Fig Tart inspired by Anna Del Conte

So many people think of spring as the season of abundance - but I am convinced it is autumn, especially out here in regional NSW. Now is the time of year we purchase crisp fresh apples directly from the orchards up in Orange, and my favourite fruit of all, the delicate, mythical fig, is ripe for the picking.

Although the fig tree in our orchard is still only small, it has produced buckets of beautiful fruit this year - the only challenge has been to get to the figs before the birds and the fruit flies! Our most productive fig tree this season has been the White Adriatic, with its bright lime green skin and intense ruby flesh.

With figs to spare, now is the time to make my recipe of the year - a simple, Italian style fig tart inspired by the wonderful Anna Del Conte in her book "Risotto with Nettles - a Memoir with Food". The recipe is ridiculously simple, but as in all Italian cooking, the secret is to get the key ingredients right.

You might think the hero of this recipe is the fig - but it is, in fact, the pastry. Sweet, textured with crunchy raw sugar, and lifted to a higher plain altogether by the addition of fresh lemon rind. Please don't use thin, flimsy castor sugar in this pastry - it must be raw and granulated. And the lemon rind is non-negotiable!

Fig Tart (Crostata di Marmellata di Fichi)

Pastry
225 g plain flour
100g raw sugar
grated rind of 1 lemon
120g cold butter
2 free range egg yolks
splash ice cold water

Filling
1 190ml jar Rosnay Fig Preserve*
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Fresh figs, sliced
egg yolk and milk wash to glaze

I cheat and make the pastry in my trusty food processor. Just zip all the pastry ingredients up quickly until they come together, then wrap the pastry in plastic and let it rest in the fridge for about half an hour.

Once the pastry has chilled, take it out of the fridge and roll half of it out quickly onto a floured surface. Line a loose bottomed tart tin in pastry, making sure you have buttered and floured the tin first. Now, spread a thin layer of the mixture of fig preserve and lemon juice over the surface of the pastry. If fresh figs are not at hand, the fig preserve and lemon juice is all you need, but if you have the luxury of fresh figs, arrange them, sliced thinly, over the preserve. Now create a pretty lattice pattern with the remaining pastry, glaze with egg and milk wash, and sprinkle a little castor sugar for sparkle (you can use castor sugar for the flourish, but you must use raw sugar in the pastry!) Cook in a moderate oven for about 30 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

Anna Del Conte notes that in Italy, tarts like this are served without the embellishment of cream or ice cream - and she is so right! Just serve with an espresso coffee or a glass of our Dolce Nero!

*Rosnay is an organic vineyard here in Canowindra, which also produces organic olives and figs. To purchase their fantastic Fig Preserve and other products, go to http://www.rosnay.com.au/p/shop.html