Spring
brings us fresh strawberries and rhubarb and these two fruits go wonderfully
together. The sweetness of the strawberries is perfectly balanced by the tartness of the
rhubarb. This union is so perfect, in fact, that the only other thing needed is sugar.
The most popular way to bake with strawberries and rhubarb is in a pie
(rhubarb is often called the "pie plant"). For this recipe, however, we are going to make individual
free form tarts. To do this we first cut the chilled pastry into 8 - 7 inch (18 cm) rounds. Then,
instead of putting each round of pastry in a pan, we just place some
of the filling in the center of each round of pastry and wrap the edges of
the pastry up and around the strawberry/rhubarb filling.
My favorite pastry to use with this filling is Pate
Brisee, pronounced 'paht bree-ZAY', which is a French
short crust pastry dough made from a mixture of flour, a little sugar,
salt, butter, and ice water. It has a high ratio of fat to flour which
gives the pastry a wonderful crumbly texture and buttery flavor.
The tarts are baked in a fairly hot oven until the fruit's juices start to
run. They are excellent served warm with a small scoop of vanilla ice
cream.
If you
want to add to the flavor of the filling add a tablespoon or two of crystallized
ginger or the zest of an orange. Crystallized ginger is ginger that has been cooked in a sugar syrup and then
coated with sugar. It has a wonderful sweet yet spicy flavor. You can buy
crystallized or candied ginger in small tins at specialty grocery stores or in
bulk form from health food stores. It will last indefinitely if
stored in a cool dry place.
Pastry Crust: In a food processor, place the flour, salt, and
sugar and process until combined. Add the butter and process until the
mixture resembles coarse meal (about 15 seconds). Pour 1/4 cup (60 ml)
water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube until the dough just holds
together when pinched. Add remaining water, if necessary. Do not
process more than 30 seconds.
Turn the dough out onto your work surface
and gather it into a ball. Divide the dough into two equal pieces,
flatten each portion into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for
30 minutes to one hour before using.
This will chill the butter and allow the gluten in
the flour to relax.
While the pastry is chilling, line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Once the pastry has chilled sufficiently, remove the two disks of pastry from
the refrigerator and divide each disk into four equal portions (you will have
eight portions altogether). On a lightly floured surface, roll each
portion of pastry into a 7 inch (18 cm) circle. Place the eight pastry
circles (four on each sheet) onto the prepared baking sheets and cover with
plastic wrap. Place the covered baking sheets in the
refrigerator to firm up the pastry while you prepare the filling.
Filling: In a large bowl, combine the cut up
rhubarb, cut strawberries, flour, and sugar.
Remove pastry from refrigerator. Place approximately 1/2 - 3/4
cup of filling in the center of each pastry circle, spreading the filling out to
about 1 inch (2.54 cm) from the edge of pastry. Gently fold the edges of the
pastry circle up and over the filling, leaving the center of the tart open.
Press the edges gently so the pastry sticks together. Once all the tarts
are assembled, cover and return to the refrigerator for about 15 - 30 minutes to
chill.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and
place rack in center of oven. Bake the tarts for
approximately 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the juices
are bubbly and starting to run out from the center of each tart. Remove
from oven and place on a wire rack to cool before serving. Serve with
softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Cover and refrigerate any
leftovers.
Makes 8 individual tarts
Pastry Crust:
2 1/2 cups (350 grams) all-purpose
flour
1 teaspoon (4 grams) salt
1 tablespoon (14 grams) granulated
white sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) (226 grams)
unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into 1 inch (2.54 cm) pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup (60 - 120 ml) ice
water
Filling:
1 pound (454 grams)
rhubarb, cut into 1 inch (2.54 cm) pieces
(approximately 3 cups)
1 pound (454 grams) fresh
strawberries, cut into 1 inch (2.54 cm)
pieces
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