Summer pastries

It's a hot summer day today, and instead of crafting in a computer game on a hot computer, I have been crafting the real way, in the kitchen, trying out a few easy recipes using frozen pastry.

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Cherry pastries

Ingredients

- frozen flaky pastry (I have been using Pepperidge Farms brand)
- fresh cherries (any kind is fine - if using sour cherries, use extra sugar)
- white sugar
- confectioner's sugar

Preparation

1. Unwrap the pastry and allow it to thaw enough to unroll.

2. Cut medium size squares of the pastry, however big you want your cherry pastries to be, and lay them on parchment paper on a baking sheet.

3. Cut the cherries in half and remove the stems and stones; place on the pastry.

4. Sprinkle the cherries liberally with sugar. For the pastry shown here, I used at least 3-4 tsp. Exactly how much you will want depends on whether your pastry is sweetened, how sweet the cherries are, and your own personal taste.


5. Bake the pastries at about 400 F for about 20 minutes, or until the edges of the pastry are beginning to turn golden brown.

6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

7. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

8. Serve and enjoy!

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Vegetable pastries

Ingredients

- frozen flaky pastry
- sweet cherry tomatoes
- thyme, rosemary, oregano, garlic, black pepper
- zucchini or similar vegetables
- marinated artichoke hearts
- pitted black olives
- olive oil
- parmesan cheese
- crumbled goat cheese
- dijon mustard

Preparation

1. cut the tomatoes in half and place on a wire tray over a baking sheet in a 400 F oven for about 30 minutes. Sit on the counter to cool down once cooked.

2. thaw a sheet of pastry enough to spread flat on parchment paper on a baking tray.

3. spread the mustard thinly on the pastry.

4. sprinkle the pastry with parmesan cheese

5. microwave slices of zucchini for 1-2 minutes, until tender but not mushy.

6. place the zucchini on the pastry, then arrange the tomatoes in a layer on top

7. in a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup of olive oil with 0.5-1 tsp of thyme, rosemary, fresh crushed garlic, and oregano (vary proportions depending on your preference)

8. drizzle the olive oil mixture over the tomatoes.

9. scatter the olives, artichoke hearts, and goat cheese over the top

11. bake for about 30 minutes at 400 F or until the pastry edges are beginning to turn golden brown.

12. eat warm or cold. Enjoy!

I tried these two ways - on the left side, with no zucchini but extra tomatoes; on the right, with the zucchini on top. Both are delicious!