Okay, I was wrong. I guess it’s baking season all year round.

The strawberries from the garden are lovely, red and firm. I’ve baked strawberry shortcakes before, so I thought I’d give strawberry rhubarb tarts a try. Rhubarb is available so rarely – all the more reason to experiment. (I think we’ll plant it next spring!)

Recipe from Joy of Baking:

• 454g / 1lb sliced rhubarb – the recipe called for 1″ pieces, but I had big chunky field rhubarb, so 0.5″ slices might be better
• 454g / 1lb sliced strawberries – this one’s a mix of garden strawberries and local strawberries
• 1/4 cup (35g) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (150g) white sugar

Mix all ingredients. Fill purchased tart shells or home-made pastry circles (see original recipe). Chill assembled tarts for 15-30 minutes in the fridge. Preheat oven to 400F (200C), with the rack in the center of the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes until crust is golden. Cool on a wire rack before serving. (The original recipe suggests serving with whipped cream or iced cream, ooh.)

I liked spending my Saturday afternoon baking, trying out new recipes. It’s a little like going to a cooking class, except much cheaper. =) I shared some tarts with neighbours so that we wouldn’t have too much dessert in the house. (Particularly as we’re still planning to bake brownies too…)