They call these things “hand tarts” because in theory, you’re supposed to make them small enough to pick up and eat just by hand. But the way I made one last, it was pretty much full-size. See, I didn’t have a tart pan. I didn’t even have a pie pan, as I seem to bring pies places and leave without bringing home the pan. So this was really my only choice. If you find yourself without much equipment, too, or just want to try out an easy alternative to traditional tarts, then a rustic, hand-formed version filled with fruit can be done in just a few simple steps. Fussy and formal, desserts don’t have to be.

Step One: Pick Fresh, Seasonal Fruit Bursting With Flavor

What’s summer without fresh fruit to spare? Peaches and plums spilling onto the sidewalks from the farmers’ market stands? It’s the perfect time to to pick only the best fruit possible, tree or vine-ripened so they’re sweet as can be. Here on the roof, we’ve got some strawberries and cape gooseberries, but a very special load of plums came in from Red Jacket Orchards a few days ago. Sixpoint is planning a plum-flavored beer to pour at Just Food’s Let Us Eat Local celebration this September. The Finger Lakes-based orchard is providing the plums, so they swept in with a crate full of every variety they grow, just picked that week.

Because all the different colors were so pretty, I decided to make a tart using a medley of them.

Step Two: Slice Up Your Fruit Attractively

This is a loose general guideline. If you have peaches, nectarines, apples or plums, thin wedges look nice, especially if you arrange them in a fan (as you can see, I didn’t however). Berries like blueberries and raspberries can stay whole. With some fruit, like pineapples, you may want to cut coarse chunks. Make the fruit look as rustic or clean as you wish. And keep the peels on if you don’t mind them, too. (Note: plum pits are not the easiest things to pull out. Halve the plum first, and try to pry the pit out without squashing the flesh. If you have a melon baller, that could be just the right size to scoop it out clean.)

Step Three: Toss Fruit with Sugar and Set Aside

Place your cut fruit chunks in a bowl and toss with white sugar. How much depends on how sweet the fruit is to begin with. My medley of plums was a mixed bag: some were more ripe, juicy and sweet; others were firm and extremely tart. I ended up underestimating how much sugar they’d need combined, and erred on the side of “way too sour,” according to the brewers. Case in point: get a taste your fruit (even all varieties or individual pieces of them) to gauge their sweetness and tartness first. Plums vary wildly, it turns out!

Step Four: Make A Basic Tart Pastry Recipe

Choose your favorite pie or tart recipe for the crust. As for mine, I use butter, and if I’m making a small enough batch, simply cut it into flour by hand, squeezing my forefinger against my thumb in a big bowl of it as if I’m trying to snap very slowly. After a few minutes of this, the butter clumps should be “no larger than a pea.” Then I add cold water and mix it in by hand until the dough just comes together; careful not to overwork or over-water, or else the crust will be tough. I usually add a touch of sugar to the flour for tart pastry, instead of a good sprinkle of salt which I add to pie pastry, for some reason. You can use any recipe in the universe for a tart or pie pastry, though. Cover it and chill twenty minutes before the next step.

a pressed-out round of dough (the specks are from using some of the lavender herbed butter)

slits are cut and ready to fold over the fruit

Step Five: Roll and Cut Pastry

Grease up a baking sheet, pie pan, or whatever oven-safe flat vessel you’re going to bake your tart on, and roll it out into a flat, even round about ten to twelve inches in diameter. (Or, roll it out on parchment paper and transfer to the baking sheet.) Using a paring knife, cut slits away from the edge of the round about two inches deep and two to three inches apart, on a diagonal. The center circle of untouched pastry is where you’ll place the fruit. (Note: If you don’t have a rolling pin, use an empty wine bottle, or just press with your hands!)

Step Six: Fold Over the Edges, and Bake

Fold each flap over the fruit one by one, overlapping as you go. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. At this point, you can also brush the edges of the crust with egg wash and sprinkle it with sugar, to look more attractive in the end. A sprinkle of sugar on top of the fruit visible in the center is a nice touch, too. Try to make sure you didn’t cut the slats so deep into the circle that there’s cuts on what’s now the bottom of the tart. Also, try to seal the edges so no fruit juices can leak through. Some will probably leak, anyway.

before baking

out of the oven

You’ll want to bake your tart of this size about forty minutes, give or take. Once the crust looks sufficiently golden brown and the whole kitchen smells wonderful, it’s a good time to remove it from the oven to cool. Top with ice cream, whipped cream or thick vanilla yogurt (my new favorite a la mode) if desired. Or serve it warm from the oven alone. It’s a fun treat in any season, and your friends might just impressed enough by it to think you tried hard!