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Today’s episode is all about adding simple, yet both flavorful fresh ingredients that you can find in your herb garden and accessible ingredients found in your well-stocked épicerie to elevate a classic late summer tart recipe. The look you see above is prompted by the fresh scent of basil freshly picked from the garden that is yep, added to the strawberry tart. ☺️
Inspired by a new book I picked up this spring, The Flavour Thesaurus, I have been playing in my kitchen working with new-to-me pairings in all sorts of dishes both savory and sweet. Today, I took the strawberries Norman and I pick regularly in our garden at Le Papillon during the summer months, and explored what other ingredients could elevate the flavor profile and create a brand new dish.
Join me as we step out into the garden to harvest the strawberries, take a video tour of the Paris bookshop where I found this book, and take a peek into my home épicerie to see how I stock my kitchen to be ready to create delicious dishes throughout the year.
This is a fun and simple recipe, and your tastebuds will definitely smile when it comes out of the oven and is ready to be enjoyed.
Feel free to not use a tart pan or tart ring and just make a free-form tart or galette. This is far simpler and leaves less to clean up afterwards. For today’s episode, I used a 4″ tart ring, but when the cameras are not rolling, I usually bake this tart sans tart pan/ring, and all I have to do is toss the parchment paper away after the tart has been enjoyed. ☺️
I genuinely love this book – The Flavour Thesaurus, and as I will share in detail in today’s episode, it is a cook and baker’s resource for a long-list of ingredients and what to pair with what to achieve a wide array of different flavor profiles. During today’s episode, I will walk through why I chose the ingredients included in the recipe to pair with my strawberries and what flavors they create for your tastebuds to enjoy.
Now to today’s episode for a Garden Fresh Strawberry, Amaretto and Hazelnut Tart.
~NOTE to readers who cannot see a video below: Be sure to turn off your ad-blocker if you use one as you will not be able to see a video at all if the ad-blocker is in use. Once you turn off your ad-blocker, you will need to restart your device to view the video.
Links shared during the episode:
- Tart Rings (all sizes available)
- Parisian Bookshop, Librairie Gallimard
- The plate, napkin and silver fork were included in Sharon Santoni’s Summer ’22 My Stylish French Box (explore welcoming one of her boxes into your home here)
- How to candy hazelnuts – check out my Oregon Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe for the instructions – very simple, the only ingredients are sugar and roasted hazelnuts.
- Épicerie, what to include in yours to be ready to make any dish in any season
- 34 Must-Have Items for Your Home Épicerie
- In my 2nd book, Chapter 12 I share in more detail how to stock, organize and share the fundamental cooking techniques to cook an everyday meal.
episode #109: 34 Must-Have Items for Your Home Épicerie
Shop The Flavour Thesaurus: Pairings, recipes and ideas for the creative cook by Niki Segnit
This book and all recommended books are included in TSLL’s Shop (hover over SHOP in the Menu, then in the drop-down menu, then click Cookbooks or Books)
~Cook & Share! I would love to share your Simply Luxurious Kitchen inspired experiences from your kitchen. Tag me on Instagram with @thesimplyluxuriouslife #tslkitchen (or directly tag @tsllcookingshow) and your post could appear on my Instagram feed as well as on a future Show Notes post (see readers’ pics below). Many readers have already shared their meals inspired by recipes from TSLKitchen. Check out TSLL’s IG Story Highlights – titled, Viewers’ Recipes. Below are a few readers that have shared recipes and pics that caught their eye (and tastebuds ?) since last season concluded. Thank you to everyone who has shared!
Sarah’s Strawberry & Rhubarb pie looks scrumptious! Parfait for spring!
Dawn’s Sorrel Chicken looks delicious! Love her table setting. ☺️
Digital Cookbooks for Each Season of the Show are available. If you are looking for all of the recipes for each previous season in one easy to find place without having to click through each episode for each season, I now have available a Digital Cookbook for Seasons 1, 2, 3, & 4 ($8). Shop here. (Note: All TOP Tier Members/Subscribers can download these cookbooks for free.) Season 5’s cookbook will be available at the end of this season (end of October).
Garden Fresh Strawberry, Amaretto and Hazelnut Tart
Ingredients
Pastry
- 1/2 cup pastry flour
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled
- 1/4 tsp fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper
- 1-2 Tbsp sugar
- 1-3 Tbsp cold water
Filling
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped into pea-size
- 1-2 Tbsp Amaretto
- 2 Tbsp chopped roasted hazelnuts (candied if desired). Save 1 Tbsp for topping the tart, and put 1 Tbsp in the filling. purchase roasted or roast in oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees (Fahrenheit). Or see TSLL's recipe for Oregon Chocolate Chip Cookie for candied hazelnuts.
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 1-3 Tbsp sugar (to taste, depending upon freshness of strawberries) optional
Instructions
Pastry
- Place flour, sugar, salt and butter into the food processor and pulse until coarse, sand texture appears.
- Add cold water gradually, pulsing the food processor. When the dough comes together, no more water is needed. Based the humidity in your area, you may need less or more water. Gradually add one tablespoon at a time and watch the dough.
- Place the dough into a ball and then flatten into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Filling
- Make the filling while the pastry is chilling.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the chopped strawberries, Amaretto, 1 Tbsp of chopped hazelnuts (candied optional), spices – nutmeg and cinnamon, and chopped basil (sugar optional). Combine with a wooden spoon. Set aside.
- Roll out the dough on a floured and sugar hard surface. Have a prepared parchment lined baking sheet ready. Decide in what type of tart pan or ring you will be placing the dough. You can also bake without a pan/ring, and free-form making a mini galette.
- Place the dough in the tart pan, gently snuggling the dough into the corners and edges, careful not to tear it. Then take a rolling pin and roll over the top of the tart pan/ring cutting the excess dough off. If not using a tart pan/ring, lay the dough flat and pour the filling into the center of the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-2" edge that you will fold over the filling to create an edge. Fill the tart pan/ring now that the dough is in place. Top with 1 Tbsp of the chopped roasted hazelnuts.
- Bake for 20-25. Sometimes 30 depending upon your oven and how large your tart pan is. Check at 15 minutes. In my oven, with 4" tart rings, the tart was done at 20 minutes, but not ready at 17 minutes.
- Remove from the oven when the tart pastry is gold brown and the juices of the strawberry filling are bubbling. Let cool for 10-15 minutes and then enjoy warm. Pairing with vanilla gelato or enjoying alone. Either way, delish! Enjoy!
~View more episodes of The Simply Luxurious Kitchen here.
One of my favorite bakes is a little fruit tart. It depends on what is available in the market or what I have on hand. Our strawberries are long gone but the blackberries are finishing up. I will need to see if I have enough. I admit to being a bit timid when experimenting with herbal additions. I have taken to popping my tart pan into the fridge for a while before adding the pastry. I seem to get a better browning that way. It could be my imagination or my new oven. Thanks for the ideas, Shannon. I do enjoy your sense of humor and the darling Norman each week while you create. Have a wonderful week.
Thank you for stopping by Lucy and enjoy trying what catches your interests and tastebuds. ? And thank you for sharing what has worked for you for a brown finish on the pastry.
Thank you, Shannon, I could have a bite right now… and a cup of tea. Really enjoyed this episode. You look so natural in front of the camera – and Norman, he cheers me up no end! 🙂
I have been using The Flavour Thesaurus heavily, since I bought it upon your recommendation, and it has been an interesting journey, with some tasty surprises. Also I have used your pastry recipe several times and it always turns out great, for sweet and salty goods (here without sugar, of course).
Taking here the opportunity to report that the fish recipe (Café Lignac) was delicious, as expected. 🙂
Looking forward to next one…
Thank you so much for all that you shared! I am tickled by it all. ☺️ The fish recipe – wahoo! The Flavour Thesaurus bringing new ideas – Awesome to hear! I genuinely adore this book and am grateful I happened across it in Paris.
Wishing you a wonderful week. Oh! And so happy to hear the pastry recipe is so versatile for you. I trust it for so many recipes. Simple, flavorful, flaky and oh so good. ☺️
What a wonderful idea to make lovely individual strawberry tarts for afternoon tea time! I have always cooked larger portions for my family, but most days now, it is just hubby and me, and yet I never considered making 2 personalized individual tarts for us. I tend to overcomplicate things in the kitchen – but making smaller portions is delightful. Now why didn’t I think of that before! Thank you for the inspiration – So simple and looks delicious!!
I have all the ingredients on hand now, and will give this a go tomorrow, this will be Perfect for our afternoon tea break. I am looking forward to it already!
Thanks Shannon!
Karen
Oh, I do hope you enjoy! ☺️
I made the berry tarts for tea time a few days ago, and my guest (hubby) and I both loved them!! Thy were so delicious and a nice afternoon treat, especially still warm out of the oven. Yum! I loved the subtle almond, and basil undertones, hubby loved them so much he asked for them again, he especially loved the flaky crust and sweet berries. My 2nd batch of tarts are prepped and ready to bake for either dessert or afternoon tea!
Thank you Shannon!
Yum! Those candied hazelnuts on top of the strawberries, and the amaretto are speaking to me.
I shall definitely have to try this combination next year when our strawberries are back. I do want to try growing my own so we shall see how I get on! The video of Norman enjoying hunting for the strawberries and his treat of nibbling one or two is so adorable.
Thank you for another great recipe to add to my repertoire
Sarah
My pleasure Sarah. When you are shopping for strawberries, seek out the everberry varietals as they keep producing strawberries all summer long. ???
Shannon, since following you I have really got in to fruit tarts. I haven’t grown any strawberries for a few years but now my puppy is older I think I need to get back to it. We have a sunny patio so they usually do well. My boy doesn’t like fruit so they’ll be safe. I’m also quite tempted to add the thesaurus to my Christmas list. Thanks for the inspiration.