Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and 1/2-cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour, cornmeal, and salt. Mix these until well combined. Press the mixture on the bottoms and up the sides of a 10” x 3” spring-form pan. Do not worry about keeping the top edge perfect. It will add to the rustic appeal. Place the pan into the oven, and bake until lightly golden, 20-25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack completely before proceeding. Reduce the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the ricotta and mascarpone in a large mixing bowl. Stir them until as smooth as possible with a rubber spatula. Stir in the remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar and the remaining 1/2-cup flour into the ricotta. Stir until well incorporated. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the vanilla, orange and lemon zest, and salt. Sir until just combined. Do not over mix. Pour batter into the prepared cornmeal shell. Place in oven on center rack. Bake for about 70 minutes, until a light golden color. Make sure the center is fairly firm, and the point of a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. At this point turn the oven off and allow the cheesecake to sit in there another hour to hour and a half. This will help it from cracking. Still some cracking is inevitable and, again, part of the rustic appeal. After that, remove the cake to a wire rack to cool completely. Then cover the pan and move it to the refrigerator at least 2 hours but overnight is better. When ready to serve, remove the cake gently from the spring-form pan. You may serve the compôte in a bowl next to the cheesecake or spooned over the top. But do not spoon the fruit on top until immediately before serving.

Directions

* 3/4 cup buttermilk * 2 tablespoons dry yeast * 1 cup fine-ground cornmeal (pregrind it in a food processor to ensure a delicate texture) * 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour * 1 cup sugar, plus 3 tablespoons for cream and more for sprinkling * 2 large eggs, beaten * Grated zest of 1 lemon * 1 cup heavy cream * 1 pint fresh blackberries cornmeal cake with berries and creamGenerously butter a 10-inch, 2 piece angel food cake pan. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk and yeast. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal, flour, sugar, eggs, and lemon zest. Whisk until the ingredients are well blended. Turn the batter into the prepared pan. It will be fairly thick. Let let the prepared pan rest for 30 minutes while the oven preheats the oven to 350F. Brush the top of the cake with a generous amount of water and sprinkle the top of the batter generously with sugar. Bake for 40 minutes until slightly browned on top. Let the cake cool completely, then turn it out of the pan. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream and berries.

Directions

Prepare Filling: Using a hand mixer or whisk whip together the mascarpone cheese, cream, and 1/4-cup sugar. Add the cream a little at a time. You are looking for a sour cream consistency, very smooth with no lumps. Mix in 1/4-cup basil chiffonade at the very end until just incorporated. Refrigerate filling, covered, until you are ready to assemble the tart. Make Tart Shell: Whisk together the flour with the cornmeal, and salt in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl mix egg yolk, cream, and vanilla. In a 3rd bowl cream the butter and 1/4 cup sugar together using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix them together on medium speed until they form a pale and fluffy paste, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk mixture and mix them together on medium-low speed until well combined. Working in 3 additions, add flour mixture to the bowl until just combined. I find these additions easier to work with using a wooden spoon so as not to over mix the dough. Working on a piece of plastic wrap shape dough into an oblong shape that is roughly the size of your tart tin (13 3/4-by-4 1/4-by-1-inch). Add an additional piece of plastic on top and roll a rolling pin over the top to form a smooth flat piece of dough about 1/4-inch thick. Close up the plastic wrap and move dough to the refrigerator. Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes, before using. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and peel off the top layer of plastic wrap. Invert the dough into the tart tin. It does not matter if it breaks or does not fit perfectly. Because you can press dough together and finish the shaping in the tart tin. The type with a removable bottom works best. Trim edges of dough flush with pan. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Bake about 18 minutes until golden and crisp. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Make the Peaches: Peel the peaches. This can be accomplished easily if you blanch the peaches first. This will loosen their skin and the task is not nearly as messy as it would be with a knife. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl large enough for all the peaches. With a paring knife, lightly score an X onto the bottom of each peach. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Carefully drop the peaches into the water for 1 to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, move the peaches into to an ice-water bath to stop the cooking. Once the peaches have cooled, the skin should peel off easily. You may need to get it started with a paring knife, but most of the skin can be removed with your hands. Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits. Cut each half into 4 or 5 evenly sized wedges. Stir together the peach wedges, remaining 1/4-cup sugar, 1 tablespoon water, and remaining 1/4-cup basil in a medium sized saucepan with a lid, set over medium heat. Cook covered, stirring occasionally, until the peaches have softened, become a uniform color and released their juices, about 6 minutes. Let the peaches cool completely in the syrup. If necessary, right before assembling remove the peaches using a slotted spoon and continue to cook the juices until they have thickened to a syrup. Assemble the Tart: Spoon mascarpone filling into tart shell. Top with the peaches in an attractive manner, spooning the thickened juices over the top. Garnish with additional basil sprigs.