Blackberry Tart with a Hint of Rosemary

While you may not think herbs when you think of a blackberry tart, I promise you the unexpected addition of rosemary will pique your interest. This tart is earthy and grounding, a gentle reminder of the land from which it came. Imagine a huge blackberry bush at the end of a dusty dirt road, an afternoon breeze ruffling your hair, kicking up the sweet scent of dried grasses. The hot summer sun beats down on the deep inky fruit, and you reach into the tangle of branches, pluck a berry and pop it in your mouth. It’s perfectly ripe, warm, sweet and slightly tart. You harvest the berries, one at a time, avoiding the thorns, until your basket is brimming with fruit.

This was how our adventure began, but it didn’t end quite as peacefully. When our basket was half full, we heard the hiss of a rattlesnake, letting us know we’d taken more than our fair share. We froze in our tracks, and then made a slow retreat. We never saw the snake, but it certainly had us in its cross hairs! Nothing like nature to keep you in the present moment!

Back in the kitchen, I tested several different blackberry-herb combinations. In addition to rosemary, I also experimented with thyme, mint and basil and they all paired well with the fresh fruit. Rosemary and thyme added a heavier note to the jam, and the basil and mint brought out the natural sweetness of the berries. In the end, I preferred rosemary and thyme, but I tend to like heavier, earthy flavors. Play around with it and have fun!

Notes:

• While many blackberry jam recipes do not call for pectin, I added it to this recipe because it firms the jam and I didn’t want the jam to run when I sliced the tart. Feel free to omit the pectin if you are only making a jam.

• For seedless jam, pass the jam through a fine mesh strainer or chinois strainer after it has simmered on the stove. Sometimes, I pass half of it through the strainer to remove some of the bulk, but this is pure preference.

• The fruit should stand front and center! Taste it and then add the sugar slowly. If your blackberries are on the sweeter side, you may want to decrease the amount of added sugar, likewise if they are tart, you may want to increase the amount.

• Begin by making the jam. Place the blackberries, sugar, ground rosemary and lemon juice plus zest in a large pot over medium low heat. Then, crush the berries with a potato masher.

This step is optional. If you prefer to remove some of the pulp, remove the fruit by the spoonful and pass it through a fine mesh strainer, pressing down on the fruit, allowing the juice to return to the pot, while the solids get left behind.

Add the pectin, a little at a time, stirring until it has completely absorbed into the mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce heat and allow the jam to simmer, uncovered, for about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Then, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool for an hour. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

To make the tart shell, place the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse until well combined, but do not over mix. With the machine running, pour ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough comes together.

Remove the dough from the food processor and place it on a flat surface. Using a pastry cutter or a knife, cut the dough in half and form it into two disks. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

After the dough has rested, roll out one disk between two sheets of parchment paper until it measures 12″ in diameter, about 1/8″ thick.

Press the crust into the tart pan and trim excess dough. Then, place a sheet of tin foil over the dough and weigh the top down with pie weights or beans. Bake for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

Then, spread the jam in an even layer over the tart shell, about 1/2″ in thickness.

Roll out the rest of the dough and cut into strips about 1″ wide. After cutting the dough into strips, I refrigerate them for about 20 minutes. It makes the dough much easier to work with if you plan to basketweave or braid the strips.

Brush with an egg wash, dust with sugar and bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the filling is heated through. Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving.