Wednesday 22 June 2011

Strawberry Fields Forever


The smell of freshly cut grass, thunder and lightening, white shorts and bees, can only mean one thing! Wimbledon.

Wimbledon = Rain (usually lots of it!)
+ British hopes for a Champion, media frenzy in all of the tabloids, think "Henman mania."
+ Brilliant footage of McEnroe loosing his temper, wish there was more of that.
+ Last but by no means least, “Strawberries and Cream.”

Strawberries are at their brilliant best this time of year, so I’m feeling the Strawberry love ~ think "Strawberry Fields Forever" and sharing this French classic, “Tarte Au Fromage Frais,” with the topping of Summer joy, strawberries of course! The beauty of this recipe is that one may top it with any seasonal fruit of choice, next week I’m going to try a gooseberry version! I’ve used rice flour, so this treat is Gluten-free and will leave you feeling gleeful and light, forget the sleepy haze that often accompanies desserts; this one will leave you feeling fruity.

Beware my beautiful friends, share a double strawberry with someone and you will be smitten, loves warm hands will wrap you in the arms of that person! Choose your company wisely when eating this most delicious of fruits.

Three reasons to go wild for strawberries
  1. Excellent source of vitamins
  2. A very happy mood food
  3. Good for bones and teeth
“One must ask children and birds how strawberries taste.”
Johann Goethe

Strawberry Tarte

SERVES 6

Totally Scrumptious!
PASTRY

Rice flour 175g
Unsalted butter 75g, softened
Sweet freedom or fruit sugar if unavailable, 60g
Egg yolks 3
Vanilla essence 1 tsp
Salt, a pinch

FILLING

Fromage frais 225g
Butter 50g, softened
Sweet freedom or fruit sugar if unavailable, 70g
Eggs, 2 beaten

TOPPING

Strawberries 20 (or as many as you can fit!)
Strawberry jam, 2 tbsp ~ St Dalfour is a great sugar-free version and is available in many fruits

BLEND all pastry ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
WIPE a surface with a wet cloth and line a sheet of cling film on surface.
LIGHTLY flour cling film and place dough on top.
KNEAD gently and form a ball.
WRAP in cling film and leave to chill for at least 30 minutes.
PREHEAT oven to 190’ (375’F) gas 5.
MAKE the filling by mixing Fromage frais, butter, sweet freedom ~ or fruit sugar and eggs.
ROLL out pastry and line a 23cm flan tin. Be sure to leave excess pastry around the edges, gently trim edges when tarte is completely cooked, for a pretty and even finish.
PRICK the base with a fork and bake blind for 10 minutes. (line with greaseproof paper and place some baking beans on top.)
POUR filling into pastry case and bake for 25 minutes until risen and golden brown on top.
COOL on a wire wrack completely before trimming edges.
HEAT jam in a small saucepan and add a squeeze of lemon juice to loosen.
STIR into strawberries and lovingly lay on top of baked tarte.
SERVE with Greek yogurt or for that classic feel a silky spoon of clotted cream.
SURRENDER to summer and strawberries;-)

2 comments:

  1. I love strawberries! Tart surely works a treat.
    Another mark of summer with the Wimbledon. Any favourite?

    I like how you lay out the recipe with bold verbs. Makes it so easy to memorise. I got to do it for my medical notes. Hahaha. HELP, KEEP patient ALIVE, FIND HELP, KEEP ALIVE, GOOGLE, KEEP ALIVE :D

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  2. Thank you;-)) I love strawberries too and can't seem to get enough of them right now. Apparently it's an "antique" year for them, so make hay while the sun shines.

    I like things to be clear and the bold verbs seem to work a treat, I'm happy you like them. PS ~ GOOD LUCK WITH EXAMS!

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