This rustic peach tart is simple to make, juicy and tastes like summer

Juicy peaches, luscious mangoes, golden apricots, deep purple plums and burgundy red cherries are beckoning from produce counters just as they do every year at this time.

They are known as stone fruits because, unlike apples and pears, they contain a single pit or stone, instead of a core with multiple seeds. They beg to be eaten — especially when enclosed in delicious pastry.

But preparing complicated pies and tarts takes time, which many of us would prefer to spend on other pursuits outdoors. Unlike formal tarts and pies that are baked in plates, pans, or molds, the open-faced tart is shaped by hand and baked free form directly on a sheet pan, like pizza.

Call them what you like — Italian crostatas, French galettes, or rustic free-form tarts — all are fast and easy to make and require no special baking skills. Your hands, a bowl, a rolling pin, parchment paper, a baking pan, and an oven are the only things you’ll need.

You get the flaky dough you hanker for with pie, but there’s no need to transfer the dough to a pie pan or crimp the edges. A single layer of crust forms the bottom of the tart, and the sides are gently folded back on the fruit to keep it contained. No matter how you fold or pleat the dough, the end result always looks beautiful; in fact, the more rustic looking the tart is, the more enticing it is.

Simply toss the fruit with a little sugar and flour to make an irresistible filling. Either make your own rich, buttery pastry or use a refrigerated pie crust. Free-form tarts can enclose anything from fresh fruits to savories like tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, leeks, basil, dill and much more. This dish loses its nice balance of crisp and tender textures when made in advance. Serve it the same day it’s prepared.

To harmonize with the peach flavors, my choice would be a bright and crisp chardonnay from CK Mondavi Family Select 2022 ($10.99). This refreshing combination is perfect for a hot summer day. The tropical fruit, lemon zest, and peach flavors in the wine perfectly balance the juicy, ripe peaches.

Peach galette

From Great British Bake-Off star Benjamina Ebuehi

Using frozen and thawed puff pastry makes this recipe very easy, but you can use any pastry, pie dough, or homemade pie crust recipe of your choice.

Filling

1 1⁄2 pounds peaches (about 5 ripe peaches)

1⁄4 cup lightly packed light or dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Squeeze of lemon (about 1 teaspoon)

2 tablespoons plus 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground almonds

On a cutting board with a paring knife, cut the peaches in half, working your way around the pit, then scoop out the pit with a spoon. Slice the peaches about one-half inch thick. In a large bowl, stir together the peaches, brown sugar, vanilla, ground ginger, cornstarch, and lemon juice until evenly combined. Set aside.

Roll out the dough

Dust your kitchen counter with a little flour then roll the pastry of your choice into a large circle, 12 to 13 inches in diameter and about one-quarter inch in thickness, rotating the pastry a quarter turn after every couple rolls to prevent sticking and to keep the circular shape. If at any point the dough gets sticky, set it on a plate or sheet pan and chill in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes, until firmer again.

Assemble the galette

Line a baking sheet completely with parchment paper. Gently fold the dough in half, brushing away any loose flour with a pastry brush or your fingers. Lift the dough onto the center of your lined sheet pan, flipping it floury-side up if you can (this way, any lingering flour can help the filling thicken instead of toasting on the bottom). Sprinkle the ground almonds evenly across the center of the dough, leaving about 2 inches clear along the edge.

Fill and chill

Pile the peaches in an even layer on top of the almonds, again leaving a thick border around the edge. Moving around the circle with your fingertips, fold the overhanging edges of the dough up over the peach filling. Set the sheet pan in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 375°F.

Glaze

1 egg, beaten with a fork

1 tablespoon turbinado (coarse) sugar or granulated sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Bake

With a pastry brush or your fingers, brush the top of the dough with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the sugar. Bake the galette until the crust is golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. In the last 2 to 3 minutes of baking, with oven mitts, remove the galette from the oven and glaze the peaches with the maple syrup using a pastry brush or spoon. Return the galette to the oven for the remaining few minutes to heat the glaze through. Remove from the oven and let the galette cool for a few minutes. Eat at any temperature you like.

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Recipe adapted from “Food52 Simply Genius: Recipes for Beginners, Busy Cooks & Curious People” by Kristen Miglore, Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House, $35.