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Farewell, My Beauties!

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The glory of strawberry season is profound, yet so fleeting!

Just as quickly as the lovely red berries make an appearance, they’re gone, leaving behind a deep longing that will last for another year.

Several years ago, I began cultivating a strawberry plant in our backyard garden. Happily, that one plant has now multiplied into at least ten plants that provide us with some luscious berries indeed.

Ontario strawberries are truly delicious and I feel lucky to live in a region that produces so many beautiful strawberries. No matter how many I eat, I always feel like I haven’t eaten enough. And once they’re gone, I inevitably find myself staring disappointedly at those monster strawberries in plastic containers that you find at the grocery store. They may be huge, but they don’t have any of the flavour of a freshly picked strawberry.

Last week, I was fortunate enough to buy a container of the very last of the strawberries from the farmer’s market that I attend every Wednesday during the summer. I knew immediately that I would be making the Strawberry Sunburst Tart from Lori Longbotham’s Luscious Berry Desserts.

The picture of this dessert was one of the reasons why I bought the book!

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Imagine, if you will, a giant shortbread cookie shapped like a starburst. On top of this cookie imagine spreading a luscious cream made of raspberry curd and whipped cream. And then imagine dotting the cream with some perfect strawberries.

If you can imagine all of this than you can imagine that you have before you one of the
very best summer desserts I have ever made! I didn’t adapt the recipe at all so I’m not going to share it here. However, I’ve provided some ideas on how you can recreate the dessert if you don’t own the book.

To you I say, enjoy the tart!

To the strawberries I say, until next year!

Ciao!

Strawberry Sunburst Tart

For the crust, you can use the recipe for your favourite shortbread or try the recipe for the shortbread base located here. It’s similar to the recipe in Luscious Berry Desserts.

For the cream base, you can mix a few cups of whipped heavy cream with raspberry curd, or you can puree some fresh strawberries, strain them and mix the puree in with the whipped cream. Spread your cream over the shortbread base (once it’s baked and cooled).

Decorate the cream with 10 to 15 perfect strawberries that have been hulled. Use any leftover cream to pipe a pretty design in between the strawberries.

It’s best to serve this tart immediately.

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18 Comments


07/21/07 at 8:55 am

Ooooh I love shortbread. I would eat that by itself. The raspberry and strawberries is just showing off :-)


07/21/07 at 10:03 am

We should have our strawberries just a little while longer, but there are few ways of saying goodbye, that would be better than this one.


07/21/07 at 10:20 am

That is simply over the top lush! Beautiful.
Actually a little like a magic carpet of cream and berries to take me away!


07/21/07 at 10:45 am

That is lovely! My own strawberries fell prey to some sort of rust this year. Maybe next summer….


07/21/07 at 11:39 am

Oh no, we don’t have any more good strawberries here really or I would have made this illico presto. It looks lovely though, as always. =)


07/21/07 at 4:35 pm

mmm. this looks and sounds very lovely!


07/21/07 at 8:45 pm

Yum! Unfortunately, I haven’t eaten strawberries this summer. I’m on a cherries kick. I’ve been eating those everyday.

Paz ;-)


07/22/07 at 1:41 am

My sentiments exactly! Lovely tart.


07/22/07 at 6:30 am

Wow that’s one beautiful tart!!! I love the idea of the curd and cream.. YUM!

I’ve already decided (although it was too late for this year) that I’m going to start my own strawberry plants next year.. I can’t wait. :D

xoxo


07/22/07 at 2:47 pm

Strawberries are one of my absolute favorites. I’m amazed how incredible all the fruit has been this season, especially the berries. I’m about to buy my first peaches at the little fruit stand next door — any thoughts for recipes with peaches?


07/22/07 at 3:17 pm

I love the look of your strawberry tart. You have done strawberry proud since this is an excellent dessert!


07/23/07 at 7:59 am

Strawberries and cream over shortbread. You are a goddess. I am bowing down “I am not worthy”.


07/23/07 at 2:51 pm

oh my what a magnificent ode indeed to this delicious berry!


07/23/07 at 2:58 pm

We haven’t had local strawberries for a few weeks now, and I am already having withdrawals. My in-laws spoiled us with buckets and buckets of strawberries from their garden. I can’t wait until next year!


07/23/07 at 5:40 pm

Sadly our local strawberries are diminishing. I hope they are still around for this weekend!
The shortbread and berries is to die for!


07/25/07 at 6:09 am

WOW. That looks unbelievably good, but I’ve nary a strawberry in sight these days. Drat! And I know just what you mean about the whole year of longing that lies ahead. I think I’ve got to try it anyway. Perhaps I’ll use blackberries in place of the strawberries, but I know it won’t be the same!


07/26/07 at 10:24 am

The end of the strawberry season is so sad. I wanted to freeze a few pounds but I ended up eating most of what I purchased.


04/12/08 at 1:28 pm

[…] at Creampuffs in Venice, Ivonne bids farewell to summer strawberries with a tart. But does she know that a certain vendor who frequents both the Nathan Phillips Square […]

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