“I’m lucky and have space to grow fruit in my garden, but we can all ask our neighbours if they have any spare, or get access a local share site online and find someone who has a glut of fruit when it’s in season. Any spare fruit I have goes to the kitchen at Cafe, where recently we used some of my garden pears in a tart.” 

Serves 4

Prep time: 2 hours; cooking time: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 pears

500ml water

100g sugar

1 cinnamon stick

320g soft butter

440g plain flour, sifted

100g icing sugar, sifted

5 eggs

200g caster sugar

200g ground almonds

A few flaked almonds as a garnish

METHOD

Peel the pears and place them in a pot with a sugar and water solution made with 500ml water, 100g sugar and 1 cinnamon stick. Cook on a low poach for 1 to 2 hours until the pears are soft. Allow to cool.

Prepare 4 fluted tart shells with a little melted butter and a dusting of flour. I use fluted tins with removable bases.

Heat the oven to 150°C / Gas Mark 2

To make the pastry, beat the icing sugar and 120g butter together until fluffy and creamy. Add 240g flour and gently add an egg. Combine to make a dough. Rest for 15 minutes then roll out and line the tart shells, removing any overhanging pastry. Rest again.

To make the frangipane, begin by beating 4 eggs, then cream 200g butter with the caster sugar. Add the almonds, then 200g flour and the beaten eggs to make a thick paste.

Once the pears are cool, cut into quarters, then remove the cores and slice thinly.

To assemble the tart, spoon the frangipane into the tart shell, then add a few pear slices, then top with more frangipane. Don’t overfill the tarts as they will rise in the oven. Decorate with flaked almonds and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the pastry is cooked underneath. 

Serve hot with a dollop of crème fraîche.