Fresh Fruit Crostada
by Lucia Watson, Chef , Lucia’s Restaurant, Minneapolis, Minn.
This classic Italian dessert falls somewhere between a cobbler, a tart, and a fruit pie. The rustic crust in this recipe is not pinched or crimped, but folded gently, just enough to enclose the sweet fruit filling.
Dough
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup milk
Filling
- 3 to 4 cups fresh fruit, cleaned, and cut up (berries, stone fruit, and apples all work well)
- ¾ cup sugar (use a little more or less depending on the ripeness of your fruit)
- 1 tablespoon flour
- Squirt of fresh lemon juice
In a large bowl, stir together the dry dough ingredients. Cut in the butter with two knives, a pastry blender, or your fingers until it is the consistency of small peas. Add the milk and toss the mixture until just combined. Gather into a large ball, cover, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a big round, and then gently transfer it to a cookie sheet—the dough is fragile!
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Toss the fruit in the sugar, flour, and lemon juice. Pile the fruit into the middle of the dough and gently fold up the edges around the fruit, leaving a hole in the middle. Bake for 50 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.