Strawberries have reached peak perfection at the farmer's market. The red Tristar berries are tiny and deep red, stems still attached. Pale green cardboard pints of them crowd the tables, jostling for view. They win out for me over more sensible purchases: zucchini, snap peas, radishes. You know you don't need 2 pints -- strictly speaking -- but they're juicy and voluptuous and enticing. Everyone oohs and aahs over them, like wedding guests seeing the bride for the first time.
I spend too much on them. I even scrounge around in my bag, scrabbling for nickels to get my strawberry fix. Proudly (perhaps a touch self-righteously) I walk home, feeling their heft and considering what to bake. After sitting on the terrace in the sun and snacking, I'm left with a pint and a half of berries.
For good looks alone, tarts are the best. I like showcasing fruit in a tart -- make a very good pastry cream filling and leave the fruit fresh. At their peak ripeness, any kind of cooking merely detracts from the perfect, whole flavor of strawberries.
This tart shell is very simple, somewhat like a shortbread base. Using melted butter, you mix it all in a bowl or stand mixer until it's sandy and crumbly. Press it into your pan, prick it all over with a fork, and bake.
I filled my tart with pastry cream and covered it with chopped macerated strawberries. Equally good? Lemon curd spread over the cooled tart shell and topped with whole strawberries. Whipped cream folded into Greek yogurt with a layer of sliced strawberries.
Fresh Strawberry Tart
Crust
1 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons honey
Filling
1 cup half-and-half
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/8 cup cornstarch
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Topping
2 cups strawberries, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 14-inch rectangular tart pan. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the honey and mix well. Slowly add the flour, cinnamon, and salt and beat until it just comes together. Press the tart mixture (it will be sandy and clumpy and feel like shortbread dough) into the prepared tart pan. Use a measuring cup or drinking glass to press it down evenly and firmly. Bake the tart for 16 minutes, or until just barely golden brown.
Let the tart shell cool completely while you make the filling. In a medium bowl, combine the chopped berries, lemon juice, and sugar. Set aside.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together the cornstarch and sugar. Add the half-and-half and egg yolks and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Let cool slightly, then pour into your crust.
Spoon the chopped berry mixture over the top of the tart. Serve immediately.