In preparation for the L.A. Fruit Share, we reached out to our friends at Now Serving, Los Angeles’ favorite cookbook shop, to curate a handful of seasonal fruit recipes by their favorite authors. Below, I share a recipe for apricot galette by master baker, Nicole Rucker. Nicole published her book, Dappled, earlier this year, and it is already a cult classic.

Apricot Galette

Makes one 10-inch galette

A note about using the kernel of an apricot as a flavoring agent: Apricot kernels contain amygdalin, which the body converts to cyanide. Amygdalin is present in the seeds of many fruits—apples, for example. Using the kernels of the fruit to impart an almond flavor in pastries and ice creams has been common practice for    a long time, but if the idea of using them makes you nervous, omit them or substitute them with almond extract. Some bakers believe that cooking the pits breaks down the amygdalin and makes it inactive, which is why they feel you can safely use it to flavor your baked goods.

• 1 recipe Flaky Whole-Wheat Crust, undivided
• All-purpose flour, for rolling
• 2 pounds (906g) fresh apricots
• ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• Coarse sanding sugar, for sprinkling
• 2 tablespoons apricot preserves, for decoration (optional)

7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
8. Remove the pie dough from the fridge and remove the plastic wrap. If your dough has been chilled overnight, it will need to sit at room temperature a bit before rolling—this will take 10 to 15 minutes. Lightly flour your work surface and roll the pie dough out to a 13-inch round that is 1⁄8 inch thick. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet.
9. Cut each apricot into quarters and remove the pits. Reserve 6 pits to season the filling. (Save the rest for making ice cream or custard. The pits can be dried and kept at room temperature for up to a year.) Set the apricots aside. Place the apricot pits in a mortar and pestle and lightly tap each pit to break the hard outer shell (you don’t want to shatter the pit completely, as it makes extracting the kernel difficult). After each pit has been broken open, remove the soft almond-like kernel from the center. Discard the shells.
10. Return the apricot kernels to the mortar and pestle and smash them into a paste. Transfer the paste to a large mixing bowl and add the granulated sugar. Mix with your hands to combine.
11. Add the apricot quarters, cornstarch, and salt to the bowl and toss to coat.
12. Arrange the apricots on the prepared crust: Starting in the center, place the apricots cut-sides up in a spiral on the pastry round, leaving a 3-inch border at the edge. If you still have apricots once you have covered the center of the pastry, wedge the rest of the apricots in between and around the edge. Use all the fruit!
13. Fold the edges of the dough up over the filling in loose pleats, leaving an open hole no larger than 6 inches in the center of the galette. Refrigerate the galette until the pastry is firm, about 30 minutes.
14. Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.
15. Brush the edges of the pastry with the heavy cream and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake for 30 minutes, until the crust begins to brown. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F, rotate the baking sheet and continue baking until the juices bubble in the center of the galette and the apricots begin to caramelize, about 30 minutes more. Remove the galette from the oven and allow it to cool on the baking sheet for 30 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack and cool completely.
16. If desired, mix the apricot preserves with 1 teaspoon of hot water. Brush the apricot filling with the preserves to get a luscious, shiny surface. Serve warm. Store leftovers at room temperature for one day.

Flaky Whole- Wheat Crust

Makes two 9½-inch single crusts or 1 double crust with some dough left over for lattice work or other decoration

I offer this whole-wheat pie dough variation with the confidence that if you use freshly milled whole-wheat flour, the results will be fantastic and complex in flavor. I have used whole-grain spelt, wheat, and einkorn flours with great results.

• 5 tablespoons (63g) packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon unfiltered apple cider vinegar
• 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
• 4 cups (480g) whole-wheat pastry flour
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
• 3 sticks (339g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into ½-inch cubes

1. In a measuring cup, combine the brown sugar, vinegar, and salt with ¾ cup (107ml) of hot water. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Chill the liquid in the freezer until it is very cold (this should take about 20 minutes) and leave it in the fridge until you are ready to start the rest of the dough.

2. Combine the whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and half of the butter in a large mixing bowl. Pinch and smear the butter between your fingers. Processing the butter like this creates small leaves of butter that layer in the dough, resulting in flakes later. Once all the butter chunks have been pinched, grab small handfuls of flour and butter and rub the two together between the palms of your hands until the mixture resembles uneven pebbles on a sandy beach.

3. Dump the crumbly mixture out onto a lightly floured work surface. Scatter the remaining half of the cold butter over the dough. Use the palm of your hand to smear the butter as if you were sliding a secret message across a table. Use a bench scraper to gather the shaggy dough and repeat the smearing process until you have a pile of striated rubble. The larger pieces of butter will create a marbled dough and will melt during baking, causing the water in the butter to evaporate (this will result in flaky pastry pockets).
4. Gather the buttery mixture up in a mound and form a well in the center. Remove the cold liquid from the fridge and pour half of it into the well. Using your fingertips, slowly bring the flour and butter into the center and combine with the liquid, until the liquid has been incorporated. Gather the moistened dough into a pile.
5. Slowly pour the remaining liquid onto the shaggy mess. Lift the dough from the bottom and squeeze just until it comes together into one mass. Divide the ball in half and shape each half into a disc. Wrap each in plastic and chill for 2 hours before using.

** note: Allow the Flaky Whole-Wheat Crust to chill for 2 to 24 hours before rolling it out. When preparing the dough, don’t divide it—shape it into 1 disc for the galette.

From Dappled by Nicole Rucker, published by Avery, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright © 2019 by Nicole Rucker.