It’s time to celebrate. To celebrate spring and the promise of sunnier days; to celebrate the beautiful and abundant produce that’s now available, like bright pink rhubarb and tender baby greens; to celebrate graduations and new beginnings.
On a personal note, I am celebrating the acceptance of a job offer! I will start next week as the Research and Development Food Technologist Intern at Conifer Specialties, a local company that produces many different products, such as the famous Fisher Fair Scones along with dozens of other dry mixes. I’m excited to delve into the R&D sector of the food industry and soak up as much knowledge as I can.
I’m nervous and thrilled at the thought of this new endeavor, but for now I’m going to bask in my own contentment and enjoy a slice of roasted strawberry rhubarb tart while I’m at it.
Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Tart
This tart capitalizes on the tried and true seasonal alliance between tart yet complex rhubarb and sweet and straightforward strawberries. One is a vegetable and the other a fruit, but they are both pink and bring out the best in each other, especially in an elegant (but easy!) tart.
Ingredients:
For the pastry crust:
60 grams (½ cup) whole wheat flour
63 grams (½ cup) all purpose flour
12 grams (1 tablespoon) sugar
3 grams (½ teaspoon) salt
¼ cup milk
¼ cup vegetable oil
For the filling:
1 pint strawberries, hulled and cut into chunks
200 grams (1 cup) sugar
1 ½ pounds rhubarb, trimmed and cut into chunks
½ vanilla bean, split
¼ cup water
24 grams (3 tablespoons) cornstarch
Make the pastry. Whisk the flours, sugar, and salt together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the milk and oil together until emulsified and then pour onto the flour mixture. Stir together until the mixture forms a ball, then shape into a disk, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
Bake the crust. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Dust the work surface, rolling pin, and chilled pastry with flour. Roll the pastry out into an11-inch circle and then transfer into a 9-inch tart pan (the ones with removable bottoms work well). Gently press the pastry into the sides of the pan, being careful not to stretch the dough. Cut the excess off the edges then prick the pastry all over with a fork. Bake for 15-20 minutes until it is light golden brown then remove to a wire rack to cool.
Roast the strawberries. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Toss the strawberries with 2 tablespoons of the sugar on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes or until the berries have softened, released some juice and started to caramelize. Set aside to cool.
Cook the rhubarb. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook the remaining sugar with the rhubarb and vanilla bean, stirring occasionally. After 5 minutes, pour the rhubarb onto a sieve over a bowl to catch the juices. Set the rhubarb aside. In a small bowl, mix the water and cornstarch together, then whisk into the juices, then pour back into the pan to cook for another 5-10 minutes to cook until thick and syrupy.
Assemble the tart. Put the cooked rhubarb and strawberries back into the pan and gently mix everything together, then pour into the baked pastry crust. Refrigerate the tart for at least 3 hours to allow for the filling to set completely. Serve chilled, with a dollop of whipped cream, plain yogurt, or vanilla ice cream if you wish. The tart can be made the day beofre serving and will keep for up to 4 days refrigerated.
