Late Summer in the Garden and Peach Tart

I never want to wish summer away, because I love so much about these sultry, sunny days, with brilliant flowers in bloom (top) and friendly green visitors in the pond (above). Plus I remember oh too well, the frigid white Ohio winter expanses of ice and snow, when I would longingly look out at my patio and remember summer days, watching the fish in the pond, the sun on the flowers, the doggie (Rio, below) at my feet. It has been, however, an incredibly hot and humid season, and I'm happily thinking welcome thoughts of fall. Autumn has, actually, always been my favorite. Crisp, clear days. Blue skies. Brilliant reds and oranges and yellows. The crunch of leaves underfoot. Fires in the firepit. Football. New theatre season. Bubbling soups on the stove.

And I'm suddenly seeing signs of a changing season everywhere. The sweet corn is not quite so good. Fields of corn and soybeans are slowly turning yellow. My morning glories are this close to blooming (finally). Black walnuts are dropping off my neighbor's tree (onto my roof in the middle of the night, ker-plunk). Mums are breaking out in bloom. The stars look brighter. Boys are donning cleats and pads and heading out on the football field. And all you see are "back to school" sales everywhere.

But last night Barista and Chip and I celebrated the end of summer with two fabulous things -- summer pasta (see previous post for recipe) which I made with some amazing yellow heirloom tomatoes (soooo good!) and an Ohio peach tart with a gluten-free sugar cookie crust. Hooo baby, it was great. We gobbled it all up and then went to see an old favorite band (that I grew up with in the '70s) outdoors called McGuffey Lane. Pretty nice late summer day if I do say so!

Here's the tart recipe:

Peach Tart with Gluten Free Sugar Cookie Crust

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup gluten free flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream butter and sugar together. Add egg and vanilla and blend well. Add flour and salt. Form into a disk, wrap in waxed paper and chill in fridge for at least a half hour. Remove, roll out between sheets of waxed paper, about 1/4 inch thick. Place dough in glass 9-inch pie plate.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake dough for 10-12 minutes until beginning to set.

Meanwhile, boil a pot of water. Plop 3-4 fresh Ohio peaches in water for 30 seconds or so. Remove with slotted spoon and slip skins off the peaches.

Slice peaches. Toss with 2 tablespoons sugar, a squirt of fresh lemon juice, and a dash of cinnamon and dash of nutmeg.

When dough is beginning to set, remove from oven. Pour peaches into crust. Return to oven for 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden and completely cooked, and peaches are bubbling. Remove from oven. Let cool slightly. Serve with vanilla frozen yogurt.