At the Market | Strawberries + Rustic Strawberry Balsamic Tarts

I have been visiting the farmer's market weekly just to get my hands on strawberries.  There is just no comparison between in-season strawberries and their gigantic counterparts that are available year round.  For today's recipe, I was inspired by my favorite pie shop in Brooklyn, Four and Twenty Blackbirds - I definitely recommend it!   Combining sweet strawberries with the fruity acid of the balsamic is a match made in heaven.  Here, since I have a thing for individual sized desserts, I made a rustic tart and served it with whipped cream. It was just delightful!

STRAWBERRY BALSAMIC RUSTIC TARTS

For Pastry

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

2 sticks chilled butter, cubed

3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

For Filling

1 quart strawberries, chopped

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

pinch of salt

1 egg, beaten

Turbinado sugar, for dusting

Place flour, salt and sugar in a bowl.  Whisk to combine.  Using a pastry cutter, cut butter into flour until it resembles coarse meal. Some parts of the butter can be larger than others.  Add ice water one tablespoon at a time until mixture stays together and can form a ball.  Form into two balls and place in plastic wrap, pushing down to form a disk.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. To make filling, place chopped strawberries, balsamic vinegar, light brown sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl.  Stir to combine.  

To prepare tarts, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat one egg in a small bowl set aside.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Flour a surface and roll-out dough with a rolling pin. To make one regular sized pastry, use one disk, to make smaller tarts use both disks.  To make smaller tarts, take a small ball of dough and roll into a six inch circle.  Place a small amount of filling in the middle, leaving an 1 1/2 inches of overhang.  Fold edges of crust and gently place onto pan. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until crust is golden.  Let cool on baking sheet.  Serve with whipped cream if desired.  

Makes 2 medium tarts or 6 small tarts

Recipe inspired by one of my favorite Brooklyn pie shops, Four & Twenty Blackbirds

Styling & Photography by Alison