My family came to visit at the end of my year abroad in Spain, and we took a road trip that led us to Logroño for a few nights. We were deep in Rioja wine country with a million cobblestone streets to traverse and pintxos to consume, but my dad was most content lounging in the yard of our rental, picking and eating cherries right off the tree. It’s an enduring image of simplicity and bliss—mild sunshine and my father at the picnic table with handfuls of fruit and the biggest grin on his face.
Cherries always hold this feeling of quiet euphoria for me now, and their short season is always a reminder to indulge in meaningful moments. Whether extravagant milestones or serene seconds, the secret is to cherrysh them.
In that vein, I’ve included two variations for this ombré design—one simple and another even more so. Whatever your path, choose the one that Bings you joy.
1 fully baked Matcha Green Tea Tart Pastry Shell, cooled completely
BLACK SESAME WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
8 ounces (228 grams) white chocolate, finely chopped
1 tablespoon black tahini
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup (120 milliliters) heavy cream
1. Put the white chocolate in a heatproof medium bowl and heat it in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Add the black tahini and salt and stir until well combined. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. In a separate medium bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled black sesame–white chocolate mixture until just combined. Do not overmix. Scoop the mousse into the baked and cooled tart shell and smooth the surface with an offset spatula.
3. Chill the tart in the refrigerator while you prepare the fruit for decoration.
OMBRÉ MOSAIC DESIGN PROCESS
20 fresh yellow-blush cherries, such as Rainier, pitted
20 fresh red cherries, such as Bing, pitted
Chef’s knife
1. Set out three plates on a work surface. It’s helpful to organize cherry pieces by color as you cut them, so designate one plate for the darkest shades, one for bright red shades, and one for yellow and blush shades.
2. Cut each cherry in half, stem to tail. If a cherry is duo-toned (for example, some Rainier cherries are half blush, half yellow), try to cut along the color line so you have two solid-colored halves. Trim off the stem edge and the bottom edge of each cherry half to create a rectangle with clean lines (see Note). File each cherry piece on the appropriate plate according to its color. Collect all the cherry trimmings in a small pile until you’ve amassed a juicy handful to shovel down your gullet. Cherry season is short. There is no time to waste on decorum.
3. Remove the tart from the refrigerator. Starting at the bottom edge of the tart, arrange dark, maroon-colored cherry pieces in a tightly scattered configuration. The beauty of a mosaic-style design is that the individual pieces need not be lined perfectly and precisely in rows. Instead, you can place one piece horizontally, the next diagonally, the next vertically, and so forth. Cover a section approximately 2 inches wide with the darkest-colored cherry pieces, gradually transitioning to cherries that are shades of bright red.
4. Continue placing cherry pieces in an arrangement of controlled chaos, gradually transitioning to lighter and brighter shades. The profusion of color should gradate from dark red to yellow as you traverse the surface of the tart.
5. Keep the tart in the refrigerator until ready to serve. This tart is best consumed the day it is made.
SUGGESTED SUBSTITUTIONS
Crust alternative: Basic Tart Pastry Shell
Topping alternatives: Raspberries, plums, or apricots of varying colors
NOTE
For an easier ombré design, simply slice the cherries in half, stem to tail. Arrange the cherry halves on the tart in horizontal rows, lining the bottom of the tart with the darkest cherries and gradually transitioning to lighter shades as you move up the surface.