Rustic Strawberry Rhubarb Tart

When the French make fruit tarts in the spring and summer, the trick is simplicity. Pie dough or puff pastry is topped with seasonal fruit, a little sugar and baked until golden. The idea is to let the fruit shine while making something that is easy to share and eat with your hands at a barbecue or picnic. These are served at room temperature, don’t need to be refrigerated and can sit on a picnic table for hours until ready to be served.

This rustic-looking tart has the flavors of a strawberry rhubarb pie, but is much easier to make and eat. In the picture, it looks like there is liquid around the fruit, but that is actually a yummy, sticky jam-like syrup that forms from the fruit juices and pieces of butter. The key is letting the tart cool completely to room temperature before cutting into it. Using store-bought dough saves time and the strawberry rhubarb tart can be made a few hours before serving.

Note: After a reader's feedback, I realized that I need to specify that the strawberries must be very ripe and in season. Preferably, organic or from a farmer's market because I'm afraid that supermarket strawberries have preservatives that will keep the red coloring of the strawberries from 'bleeding' and creating the red syrup. My apologies if you had this issue as well!

Rustic Strawberry Rhubarb Tart

Servings: 6

Active time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

A little over ½ pound (260 g) fresh rhubarb – 2-3 stalks depending on the size

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Store-bought flattened pie crust dough (or make your own if you prefer)

About 1 pint (340 g/12 oz) fresh strawberries *** the strawberries must be very ripe and good quality otherwise the red syrup won't form

3 tablespoons (43 g) unsalted butter

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 395° F (200° C) and yes, I know that is an odd temperature in Fahrenheit, but it’s a French recipe : )

Peel and discard the outer layer of the rhubarb and cut into ½-inch thick, 1-inch wide pieces. Place a piece of parchment paper on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar on the parchment paper then place the pie dough on top of the sugar.

Spread the pieces of rhubarb out evenly on the pie dough, leaving a 2-cm rim around the edge. Gently fold in the edges to make a raised rim around the tart. Bake the tart for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350° F (175° C) and bake another 10 minutes.

While the tart is baking, rinse, dry and cut the strawberries in half. Cut the butter into little cubes (1/2-inch).

Take the tart out of the oven. Place the strawberry halves evenly over the tart. Do the same for the pieces of butter. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar over the tart. If you prefer sweeter desserts, you can add a little more sugar.

Bake the tart in the upper part of the oven for another 15-20 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden and the fruit is cooked through.

When you take the tart out of the oven, there will be a layer of liquid around the fruit. Once the tart has cooled completely, this becomes a syrupy, jam-like consistency. Cut tart into wedges and serve at room temperature. Also delicious with a little whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

And bon appétit!