Summer Fruit Tarts

With summer in full swing, fruit is the main focus of my every trip to the market that I make. I find intense inspiration for my next meal on these bi weekly trips. The farmer's markets are bursting with every sort of fruit California has to offer- citrus, berries, stone fruit, you name it. It's almost overwhelming. I'm finding that I'm spending my weekly market budget way faster this time of year.

Some of my favorite fruits are in season right now- including fresh figs and juicy fresh red strawberries. Figs are only in season for a blink of an eye, and so when they are ready, I add them to everything from my salads to my smoothie bowls, to this fresh Summer Fruit Tart!

I first came across the recipe for these Summer Fruit Tarts from Sara over at My New Roots. They looked so beautiful and I knew I had to try them myself. However, I was a bit intimidated as I never considered myself a huge baker. This is a prime example of the Nike saying:

Don't let YOU stop YOU. 

I knew I had to try these tarts out- and I had a handful of a delightful array of summer fruits. During my 4th of July weekend along the Central California coast, I managed to forage some organic kumquats from so I purchased a set of small tarts from Bed, Bath & Beyond and got to work. 

gluten free healthy pie crust from My New Roots

The pie crust was definitely the most time-consuming aspect of the recipe, but still way easier than I thought it would be. It turned out excellent on my first try, although I did have to make some minor adjustments to the volume because I used a Vitamix instead of a food processor. I had to add a bit more liquid in order to achieve the dough texture, but it turned out fantastically. 

Summer Fruit Tart

Makes four 4" tarts

Pre heat the oven to 355 degrees F.

Crust:

• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds

• 1 1/4 cup buckwheat flour

• 1/2 tsp himalayan sea salt

• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

• 2 tbsp pure Vermont maple syrup

• 4 tbsp ice water

Filling:

• 24 ounces yogurt of your choice (greek, soy, coconut, all work fine!)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp Maldon's Sea Salt

• 2 tbsp pure Vermont maple syrup

Toppings:

• 1/4 cup sliced strawberries

• 1/2 cup thinly sliced & seeded kumquats

• 2 quartered fresh figs

Toast the sunflower seeds over medium heat in a skillet until fragrant and golden brown. Let them cool for 5 minutes before placing them in your Vitamix. Pulse until you get a texture that resembles sand. Be careful not to over-process here! Add the additional ingredients and blend ingredients in a food processor (or Vitamix!) until a dough is achieved and can stick together.

Pat down the dough into the tart pans until evenly distributed. Throw them into the pre-heated oven for 15-25 minutes. Watch carefully as different oven types vary. Remove once crust is golden, crisp, and hard to the touch. Let cool completely.

While your tarts cool, begin to make the filling. 

Mix together the greek yogurt, maple syrup, vanilla bean and sea salt in a large bowl. 

Once your tart crusts have cooled, it's time to begin filling the tarts! This was by far my favorite part of the whole recipe. 

Spoon about 1/2 cup of yogurt into each tart, or until the tarts are filled evenly with yogurt mixture.

Decorate your tarts with the sliced fruit in any design you'd like. Top with more maple syrup if you wish for them to be sweeter. Serve immediately!