Strawberry Tart

Springtime is often associated with strawberries. There seems to be strawberries everywhere right now. Strawberry production and harvest picks up around March lasting until midsummer. Outside of this time, most of the strawberries in supermarkets will be imported.
Patrons of our three certified farmers’ markets here in Santa Clarita can find locally grown strawberries year-round. These farmers take advantage of special varieties and use methods such as hoop houses to grow strawberries year-round.
However, the springtime varieties of strawberries are typically some of the best. Get yourself some strawberries now and do something special with them! Our farmer’s markets will always have the best with varieties such as Queen Anne, Albion, Monterey and more.
This recipe utilizes phyllo dough. If you have the right equipment, you can make the dough yourself. For most of us, you can buy ready-made phyllo dough in the supermarket.
Using phyllo dough is relatively easy with a little practice. The dough comes in giant sheets that are thin like notebook paper. You build your crust one sheet at a time. After placing each sheet, brush with oil or butter or a mixture of both. Then, layer another sheet of dough. Repeat the process until you have about seven sheets stacked together.
It’s important to remember that these sheets are thin and can dry out quickly. Be sure to cover any dough you are not actively working on with a clean damp (not wet) kitchen towel.
Once you have your dough, simply add in the ingredients and fold the sides over however you wish. This is a time to get creative. The dough is forgiving so if it tears or folds a way you don’t like, simply fix it.
This recipe calls for several items such as olive oil, from age blanc, walnuts and feta cheese. All of these items can be found at our Santa Clarita Valley farmers markets.
This recipe uses wonderful seasonal strawberries along with interesting ingredients to create a springtime treat.
The Santa Clarita Valley farmers markets operate Saturday morning in Old Town Newhall, Sunday morning in Valencia FivePoint (behind Magic Mountain) and Wednesday evening in Canyon Country. More information about our farmers markets can be found at www scvfarmersmarkets.com.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. fresh strawberries, cleaned and thinly sliced about 1/8” wide with tops removed.
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 7 Phyllo dough sheets
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup melted butter
• 3 tablespoons crushed walnuts
• Finely chopped fresh basil leaves (about 8)

For The Cheese Filling
• 5 oz. feta cheese cut into chunks
• 5 oz. fromage blanc, room temperature (can substitute cream cheese)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the strawberry slices in a bowl and add sugar. Toss and allow them to sit.
2. Combine all ingredients for the cheese filling into a bowl or food processor (preferred). Combine until everything is mixed and the mixture is largely smooth.
3. Place a single phyllo dough sheet on a large wooden cutting board. We recommend putting a sheet of parchment paper between the cutting board and the first sheet.
4. Brush the top of the sheet with the olive oil / butter mixture using a pastry brush, making sure to apply a light coating to the entire sheet. Place another sheet on top of the first sheet and repeat the process, brushing with the oil/butter mixture, until you have seven sheets.
5. If you are using a tart pan, lift the prepared phyllo dough sheets into the tart pan with the dough left hanging out of the sides. A tart pan is not required. You can simply fold the edges and place on a baking sheet. Alternatively, you can cut the sheets into six even squares and make six smaller tarts, cooking them on a baking sheet.
6. Spoon the filling into the center of the tart and smooth out evenly. Leave enough room around the edges to fold the crust over. Spoon crushed walnuts on top of the cheese evenly.
7. Fold over the empty edges of the tart on top of the cheese mixture. Trim any excess crust if you desire. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
8. Remove from the oven and let it cool.
9. Once cool, place the strawberry slices into the tart on top of the cheese mixture. Top everything with chopped basil leaves and enjoy!

​

Comments