Waiting for Huckleberries

I have been patiently waiting for huckleberries all month so that I can make this tart. Not just any tart, but a Freeform Huckleberry Tart with an Almond Crust packed with ripe nectarines and huckleberries. 


The huckleberries came in a tad bit late this year, as I am sure you all have noticed, and they peaked fast and furious. When I returned from summer vacation, I could only find a few left at my favorite secret spot.   


That will teach me to never leave Jackson Hole for 10 days mid-August ever again.  

Huckleberries at Melanie's house, a wonderful friend who never has time to pick her own.

My huckleberry-picking crew was more into goofing off...

than serious Hunting and Gathering....

And Nick consumed most of the crop...

So we came home with enough to toss on our yogurt.

While I was waiting for huckleberry season, I made this Freeform Tart with blueberries instead, a perfectly acceptable stand-in.  

Huckleberries are a cousin to the wild blueberry, but more tart and precious since they only come out for a few weeks in late summer.  Dubbed "Purple Gold" by old-timers, they make great jam, pies, tarts, and especially milkshakes.


I was somewhat jealous to learn that the Huckleberry is the State Fruit of Idaho. Jealous because I then wondered what Wyoming's state fruit was, and found that it did not have one.  Luckily, Idaho is so close to Jackson Hole that I can ride my bike there. 

It's definitely Huckleberry Season in the Pacific Northwest, where I spotted these beauties at Pike's Place Market in Seattle.

Wyoming does have an edible State Mammal, the Bison, and we do eat as much bison as we can get when we or friends are lucky enough to hunt one. Our State Fish, the Cutthroat Trout, does not get eaten so much, mostly because we favor "catch and release" fly-fishing.  And that's it for Wyoming's official state edibles.  No State Muffin (Minnesota:  Blueberry Muffin); no State Snack (Utah:  Jello-O); no State Cookie (Massachusetts:  Chocolate Chip).  


But we do have an abundance of huckleberries, nonetheless.  Just don't leave town in mid-August like I did.   Someday I'll find enough huckleberries to make a big batch of Huckleberry Jam, which we have been out of since 2007.

If I ever make some more Huckleberry Jam, I'll be sure to share the recipe.

Freeform Huckleberry Tart with an Almond Crust

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
• 2 Tbsp. (about) ice water
• 1 cup huckleberries or blueberries
• 4 nectarines, , pitted, thinly sliced (peaches would be good too)
• 1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• vanilla frozen yogurt, or creme fraiche, or whipped cream, to serve
• Parchment paper, or a Silpat silicone baking liner very helpful to have

Nectarines from Sloan's Jackson Farmers' Market are perfect right now.

Yes, these are blueberries, let's just pretend they are huckleberries.

Almond meal is a great secret weapon in the kitchen. Substitute 1/2 cup almond meal for flour in your favorite baked goods...such as muffins, quick breads, madeleines, pie crust and cake.

1. Mix flour, almond meal, and salt in a food processor.  Or, you can mix by hand in a bowl.
2. Add butter to food processor, pulsing until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Or, mix the cold butter into the flour with a fork, and then work it with your hands until there are no more than pea-sized pieces of butter.
3. Add ice water by tablespoonfuls and process until just moist.  Do not let it get into a cohesive ball in the food processor.
4. Remove dough and knead gently to incorporate all the scraps.  Form into a ball, and flatten into a disk.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for about an hour, or until you are ready to use it.
6. When you are ready to make the tart, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
7. Take the dough out of the refrigerator, and let warm up slightly while you prepare the fruit.
8. Mix the sliced nectarines and the huckleberries in a large bowl.  Add sugar to taste (you may want to use less than 1/3 cup if your fruit is really ripe).  
9. Add lemon juice and toss.
10. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to form a 14 inch circle that is about 1/4 inch thick.
11. Place the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
12. Pour the fruit into the center and flatten out over the dough, leaving a 3 inch border.
13. Fold the border over the fruit, to form a freeform open pie.  Seal any cracks in the dough by pinching with your fingers.
14. Sprinkle with a few Tbsp. sugar.
15. Bake for about 35 minutes, until the crust is brown and crispy and fruit is soft. If the crust browns before the fruit is done, cover gently with foil and bake a few minutes more.
16. If the fruit juices seep out onto the baking sheet, don't worry.  It will look even more rustic.
17. Cool slightly and cut into wedges, with yogurt, or ice cream, or creme fraiche on top. 
18. Have it for dessert. Have it for breakfast.  Have it for a post-workout snack. 

This almond crust is so good, I'm sure you'll find lots of uses for it in your repertoire.