my Eric Ripert book "A Return to Cooking" and remembered 2 recipes that had caught my attention. They were the peach and plum tart, and the fig wrapped in bacon. They are both simple in their execution yet aesthetically elegant and mouth-watering.

Peach and Plum tart

ingredients:

4 peaches, skinned, pitted and cut in small cubes
5 plums, cut into thin slices
1/4 cup of sugar
8 TBS Butter
1 sheet of puff pastry thawed

1. In a pan over Med. heat, place the peaches, 2 TBS sugar, and 4 Tbs of butter. Heat until the mixture breaks down into a Jam. Stir occasionally. Should take about 1 Hour. Remove from pan and place in a bowl and cool in the fridge. This step can be done earlier in the day.

2. On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to a 1/4" thick. Cut the sheet into 5" circles with a mold or a bowl, cup, etc..Place the cut circles on a silpat or a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and place in the fridge to firm (about 30 Minutes).

3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
4. prick holes all over the puff pastry with a fork to prevent  puffing. Spread the peach mixture on each circle. Place the plum slices on top in an circular pattern with each slice overlapping.

5. Melt the remaining butter and brush it on top of the plum slices. Sprinkle the remaining sugar on top and place in oven for approximately 25 minutes or until the tops caramelize.

Serve Warm or Cold