Strawberry Rhubarb Tartlets

For the past week, I’ve been reading My Life in France, Julia Child’s autobiography. So far, I’ve only read about her time in Paris, when she discovered the wonders of French cuisine and began to learn how to cook herself. Her life seems idyllic, from her discovery of seasonal produce at the farmer’s market to chicken that is very “chicken-y” to fresh chevre at la fromagerie (if you couldn’t tell already, I really really want her life).

Child’s story is inspiring. I’d always assumed that the great Julia Child was born and bred in the kitchen, but she was a relative novice until her time in Paris. She began cooking at home, and then taking classes at Le Cordon Bleu. Reading about her first attempts in the kitchen reminded me that everyone has to start somewhere, and even Julia Child needed a few tries before dicing an onion properly.

But a terrible side effect of reading the book is my newly reawakened-with-a-vengeance desire to be in France 365 days a year. Like the more chicken-y chicken, butter tastes better in Paris, the air seems fresher, the people seem so incredibly French and I just can’t wait to go back.

So to quench my thirst for all things French, I made tarts. I’ve never made anything with a pastry crust, as pate brisee scares me immensely. The Interwebs are littered with stories of failed pastry crusts, and my aunt has had a few bad experiences before as well. But bolstered by the knowledge that even Julia Child didn’t get pastry dough right the first time, I decided to forge ahead.

And because they looked so pretty and pink at the grocery store, I decided on rhubarb. I’ve never had rhubarb before, so when my coworker told me she hated them I grew borderline worried about the fate of my tarts. The tall, glittering magenta stalks are tart, slightly citrusy and mellow out beautifully when paired with sweet ruby-red strawberries.

The tart was flaky and light, and the filling was bright and perky and almost jammy. The strawberries and rhubarbs sparkle brightly, little gems of fruity goodness. Of course I didn’t fold and pinch properly, so the majority of them opened up and looked very uhh… homemade, but with dreams of blueberry tarts and passionfruit and lemon raspberry and pear and cranberry and apple, I’m sure I’ll get plenty of practice.

Strawberry Rhubarb Tartlets
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes 18 tartlets

For the Pate Brisee (makes 1 8- to 10-inch double crust pie or 2 8- to 10-inch single crust pies):

– 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

– 1 teaspoon salt

– 1 teaspoon sugar

– 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

– 1/4-1/2 cup ice water

1) In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, salt and sugar and process for 10-15 seconds, until the dry ingredients are well-mixed.

2) Add the butter pieces and process until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, an additional 10-15 seconds. Slowly pour in the ice water through the feed tube as the processor continues to pulse, until the dough just comes together. Do not process for longer than 30 seconds.

3) Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead a few times if necessary, to incorporate all of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients uniformly. Divide the pate brisee into two equal pieces and cover each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.

For the filling:

– 1 pound trimmed rhubarb, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 5 cups, 4 large stalks)

– 1 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered

– 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

– 2 cups sugar

1) Combine the rhubarb, strawberries, flour and sugar in a large bowl and set aside, stirring occasionally to make sure the mixture is evenly mixed.

2) Roll out the dough until it is 1/8-inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter or large cookie cutter about 3 inches in diameter, cut circles out of the dough. Place 1 tablespoon of the strawberry-rhubarb mixture in the center. Re-roll the dough if necessary and continue to cut circles and fill the dough until you are out of dough/filling.

3) Fold and pinch the sides of the tartlet to create a pastry shell. Use water to help the folds and pinches adhere. Place the tarts on a lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4) Preheat the oven to 400ËšF. Bake the tarts for 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway, until the tart crust is golden brown. Then lower the oven temperature to 350ËšF and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes, until the fruit juices are bubbly. Allow to cool before serving.

Note: If you have leftover filling, simmer it in a saucepan, stirring occasionally, until it reduces to a strawberry-rhubarb compote. Swirl into yogurt for a breakfast treat.

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