Over at Julie's: Blueberry-Blackberry Rustic Tart

Fresh, sun-ripened, blueberries and blackberries . . . Add a buttery, cornmeal pie crust . . . and I'm all over it!

Grampa and Grams had a cottage up North on Fife Lake, Michigan. Across the road were miles and miles of national forest. As a kid, during huckleberry season, we'd head down the fire lanes to our favorite berry picking spots. Gram tied a rope around our waists with a tin can dangling from it. This freed our hands and kept us from accidentally spilling those sweet, juicy, wild huckleberries.

This berry recipe is reminiscent of the wonderful times spent up at the cottage ... fishing, swimming and, of course, berry picking!

If you are new to making pastry from scratch, this is the perfect recipe to begin with! Simple to make and a stunning dessert to serve! Recipe adapted from Simple and Delicious May 2010.

The sweet pastry has just enough corn meal in it to put it somewhere between eating a pie and a cobbler . . . And the smell of those blueberries and blackberries . . . It's enough to make you swoon!

BLUEBERRY AND BLACKBERRY RUSTICA - serves 8

Sweet Pastry Crust:

2 cups unbleached flour

1/4 cup cornmeal (I used organic to avoid GMO)

1/3 cup pure cane sugar

2/3 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (5 1/2 oz.)

1/2 cup buttermilk (To make your own buttermilk add 1/2 tablespoon apple vinegar to 1/2 cup milk; let sit for 5 minutes to curdle.)

Filling:

4 cups washed blueberries or huckleberries

2 cups washed blackberries

2/3 cup of pure cane sugar

1/3 cup flour

2 tablespoons lemon juice

~+~

1 egg beaten

Coarse raw sugar

In a mixing bowl: Whisk flour, corn meal and sugar together.
Cut cold butter into flour mixture with pastry blender, 2 butter knives, or my favorite: Work butter into flour using your thumb and fingers until it resembles course meal.
Add buttermilk to flour and mix together with a fork.
On a lightly floured surface, form dough into a flat disk; cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to overnight.
Preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 15-inch round.
Transfer crust to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
In a large mixing bowl: Sprinkle lemon juice over berries; lightly toss berries with the flour and sugar.
Spoon berries onto crust to within 2-inches of outer edge.
Fold pastry up around the berries; brush with beaten egg; sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake for 40 minutes; or until golden brown.
Slide parchment paper with tart onto wire rack.
Serve with sweetened whipped cream.