Clafoutis

Serves 6 Clafoutis is a shallow French cake, something like a large puffy pancake, traditionally baked with cherries. The batter takes minutes to whir in a blender. Here, Central Kitchen’s Gary Strack uses blackberries, but you can bake a clafoutis with any fruit in season. In the fall, try it with apples or pears. Butter (for the pan) Flour (for the pan) 6 eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 1/4 cups...

When you need a fast, elegant dessert, having T'ART in the cupboard might come in handy. From Brookline-based Amour Creations, the bag ($5.99) includes flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. You add two eggs and a stick of butter, which yields a creamy batter that's then topped with fresh or frozen fruits. When baked, the result is not quite a tart but more of a crustless fruit pie, like a French clafoutis, with a cake-like texture. Amour's website offers ideas on how to use the mix to make other quick desserts and savory pies.

Serves 6 Traditionally made in the Limousin region of France with sour cherries, this rustic dessert offers a platform to showcase seasonal fruit. The mixture is similar to a crepe or pancake batter. Let it rest and it will develop flavor. Saute apples in butter and sugar, then combine the fruit and batter in a baking dish. As it cooks, it turns into a souffle with a golden crust, which falls as it cools (it’s supposed to) and tastes almost creamy. BATTER 2 eggs plus 2 extra yolks 1/2 cup sugar Pinch of salt ...

Serves 6 Traditionally made in the Limousin region of France with sour cherries, this rustic dessert offers a platform to showcase seasonal fruit. The mixture is similar to a crepe or pancake batter. Let it rest and it will develop flavor. Saute apples in butter and sugar, then combine the fruit and batter in a baking dish. As it cooks, it turns into a souffle with a golden crust, which falls as it cools (it’s supposed to) and tastes almost creamy. BATTER 2 eggs plus 2 extra yolks 1/2 cup sugar Pinch of salt ...

Today is Bastille Day, the French national holiday, and since it’s a summer day off in France, people celebrate with a picnic or outdoor party before watching fireworks. Make ratatouille, the popular slow-simmered vegetable stew originally from the south of France. The dish glorifies summer produce and is easy to prepare for a crowd. Across France, most cooks have a recipe for ratatouille. I like to cook the main ingredients — eggplant, zucchini, and bell peppers — separately, then add tomatoes and herbs before simmering to blend the flavors and let the cooking juices intensify.

Ground cherries, also called husk tomatoes, strawberry tomatoes, and poppers, are small orange fruits the size of perfectly round cherry tomatoes covered with papery husks like tomatillas (they’re from the same family). Sold in pints at farmers’ markets through September, their taste is complex and a little confusing if you’re anticipating the acidity of a tomato. There is a tomato element, but also hints of pineapple, cherry, even kiwi. They’ve got a nice little crunch and no seeds.

When you need a fast, elegant dessert, having T'ART in the cupboard might come in handy. From Brookline-based Amour Creations, the bag ($5.99) includes flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. You add two eggs and a stick of butter, which yields a creamy batter that's then topped with fresh or frozen fruits. When baked, the result is not quite a tart but more of a crustless fruit pie, like a French clafoutis, with a cake-like texture. Amour's website offers ideas on how to use the mix to make other quick desserts and savory pies.

Serves 4 Butter (for the dish) 3 eggs 1/3 cup milk 1/3 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup cornstarch or flour, sifted 1 ounce hard-textured cheese such as Manchego or cheddar, finely grated Salt and pepper, to taste ...

Serves 4 Olive oil (for the pan) 6 eggs 1 cup flour or 2/3 cup cornstarch 2/3 cup creme fraiche 1/2 cup whole milk 2/3 cup grated Comte or Gruyere cheese Salt and pepper 4 cups cooked ratatouille ...

1 large red onion 4 cloves garlic 3 stalks fresh parsley 3 sprigs fresh thyme 1 sprig fresh oregano 3 Italian eggplant 5 medium zucchini 3 bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow, 1 orange) 7 medium (about 2 pounds) tomatoes 6 eggs 2/3 cup creme fraiche 1/2 cup whole milk 2/3 cup grated Comte or Gruyere cheese 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese Salt and pepper 2/3 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar 1 bay leaf 1 cup flour or 2/3 cup cornstarch

1 large red onion 4 cloves garlic 3 stalks fresh parsley 3 sprigs fresh thyme 1 sprig fresh oregano 3 Italian eggplant 5 medium zucchini 3 bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow, 1 orange) 7 medium (about 2 pounds) tomatoes 6 eggs 2/3 cup creme fraiche 1/2 cup whole milk 2/3 cup grated Comte or Gruyere cheese 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese Salt and pepper 2/3 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar 1 bay leaf 1 cup flour or 2/3 cup cornstarch

Today is Bastille Day, the French national holiday, and since it’s a summer day off in France, people celebrate with a picnic or outdoor party before watching fireworks. Make ratatouille, the popular slow-simmered vegetable stew originally from the south of France. The dish glorifies summer produce and is easy to prepare for a crowd. Across France, most cooks have a recipe for ratatouille. I like to cook the main ingredients — eggplant, zucchini, and bell peppers — separately, then add tomatoes and herbs before simmering to blend the flavors and let the cooking juices intensify.

Serves 4 Olive oil (for the pan) 6 eggs 1 cup flour or 2/3 cup cornstarch 2/3 cup creme fraiche 1/2 cup whole milk 2/3 cup grated Comte or Gruyere cheese Salt and pepper 4 cups cooked ratatouille ...

Ground cherries, also called husk tomatoes, strawberry tomatoes, and poppers, are small orange fruits the size of perfectly round cherry tomatoes covered with papery husks like tomatillas (they’re from the same family). Sold in pints at farmers’ markets through September, their taste is complex and a little confusing if you’re anticipating the acidity of a tomato. There is a tomato element, but also hints of pineapple, cherry, even kiwi. They’ve got a nice little crunch and no seeds.

Serves 6 Clafoutis is a shallow French cake, something like a large puffy pancake, traditionally baked with cherries. The batter takes minutes to whir in a blender. Here, Central Kitchen’s Gary Strack uses blackberries, but you can bake a clafoutis with any fruit in season. In the fall, try it with apples or pears. Butter (for the pan) Flour (for the pan) 6 eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1/3 cup granulated sugar ...

Serves 4 Butter (for the dish) 3 eggs 1/3 cup milk 1/3 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup cornstarch or flour, sifted 1 ounce hard-textured cheese such as Manchego or cheddar, finely grated Salt and pepper, to taste ...

Serves 6 Travel to Brittany on the west coast of France and you will undoubtedly find far Breton in every bakery. This dense milk-based flan (something like clafoutis, a French cherry pudding) is flavored with rum and studded with prunes. In fact, prunes and rum are probably the only two ingredients you may not already have in your pantry. Start by combining the dry ingredients in a large bowl, make a well in the center, and beat in eggs, rum, milk, then butter. Arrange the prunes in a buttered baking dish and cover with the batter.