I’m a hoarder when it comes to food. While I’m very good at making it through my weekly supply of fresh fruit and vegetables without anything going bad, when it come to jars, my cupboard is bursting.
That’s because when I buy something in a jar or in a can, I’m usually doing so because it’s ‘special.’ And by ‘special’ I mean hard to get, or hand made, and often expensive. And then there are the gifts. Almost all my friends bring me back goodies from their travels, (and I reciprocate). Jars full of lingonberry jam from Stockholm, lemon infused olive oil from Abruzzo and sun dried tomatoes from Sicily.
And then there’s the stuff I get from producers. I’m not in the league of big time food bloggers, who I imagine get box loads of delicious products and kitchen gadgets from high end food producers every day, but every so often things do come my way. My policy is that I almost always say yes to these gifts. But with the caveat that I will write about them only if I would turn around and buy the product myself the next day. I have to love it, and it has to be something I would eat or cook with anyway. So as much as I would love to receive a tub full of caviar, I would have to say no to this since a) I can’t see it making it’s way onto my blog and b) it’s not really something I’d run out and buy in the normal course of things.
So when Vecchia Dispensa sent me an email a while back, asking me to work with some of their products I said yes very loudly. I’ve known Vecchia Dispensa for years, having first met them through Ari at Zingermans. I’ve actually been to their place near Modena, and seen their balsamic and other products being made. And have continued to buy their fairly priced and delicious condiments and vinegars since I first tasted them, over a dozen years ago.
So when they sent me a small box full of goodies I was eager try them all out. I immediately opened the bottles of balsamic and saba, drizzling them on just about everything. But when it came to the jar full of dark cherry jam, my hoarder instincts kicked in big time.
First of all the jar was almost too pretty. With it’s curly cue old fashioned label and cute little pot belly shape, I just didn’t want to crack the lid for something as mundane as toast. Also, cherry jam is one of my favorites, and this jar was made with duroni, an firmly fleshed cherry that appears at the beginning of the season and is prized for making jam.
So I put it away until some miraculous special occasion came my way that would justify its use.
Last week my friend Rolando finally made it to Rome and to dinner at our house. Rolando is a food importer so I knew I had to up my game. Pasta with artichokes and mint was the main course (recipe coming up) and a pair of seasonal veggies (agretti and broccolo Romano) were side dishes. But at 7:00pm, with Rolando due to arrive in an hour, I realized I had planned nothing for dessert.
And that’s when I remembered my precious jar of cherry jam. Rolando was the special occasion I’d been waiting for.
I know I’ve sung the praises of crostatas in the past, but I just want to say once again how incredibly easy they are to make. The dough takes exactly 6 minutes to bring together, and once pushed out into the pan (which takes another 5 minutes, tops) the tart bakes up beautifully in only 20 to 25 minutes.
And the thing is you probably almost always have the ingredients on hand. Flour, butter, sugar, eggs. And, if you’re like me, at least a dozen jars of jams that you’ve been hoarding for a special occasion.
cherry jam crostata
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 8
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 7 tablespoons butter (125 grams) softened
- 2 egg yolks, room temp
- 1/2 cup sugar
- pinch salt
- grated zest from 1 untreated lemon
- 1 jar (about a cup) of jam
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/ 350F
- Put flour in in big bowl, and make well in center. Add butter, yolks, sugar, zest and salt to well. Mix the wet ingredients with your fingers, then slowly start mixing in the flour. Just use your hand, and eventually the heel of your hand to mush it all together until it forms a ball. This only takes a few minutes.
- Let the dough rest for ten minutes, then push it out into a parchment-lined tart pan with removable rim. Don’t try to roll it out, just spread it out to the edges with the palm of your hand, to form an even crust.
- At this point the crust is ready for any jam filling.
- Filling and baking:
- Empty out an entire jar (about 1 cup) of jam into the unbaked crust. Spread out with the back of a spoon. Place on middle rack of oven and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Let cool completely before serving.
Courses Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Hi What size tart pan did you use?
Thanks
10 to 12 inch tart pan will do!
I can practically taste it! Looks terrific.
For what it’s worth, I’m the same way with hoarding 🙁
Does the crostata shell have a crunchy, slightly crumbly texture, like a graham cracker crust or a shortbread? Or is it more like a pie crust? It looks amazing. I’m guessing this would work well with a jar of lemon curd jam too?
Yes, very much like shortbread. And yes, it works wonderfully with lemon curd!
I ,too,would like to know size pan to use…and thanks.
Please! You can make lemon curd from scratch so easy and delicious and even better with Meyer Lemons. Check David Lebovitz’s blog for recipe.
‘Sue in Texas
First I have to confess that I’am also a food hoarder especially if I know someday I can make something very special and share it with a good friend or family!
And then I would like to tell you how very yummy your crostata looks. I will try to track down the cherries and try it myself. Thank you for sharing
Thank you! And any good jam will workl And if you’re a hoarder, I’m sure you have some stashed away that you can use.
Hi Elizabeth,
What a beautiful sweetie, and it looks so easy to execute. We in Portland, Oregon have great fruit, especially berries, resources, so I look forward to making this. My question is what temperature you cook it up in the oven.
Thanks, Pat
Oops! Sorry, will add the temp now. Preheat oven to 180c/ 350F
Nice going Elizabeth.
You have a really nice way of telling your readers what you are about and how you go about it.
Your cooking advise is always helpful for everyday cooks.
Your reviews are so well written that we can experience the places and taste the meals vicariously.
You also share the best of our beloved Italy; yes, you said the word Agretti and from out here in California I sigh. And best of all you are not overly precious about your approach which in this day and age of obsessed “Foodies” is a breath of fresh air.
Thanks for all you do.
Grazie! Thank you so much for your kind words about my work. I’m lucky to be doing what I love, and able to share it with people.
Seems like you have a great policy when it comes to accepting gifts. I really love that.
This crostata looks so divine!! My mouth is watering!
Thanks for sharing,
xo Elle
https://itsaromanthing.wordpress.com/
Hi there, I just stumbled across your blog…and love it! We have a lot in common…cooking and Italy! I LOVE cooking, especially for my children (my blog is http://www.bitesforbabies.com) and I lived in Sardinia for 4 years (and then brought my Italian hubby back to Canada with me!). I’m looking forward to following…hope you’ll stop by as well 😉
I’m with you on holding onto those adorable jars of jams and such. A friend gave me a beautiful jar of strawberry jam for Christmas and I am happy to sit and just gaze at the little jar. Now maybe I will crack it open and make a crostata!
I too am a terrible hoarder when it comes to jars and cans of “special” food, so I can sympathize with the lack of cupboard space! I also often make crostata for the same reasons: it looks good, tastes great and is very quick to make! It must’ve been fantastic with the cherry jam!
Elizabeth, I am on my third batch of your Crostata! Just love it.
Keep those great recipes coming!
See you in Rome next year.
Sue Piner, New Braunfels Texas
Tell me that is not the coolest label ever. I’m with you about being a pantry hoarder. I have all these glorious food products, and I find that I never use them. Now you’ve given me the push to open the tins, jars and bags and get to work.
Yes, use them up. Nothing lasts forever!
Have you tried a Nutella filling? I had that in Tuscany and the crostata had a basket weave crust on top. Do you have any recipe for the filling or know if its simply Nutella?
Thanks, love your blog!
Yes, I love making this with Nutella. I usually pair it with ricotta. You can use the following recipe as a base, but then just dab spoon fulls of nutella into the filling, kind of stretching them about with a spoon. http://www.elizabethminchilli.com/2013/07/ricotta-raspberry-chocolate-crostata/
Wow, this looks delicious! And I need to make lemon curd tomorrow to fill some cupcakes for my daughter so it looks like we’ll also have a lemon crostata! Thank you. 🙂
i was going to make this with a jar of marmellata my sicilian mother in law made, but i was thinking i’d like to also make it so that my own mother can try some (she is gluten free). i have some almond flour on hand, do you think i could sub the all purpose flour with almond flour?
I’m so sorry, but since I’m not a gluten free baker, I don’t know if it will work. I have tested the above recipe with regular flour, but not any other types. You’d be better off looking for a GF short crust recipe I think
Just FYI –
I made this crostata with King Arthur Gluten Free all purpose flour mix for a GF friend and it turned out great!
Good to know!
I made the recipe from Eating Rome and nailed it with the first try. It was a perfection and my Italian boyfriend was super impressed 😁
Good job!!!