I’m alive! Sorry I have been so MIA – I actually have a backlog of infinity recipes I’ve been jonesin to post and it’s been eating at me that I have taken so long in doing so.  The truth is I have been competing on the Next Foodnetwork Star and simply haven’t been able to sneak away and update the blog.  I’m glad I finally was able to though because you really need this Plum Tart recipe in your life.

Okay so maybe not all of that was true but the part where you’re going to like this tart is the MOST true….

 My parents came down for my Dad’s bday and it was all in all a pretty glorious day. 

Happy Birthday Dad!

We had an incredible meal at Sixteen (think puree piles/escargot pasta/gold leaf flaked dessert) and despite the fact that the tasting menu should be called “four full course meals you eat back to back” we rolled our bodies over to the Art Institute for several hours of museum time. 

After that it was back to my place for dessert.  My dad would take a fruit pile over chocolate cake everyday of the year which is how I landed on this plum tart. It’s so fresh, simple and addicting- get involved.

Plums = heaven

Inspired by my girl Ina

You’ll need (hardly anything look how short this list is):

2 cups all-purpose flour

0.75 cups finely chopped walnuts

0.75 cups light brown sugar, lightly packed

1.5 sticks cold unsalted butter, diced

1 egg yolk

2 pounds firm, ripe Italian prune plums, pitted and quartered lengthwise (plums are insane this time of year I almost felt bad cooking them vs eating them straight up but then I tried the tart and knew I had made the right decision)

Chopping these were annoying… consider buying them already good to go

Combine the flour, walnuts and sugar in a large bowl.  Add the butter and the egg yolk.  I used a pastry cutter (and eventually my hands) to cut the butter into the dry ingredients making some sort of dough.  You will have huge hunks of butter still at the end and the mixture will not quite feel like a dough and that is fine.  Nothing about this needs to be perfect, especially if you are making this for your dad who will love anything you make him.  Press 1.5 cups of the dough-like mixture in an even layer into the bottom of a tart pan.

Arrange the plums in the pan skin side down making it look nice like I did here (begin on the outside and work your way in).

You kinda think I belong on next Foodnetwork Star looking at this photo right?

Sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture onto the plums.

Not the prettiest pre-baking

Bake at 400 degrees F for 40-50 minutes.  I broiled it for a hot second at the end.   Let cool and slice.