When Viv Madsen-Ries moved to Arrowtown five years ago, she was looking forward to the sense of community, exploring nature and living in a place where the seasons change slowly and beautifully. An unexpected bonus: the fruit! Fresh, abundant and delicious, Viv quickly found herself picking and baking with it all through the summer.

She hadn’t been living in the area for long when she perfected the recipe she has gifted us for our summer tea towel - the easy, fresh, and oh-so-delicious summer fruit tart. 

“It’s perfect to serve after a dinner party or a barbeque,” Viv says, “because it’s juicy, healthy(ish!) and so easy to throw together.

“It brings people back together around the table or the firepit, and often starts a chat about the desserts we remember growing up. Fruit is nearly universal, so it tastes like ‘home’ to everyone, no matter where they’re from.”

Viv’s recipe can be easily adjusted for any short-crust pastry, store-bought or home-made, and any fresh, juicy fruit will do. “You can adjust the sugar level to your tastes,” Viv says. 

In the summer, Viv often takes guests cherry picking, and says they often can’t believe their tastebuds when they first bite into a perfectly ripe Central Otago cherry. 

Viv is the chapter leader of GBB Queenstown-Central Otago, and she says it’s very special to her when she sees or hears of local fruit making its way into the bakes gifted by some of her 135 volunteers. 

“It’s real home-baking, often made from someone’s garden,” she says. “We know it makes a real difference to our recipients to have that taste of home comfort gifted to them on their toughest days”.

“That simple kindness, it can feel so small, can’t it? But we see every day it makes a big impact. I hope you can make this recipe for someone who needs a bit of sweetness in their day.”

Viv’s delicious summer fruit tart recipe features on our limited-edition Recipe for Kindness summer tea towel.

Buy one for someone you love, and help us share kindness with someone you'll never meet.