Strawberry Season
“Abra came in with shining eyes and a red nose from the frosty wind, and she brought such pleasure that Lee giggled softly when he saw her. Where are the tarts? She demanded.”
East of Eden, John Steinbeck
Inspiration
Late spring and early summer is my favorite time of the year. When the harvest of local berries begins I can’t seem to get enough. Strawberries are the first. I eat them freshly picked and tucked into salads, but desserts with fresh berries are the best. I am not referring to the lackluster strawberries from the grocery or big box stores. These strawberries can be found almost year round. The grocery store berries are a variety grown to have a long shelf life and stay fresh after they are shipped cross country. (They also get a blast of MAP gas to lengthen shelf life.) I patiently wait for sweet strawberries that are picked when ripe and juicy. They are uniformly red! These berries must be eaten right away, the day they are picked is best. These sweet strawberries can be found at a local farm stand, farmers market or as part of a CSA. I’m fortunate that The Farm just outside Salinas grows some of the best organic berries. At least once a week during strawberry season you’ll find me there buying strawberries.
Essentials
The best part of this Epicurious recipe is the rich mascarpone filling and port glaze that complement the sweet berries. I met up with fellow food blogger Gerlinde, of Sunny Cove Chef, for lunch and brought a tart to share. She couldn’t get enough of the port glaze. The glaze is easy to make, ruby red port and the juice from the macerated berries is simmered until thickened and reduced in volume. I added lemon thyme from my herb garden too. The port wine glaze would also flatter other berries–raspberries, blueberries, boysenberries and Olallie berries. Although the press-in in crust is easier to make than taking the time to roll out pastry dough my crusts were tough. We enjoyed the tarts but they would have been better with a tender crust. I will make this recipe again, but with my favorite pie crust recipe. Tips for a better pie crust can be found here. The original recipe makes a 10 inch tart. I made 4, 4 inch tarts instead.
WOW – those strawberries do look amazing!!! It’s hard to find beautiful red ones like that at the store. You certainly know how to take a fabulous ingredient and make it even better! This tarts look amazing! A burst of sweetness in every bite.
Thank you for the gracious comment! It brightened my day!
Deb, I feel especially lucky living in California when our lovely strawberries show up on the scene. These tarts are beautiful! I am intrigued by the port glaze. It lends itself to so many possibilities.
Thank you Mary! I agree, California is a special place.
Strawberry season is definitely one of my favs as well. I love looking at all the plump flats at the farmer’s market! Thanks for sharing this–I’m bookmarking it for after my next market visit 🙂
Thank you Ala! Berry season is the best!
What a pretty little tart, I’ve pinned it. If you and Gerlinde like it, that is all the recommendation it needs.
Thank you for your support Karen! The tarts are sublime!
Deb, thank you for sharing this wonderful dessert with me . Your port glaze put this dessert over the top. Everything was absolutely delicious. I enjoyed your company and the special dessert . Let’s do it again.
Thank you Gerlinde! I’m glad we met up for lunch!
Beautiful little tarts! Strawberry season is only just starting here, but I will no doubt be picking some for jam. 🙂
Yes to making strawberry jam! Thank you Cathy!
What stunning tarts, Deb! Such a sublime dessert for strawberry season!
Thank you Laura! The tarts are a wonderful way to celebrate berry season!
I agree that fresh berries make for the greatest desserts. And these tarts look fantastic!
Thank you Vivianne! It’s that time of year when berries have my undivided attention!
Beautiful, rich and vibrant strawberries from the strawberry farm! Your tarts turned out so beautiful, pretty garnishes. I’m going to look for a bottle of port and would luv to try making this…maybe even this holiday weekend! 🙂
Thank you Cristina! I just adore berry season!
These are lovely, and the strawberries are glorious right now. And that port glaze? I’m totally hooked.
Thank you Lynda! The port glaze is fantastic!
Those tarts are so beautiful. Always love when you post photos from your farm visits!
Thank you Carol! I’m pleased you enjoyed the post!
These tarts are simply beautiful… also love how easy is to make them.
Thank you for the gracious comment Denise, much appreciated!