The end of summer is finally here. How I know? I found some beautiful orange and red leaves. The colors are changing but I have to sneak in one more summer treat! Here is to the end of a fun eventful life changing summer with a Strawberry Rhubarb Crostata.
Oh summer time. A time for sunshine, swimming and summer shenanigans. This summer our life was overtaken by moving into a new house, a tiny crawling explorer, and family time.
As for the highs…
- Baby Poppy started talking. Saying a few words in English and Spanish. Responding to questions and making the cutest animal noises ever!
- We remodeled our bathroom! It is 80% done! All we need are some shower doors and boom done!
- Full successful summer of tennis lessons! I was so lucky to have had lots of amazing students all summer who improved and had a blast playing tennis! Some even made their JV teams!
- Fun family and friend summer get-togethers. From family dinners to trips to friend parties to play dates, it has been a fun social summer for all 3 of us.
And a few lows…
- I locked myself out of the house and my running car during week one in our new place.
- Quite a few sleepless painful nights for teething baby.
- A not so good yet memorable airplane ride for Poppy. (At least it makes for a good story)
- Countless internet issues at the beginning of the summer. Comcast you are the death of me!
All in all, it was a fabulous summer and I can’t complain one bit.
I think I’ve mentioned our new place has some good looking rhubarb plants. I was pretty excited to see them when we first moved in. Then I started noticing that rhubarb was everywhere around here. Along the trail near our house, in the park, even growing on the side of the local tennis courts.
And don’t be alarmed. This dessert looks fancy and difficult but it is surprisingly straight forward. Make an easy dough all in the food processor. Then roll it out, fill it with heavenly fruit and to the oven it goes!
So today I choose to celebrate the end of summer with a sweet and lightly tart rustic rhubarb strawberry crostata. A simple elegant dessert that embodies my family’s wonderful Summer ’16.
End of Summer Crostata {Rhubarb & Strawberry}
Serves 8. Recipe slightly adapted from Epicurious.
Notes: You may use fresh or frozen strawberries. If you choose to use frozen, try to thaw them ahead of time and drain out some of the liquid. Otherwise the crostata will be a little soggy. Opt for fresh berries when you can.
Dough can be made up to 2 days ahead of time stored in the fridge.
Crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup chilled unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon whole or 2% milk
Filling:
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 pounds fresh strawberries, washed, hulled, and halved*
- 1 pound rhubarb, cut into 1/2″-thick slices
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 large egg, beaten
- Raw sugar
- Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for serving (optional)
For crust:
Combine both flours, sugar, and salt in a food processor; process for 5 seconds. Add butter; pulse until butter is reduced to pea-size pieces. Mix egg and milk in a small bowl, add to processor and pulse until clumps form. Form dough into a ball and then flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for about 1-2 hours.
For filling:
Dissolve cornstarch in 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl and set aside. Combine rhubarb, strawberries, and sugar in a large heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, continuously stirring, until sugar dissolves and juices are released (4 mites or so). Stir in cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil. Then transfer to a bowl and chill until cool, about 30 minutes.
Assemble:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out dough on floured parchment paper to 12 inch circle. You will need to put some force into rolling out the dough. Brush with beaten egg. Pile filling in center of crust and spread it out, leaving 1 1/2 inch border. Fold edges of dough over filling. Brush border with egg; sprinkle with a little raw sugar.
Slide parchment with crostata onto a large baking sheet with a lip or rim. Bake until crust is golden brown for 45 minutes. Let crostata cool on baking sheet on a rack. Transfer crostata to a plate. Serve sliced with whipped cream or ice cream.
Originally posted 2016-09-11 21:59:01.
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