Rhubarb and Strawberry Tart

This month's Random Recipe challenge celebrates the host's aka the brilliant Dom at Belleau Kitchen 2nd blog anniversary. So, since it is a birthday occasion, we've been asked to choose a baking book at random and bake something lovely...

I piled all my baking books and the book or actually the booklet I selected at random is River Cottage: Baking, a Sunday supplement from The Telegraph. And the recipe I selected at random is rhubarb and strawberry tart. Before you ask, I'm gonna tell you that the pastry is.... home-made! Aren't you proud? I often take shortcut and use store-bought pastry, but I thought this time I'd make it myself. It's very straightforward, especially because it's all done in a food processor.

This tart is lovely just by itself, but just because I have some custard (home-made as well, yes *smug) in the fridge, I've got to have it with the tart.

One quick note, when the tart is out from the oven it may look a bit runny. Don't panic. The juices will thicken as it cools.

I will be doing more baking this weekend, so what this space... have a great one!

Rhubarb and Strawberry Tart

Recipe from River Cottage: Baking

Serves 6 - 8

For the pastry

200 gr plain flour

50 gr icing sugar

A pinch of salt

100 gr cold, unsalted butter, cubed

2 egg yolks

For the filling

180 gr rhubarb, trimmed

200 gr strawberries, hulled and halved

40 ml white wine

100 gr caster sugar

1 tbsp corn flour

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 tbsp icing sugar

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the filling and let them macerate while you make the pastry.

To make the pastry, put the flour, icing sugar and salt into a food processor and pulse to combine, just to get rid of any lumps. Then add the cold, cubed butter and pulse again until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add one egg yolk and cold water, a teaspoon at a time and pulse until the dough forms a ball. Wrap the pastry with cling film and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. Obviously, you can also do this whole process by hand, but personally I prefer using food processor. 

Next, preheat the oven to 180 C. Dust your work surface and rolling pin with flour and roll out the pastry to 3 mm thickness and wide enough to line a 26 - 28 cm tart tin placed on a baking sheet. Leave any excess overhanging the rim.

prick the base a few times with a fork and bake for 10 minutes. Lightly beat the other egg yolk, brush it over the pastry, trim the excess and bake for another 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, arrange the tart with the rhubarb and strawberries. Add 5 - 6 tablespoons of the liquid, but don't overfill it. Bake on a low oven shelf and bake for further 45 minutes to 1 hour. The liquid will thickens as it cools. Let the tart cool before removing it from the tin. Dust with icing sugar and serve with anything you like, creme fraiche, double cream or custard.