Super Simple Strawberry Tart

Of all the spring and summer fruit, I find that strawberries need the least amount of adornment; especially this time of year, when the berries at the farmer's market are juicy, ripe, and red all of the way through. I prefer to eat them fresh or sliced up and tossed with just a sprinkle sugar. I think strawberries lose something when cooked so when I want to have them for dessert, I don't bake them into pie or cake, but I love to use them fresh. This tart is a perfect example of a super fresh and super easy strawberry dessert.

This is maybe the easiest tart I've ever made, the only thing that requires effort is making a batch of pie dough and I'm guessing most of you guys have done that before. Heck, you might even have a batch in your freezer, just waiting to be thawed and rolled out. If that's the case, you can make this impressive treat in about 45 minutes. Make sure you assemble the tart right before you want to eat it. No one likes a soggy tart.

Happy Solstice, all!

Super Simple Strawberry Tart
serves 8-10

The combination of buttery crust and sweetened mascarpone would be delicious with just about any fruit you can imagine: blackberries, raspberries, peaches, nectarines or plums would all be totally delicious. I would caution against blueberries, only because they might roll right off of the crust. Assemble the tart right before you serve it, to prevent sogginess.

one recipe of your favorite single crust pie dough (all purpose version, rye version)
1 egg for egg wash
1 pound strawberries
8 ounces mascarpone
3 tablespoons sugar
small handful organic rose petals (optional)

Preheat oven to 400ºF

Roll out the pie crust to an oval, 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick. Trim any rough edges and move the dough to a parchment lined baking sheet. Dock the crust with a fork to prevent the dough from puffing up too much and brush the dough with a beaten egg. Bake the dough until it is deep, deep golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Cool the pastry completely.

While the pastry is cooling, combine the mascarpone and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Spread the mascarpone over the cooled pastry, top with sliced strawberries arranged in a decorative pattern. If you are using the rose petals, gently tuck them between the strawberries. Sprinkle the tart with the remaining tablespoon of sugar, slice and serve immediately.

 

Rhubarb and Gin Sorbet with Rose Cream

When Spring finally arrives every year I don't get worked up about ramps or spring onions when they hit the market. I enjoy sunshine and magnolia blooms and dogwood trees and cherry blossoms just as much as the next gal, but the only thing I really get excited about every May is rhubarb. It is my very favorite vegetable disguised as fruit to cook with and it is so welcome after a long winter of apples and pears.



We get plenty of delicious rhubarb in NYC, but I can never seem to find locally grown barb that is as vibrant in color as the stuff I used to find in the Northwest. I hear it is because those deep red plant starts are hard to find in the Northeast, but thanks to an online friend turned real-life friend I recently found myself with a glut of the most perfectly rosy red stalks of homegrown rhubarb. Camille to the rescue! With gorgeous rhubarb! Maybe I'll just have to keep my eye out for a deep red rhubarb start next time I am visiting my family to bring back with me.

This year, to start off my rhubarb extravaganza (and there will be an extravaganza) I bring to you this wonderfully complex dessert that is surprisingly simple to put together. It is cool and tart, floral and herbal, creamy and sweet all in one. If I was Southern I might say, y'all gotta try this one. Instead I will say, seriously you guys, if you have an ice cream machine this should be the first thing you make with it this Spring.

If you peek over at the sidebar you may notice something new and very exciting. I am so happy to announce that this here blog was featured as one of Saveur's Sites We Love. You can check out the post here.

Oh, and sorry for the extended break between my last post. I'll be back soon, with more rhubarb! More rhubarb recipes from the archives of this blog can be found here.

Rhubarb and Gin Sorbet with Rose Cream

Rhubarb and Gin Sorbet 
yield, roughly one quart
The herbal flavor of gin complements the sweet-tartness of this rhubarb sorbet wonderfully and the small amount of alcohol makes the frozen sorbet perfectly scoopable. If you don't like gin, feel free to substitute vodka or leave the booze out entirely for a more family-friendly treat. Just make sure to thaw the sorbet for a few minutes before scooping.

8 ounces water
7 ounces granulated sugar
1 lb rhubarb stalks, the rosiest red ones you can find, chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 Tablespoons lime juice (or the juice of one juicy lime)
2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
2 Tablespoons gin, plus a bit more to serve (I used Hendrick's)

1. Combine the sugar and water in a medium sized saucepan and heat on medium high, stirring occasionally until  the sugar dissolves. Add in the rhubarb and simmer until the rhubarb is very tender and beginning to fall apart, about 10 minutes.
2. Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender (or use an immersion blender) and blend until smooth. Add in the lime juice and corn syrup. Chill thoroughly.
3. Just before churning, stir in the gin. Freeze the chilled mixture in an ice cream machine, according to the manufacturer's instructions. Store in the freezer in an airtight container.

Rose Cream
The soft perfume of rose water goes beautifully with tart rhubarb sorbet, but if you don't like the idea of flowers in your food feel free to leave it out. The sorbet is wonderful on its own. For vegan rose cream, try whipping chilled coconut milk. Instructions can be found on this post from the archives.

4 ounces chilled heavy cream
4-8 drops rose water
2 teaspoons granulated sugar (vanilla sugar if you have it)

Whip the cream to soft peaks then add in the sugar, followed by the rose water (one drop at a time) until desired flavor is reached.

To Serve

Top scoops of sorbet with a few drops of chilled gin and a spoonful of rose cream.