A Winner! Peach & Thyme Polenta Tart

I love peach season. Especially when I have fresh white peaches from my own tree. However, my peaches all get ripe at the same time so I find myself scrambling to find as many interesting peach recipes as possible to make the most of this delicious fruit. I came across this Peach & Thyme Polenta Tart at one of my favorite food blogs, the kitchn, and tried it. It’s a Winner! Rave reviews all around for it’s delicious & interesting savory flavor.

Polenta is stone ground cornmeal also known as “Italian grits”. You can purchase it in it’s raw grain form or fully cooked in a tube. For this recipe, you would use it in it’s raw grain form. The consensus is that there is no difference between raw polenta or cornmeal so you can use either product for this recipe. I used quick cooking polenta.

This recipe is made in a tart pan with a removable bottom. This makes it very simple to serve as you easily lift the tart and place it with the bottom right on your serving plate. Slicing then becomes quite simple with the sides free so you can remove each piece perfectly. I followed the recipe exactly and it was easy to understand and came out perfect. The tart is made with a lightly sweetened custard along with the polenta & thyme which add a savory twist to the sweetness of the peaches. The result is a versatile dish that can work well as an appetizer, side dish, lunch when served with a side salad or even a light dessert. It is both delicious and unique so you’re sure to receive an abundance of praise!

Peach and Thyme Polenta Tart
1 9-inch tart

Polenta Pastry Shell
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup polenta (cornmeal)
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter (11 tablespoons), chilled and diced
1 egg, beaten

Filling
1 cup heavy whipping cream
10 fresh thyme sprigs
1 lemon
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
2 large firm-ripe peaches, pitted and cut into very thin slices

5 fresh thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons tablespoons cornmeal 
1 tablespoon sugar

Mix the flour, polenta, salt and sugar. Using your fingers or a food processor, work the flour mixture into the butter until the texture is coarse and crumbly, like small peas. Mix in the egg. Mix lightly until smooth, then form into a disk, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the yellow peel from the lemon, trying to avoid the white pith. Bring the cream to a simmer, then remove from the heat. Add the thyme sprigs and lemon peel. Cover and steep for 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 400°F. When the dough has chilled, work into a greased 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Let it rest for a few minutes, then bake for about 8 minutes or just until golden. Let cool. Lower the oven heat to 325°F.

Strain the cream and discard the thyme and lemon peel. Whisk in the egg yolks, sugar and pinch of salt.

Take the remaining 5 sprigs of thyme, and using your index finger and thumb, peel off the tiny leaves. Mix with the cornmeal and sugar. Add a splash of water and mix until loose and crumbly.

Starting from the center, arrange the peach slices in an overlapping pattern in the baked tart shell. Pour the prepared custard over them and sprinkle the top with the cornmeal and thyme mixture. Bake at 325°F for about 35-40 minutes or until the peaches are tender and custard is set and slightly browned. Let cool and set for at least an hour before slicing.

 (Printable recipe can be found in my recipe index under Side Dishes)