(if a little bit’s good) More Is Better

Can you have too many strawberries? Especially when they came freshly picked from a farm in South Carolina? Believe it or not, someone told me I had too many when I brought home 2 gallons. After the strawberry shortcake (the best way) got a little too ordinary (Strawberry Shortcake should never get ordinary!) after a few days, I had to “get rid” of about a gallon. Here are the results, a Strawberry-Mascarpone Tart, and a Strawberry Custard Tart. (I also froze some for future use in or on ice cream.)

Strawberry-Mascarpone Tart

1 recipe Almond Tart Crust dough

Preserves:
2 cups ripe strawberries — quartered
1/4 cup sugar — (adjust to taste)
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
Topping:
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup sugar
grated zest of one small orange
2 cups sliced ripe strawberries
lightly sweetened whipped cream

Prepare Almond Tart Crust dough as intructed. Roll out thin (1/8 inch thick). Cut to a circle about 10 inches in diameter. Place on greased baking pan. Put holes in dough with a fork. Bake at 375 for about 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. If it bubbles up while baking, press down lightly, or put another hole in it with a fork. Remove from oven and let cool.

Meanwhile, to prepare the preserves, combine 2 cups of quartered berries, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, cooking until the juices thicken to a jamlike consistency, 30 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.

Mix the mascarpone, sugar and orange zest together in a small bowl. Spread the mascarpone evenly onto the cooled tart shell. Spread a thin layer of the cooled strawberry preserves on top. Arrange the sliced strawberries on top of the preserves, working in concentric circles from the outside in. Place a few whole berries in the center if you wish. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Based on a recipe from the Courier-Journal using my dough.