Strawberry Rhubarb Crostata

I think one of my favorite smells ever is strawberry and rhubarb together.  How come you never see that in a scented candle?  No matter, cause it filled my kitchen yesterday when I was making this incredibly easy dessert.  I have been seeing long stalks of rhubarb at the market for weeks now, it has been beguiling me with its pretty hues of light pink and green (and super cheap price tag).  I never quite know what to do with rhubarb though - this isn't something I grew up with.  In fact, I think it may have only been in the past couple of years that I had ever even tasted it.

And how weird is that?  I find food like this all the time - stuff everyone seems to know about and have grown up with (or at at least tasted!) that I barely even knew existed.   I really have no idea why that is, either.  I was not a sheltered child by any means, but clearly when it comes to food - my family didn't get out much.  Maybe thats why I love it so much now?  It all seems so new - not only the fruit itself but the very existence of a pie thats not a pie.  And really, with its adorable rustic-ness and lack of pan to clean afterward - there is something so much better about a Crostata (or Gallete....or whatever you want to call it in possibly an English word as well) than a traditional pie or tart.

Especially with this crust.  I saw this recipe in this months Bon Appetit magazine (though it was raspberry and not strawberry), and it sounded so simple and had so few ingredients that weren't already in my pantry (I only needed to buy the fruit) - I decided it would be my first Mothers Day dessert.  The thing that always deters me from making more crusted pastries is that I don't want to make the crust.  I don't want to cut the butter into cubes (freeze it for like 20 minutes and it doesn't get all melty when you are trying to cut it), I don't want to sit and mess with the dough until it becomes 'crumb' like...it just isn't that fun to me.  This one though, made entirely in the food processor, took literally only a few minutes to make.  The whole wheat flour makes the dough rich and crumbly...and it literally became my new favorite pastry crust.  The filling is tart and sweet (but not too sweet) and is the perfect combination with the nutty and flaky crust.   With how easy and delicious this is, I wish I could get my hands on rhubarb for more than a just a few weeks each spring - I'll just have to find some other seasonal options (I'm thinking this crust is destined for peaches this summer, and maybe plums this fall!). 


Strawberry Rhubarb Crostata
from Karen DeMasco in May 2011 Bon Appetit

Crust:
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (172g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk

Filling:
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 cups rhubarb, in about 1/2 inch thick slices
6 ounces strawberries, diced
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
Raw sugar

For Crust:
Combine flours, sugar, and salt in a food processor and blend for 5 seconds. Add the butter; pulse until butter is in pea-size pieces. Whisk egg and milk together in a small bowl; add to the processor and pulse until moist clumps form. Gather dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 1 1/2 hours. Can be made a couple days ahead (I made mine the night before) - keep in the refrigerator. 

For Filling:

Dissolve the cornstarch in 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl and set aside. Combine rhubarb, strawberries and sugar in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until sugar dissolves and juices are released - took mine about 5 minutes. 

 

Stir in the cornstarch and bring just to a boil (rhubarb will not be tender and slices will still be intact). Careful not to let the sugar burn! Transfer to a bowl and stick in the fridge or freezer to chill until its all the way cooled (but doesn't need to be cold). 

 

Preheat oven to 400 F / 204 C

Roll out dough on floured parchment paper to 12-inches round; brush with beaten egg. 

Mound filling in center of crust; gently spread out, leaving 1 1/2-inch border (I measure at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock, making a little mark in the dough so that I didn't get to close to the edges). 

Gently fold edges of dough over filling, pleating as needed. Brush border with egg; sprinkle with raw sugar. Slide parchment with crostata onto a baking sheet (I actually used my 12-inch round pizza stone - cause my oven is small and something round won't fit on baking sheets that actually fit in my oven!) and bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 30-45 minutes (took mine exactly 35). Let cool on baking sheet on a rack. Cut into wedges, and serve with whipped cream or ice cream (or its really just as amazing plain!)

Spring!

 Let me tell you, as much as I love it...cooking loses all of its fun when you are swollen up like the Michelin Man and your joints are aching at the end of pregnancy.   Its been six weeks since we brought the little bugger home, and I finally feel like I'm starting to be a human being again.  I can't wait to post some new stuff on here cause for some reason I love taking photos of the random things I cook and posting them on the internet (what?  we all need hobbies).  In the meantime though...here are few of my springtime-y favorites:

 Angel Food Cake with Lemon Whipped Cream Frosting

Lemon Curd

 Steamed Artichokes with Garlic-Lemon Butter

 Asparagus Soup

Strawberry-Lemon Cake

Classic Banana Bread

I used to hate baking.  When it came to time spent in the kitchen, I would usually much rather spend it over a pot of soup or a sizzling skillet.  That is, until I got pregnant.  I have officially fallen in love with baking - really, its more like I have become obsessed with it.   This is partly because all I want to eat is baked goods.  Real food?  Blech.  Cake?  Yes please (and could you make that slice a little bigger?).

Mostly, though, its because I have very little energy for doing things like cooking (and even less for taking photos and blogging about it, sorry 'bout that).  I have had a rough third trimester, with a risk of pre-term labor, and so when I do feel up to doing anything other than laying in bed watching past seasons of Top Chef, I find myself wanting to spend the precious time making something more exciting than dinner (thats what my husband is for).

Due to my pregnancy-enhanced obsession with bananas - I also frequently find myself with an ample supply of ripe bananas just begging to be made into some kind of sweet treat.   Strangely, I had never made banana bread in my life until last month, and I haven't been able to stop making it since, determined to get it perfect.  Its super moist with the occasional crunch from the walnuts and with just the right amount of sweetness.  Its just so simple and so delicious and so perfect with a cup of coffee on a boring Sunday afternoon in January.   And it will make your whole house smell like childhood.   Perfect.

**As I am expecting the imminent arrival of my son - I don't anticipate any posts for the next few weeks.  See you soon!!**

Classic Banana Bread
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (German type 550)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, at room temp
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 (113 g) butter, softened/at room temp
1 cup sugar
1 heaping cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 or 3 very ripe bananas)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, lightly toasted

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.  Whisk together the eggs and vanilla and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.  Pour in the eggs while mixing, then the bananas.  The batter will seem kinda curdled at this point, that's ok.

Gently fold in the flour mixture until just combined, then stir in the walnuts.   Pour into a lightly buttered loaf pan and bake at 180 C / 350 F for 40 to 55 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes on a rack then gently turn it out of the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.  Store wrapped in plastic wrap.  Like a lot of quick breads - this one tastes great right away but is even more amazing the next day.  I like it plain or spread with a bit of cream cheese.