The Tarts of Fall and Winter

Grapes.

Grapes make me excited that fall has arrived. The first Concord grapes that come to the Greenmarket from the Finger Lakes in upstate New York are my marker for the season. We make Grapes Baked with Hazelnuts, which is one of my favorite tarts of all. As fall settles in, apples and pears from the Hudson Valley fill the farmers’ stands and color the market shades of green and gold and crimson. We have more than thirty varieties of apples from which to choose, while the local pears we get are Bartletts, Bosc, Clapp, and Seckels. We use the Bartletts for Square Pear Peg Tarts and White Chocolate Infused with Pear Skins, both of which are unique, simple, and delicious. When the local supply of apples and pears fades, the Greenmarket farmers begin to pack up for the season. With fruit supplies low, we eat our way through the balance of the winter with variations in chocolate and custard tarts. It’s not a bad way to deal with the New York City cold.