When receiving this month’s Vintage Redo/Swap Recipe for Jelly Cake, I was a bit stumped about how I wanted to reinterpret this recipe. It’s been hot in Colorado and my interest in cooking has fled for the season. I’m happy to grill, compile, to blend and occasionally sauté, though any other culinary descriptors are out of my repertoire for the moment. This realization gave way to a madcap idea to try: Strawberry Tart on the Grill. I will say it worked, was delicious, with faint tones of pop tarts from my youth.
I’ve mentioned that we have a beautiful organic farm in Brighton Colorado (about 45 minutes from Boulder) that has several ‘pick your own’ items during the growing season. I trekked out there about 10 days ago for the end of the early strawberry season, emerging with 18 pints of perfectly ripe berries. There is nothing that tastes like a ripe handpicked strawberry and tasting them reminds me that despite the appearance in stores, store bought berries are just not the same. I knew I wanted to feature that in my swap recipe.
The recipe development journey was humorous and I’ll share the recipe with some ‘notes from the test kitchen’ experience.
Grilled Strawberry Tart – Step-by-Step
STEP 1: Heat the gas grill to medium and allow to heat to around 300-350 degrees. This will cook with the indirect method, using only the outer burners.
STEP 2: Prepare heavy duty aluminum foil by making a double thick square (can fold or use two sheets) with about 5 extra inches on each side past the edge of the pie crust (there may be filling seepage and this allow you to bend up the edges so it won’t run into your grill). Lightly butter the foil where the pie crust will be.
STEP 3: In a small bowl combine the arrowroot starch and sugar. In a second bowl, place the strawberries. Pour the sugar/starch mixture over the berries and toss to combine and coat the berries.
STEP 4: 4. Roll out pie crusts to each be approximately 12 inches in diameter and about ¼ inch thick. Place the first crust on the buttered foil. Place the berries in the middle of the pie crust allowing about 1 inch of space on the edges to seal the two crusts. Add the second crust on top, pinch together the edges. Gently prick a fork around the top crust to allow steam to escape.
This was a ‘test kitchen’ photo of my impromptu addition of the frozen pie shell to the top. Though it all worked applying a non-frozen pie shell works much better!
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STEP 5: Place in the center of the heated grill and close the lid. Watch the temperature to stay close to 300-350 degrees. Check the tart periodically. It should cook in about 35 to 45 minutes and begin to slightly brown on the top.
Pricking the top crust will allow the steam to escape and avoid cracking as happened in my ‘test tart’!
STEP 6: Remove from grill (I turned off the grill and slid a pizza pan underneath mine to support it). Allow to cool, cut and serve! I felt the flavor was best with around room temperature. Would be great with vanilla ice cream.
This turned out delicious and has been enjoyed both as dessert and breakfast!
Recipe
STRAWBERRY TART ON THE GRILL
Ingredients
- 2 pie crusts homemade or store bought (regular or gluten-free)
- 4 cups strawberries hulled and cut in half (or quarters if extra large)
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot starch for thickening
Instructions
- Heat the gas grill to medium and allow to heat to around 300-350 degrees. This will cook with the indirect method, using only the outer burners.
- Prepare heavy duty aluminum foil by making a double thick square (can fold or use two sheets) with about 5 extra inches on each side past the edge of the pie crust (there may be filling seepage and this allow you to bend up the edges so it won’t run into your grill). Lightly butter the foil where the pie crust will be.
- In a small bowl combine the arrowroot starch and sugar. In a second bowl, place the strawberries. Pour the sugar/starch mixture over the berries and toss to combine and coat the berries.
- Roll out pie crusts to each be approximately 12 inches in diameter and about ¼ inch thick. Place the first crust on the buttered foil. Place the berries in the middle of the pie crust allowing about 1 inch of space on the edges to seal the two crusts. Add the second crust on top, pinch together the edges. Gently prick a fork around the top crust to allow steam to escape.
- This was a ‘test kitchen’ photo of my impromptu addition of the frozen pie shell to the top. Though it all worked applying a non-frozen pie shell works much better!
- Place in the center of the heated grill and close the lid. Watch the temperature to stay close to 300-350 degrees. Check the tart periodically. It should cook in about 35 to 45 minutes and begin to slightly brown on the top.
- Pricking the top crust will allow the steam to escape and avoid cracking as happened in my ‘test tart’!
- Remove from grill (I turned off the grill and slid a pizza pan underneath mine to support it). Allow to cool, cut and serve! I felt the flavor was best with around room temperature. Would be great with vanilla ice cream.
jaclyn says
this looks incredible! i too never thought to grill a pie, but now i just might have to try it! and the cocktail looks mighty tempting, too! i love love love infusing vodkas with various fruits, spices, and other flavors…plus, you get to drink your experiments. everybody wins!
PolaM says
Wow that looks good! I never thought of grilling a pie, but I think that if it taste as good as yours look I should try soon!
Burwell General Store says
Haha! Love it. All of it! How whimsical and fun – I always love your drink pairing, too!! Thanks, Toni, for being such a great member of the recipe swap!
Rebecca from Chow and Chatter says
wow fun recipe
rosemarried says
Gosh, what a fun/interesting idea! A tart on the grill? I love it! Also, in honor of you I was going to do a cocktail pairing with mine this time as well, but I ran out of time! Oh well, I guess I'll just need to make yours. 🙂
DiannG says
Oh yum! Good creative cooking/baking, Toni!
emily says
Wow, the Pop-Tart-ness of it all makes me very, very nostalgic. And very jealous of your grill.
Alli says
A brilliant idea to grill a dessert! Thank you for the recommendation of bending up the sides of foil…that would have helped me the last time I grilled a pizza 🙂
ping says
A grilled pie! How interesting and an upside down one … looks amazing! Strawberry infused vodka … Here I come!
Jacqueline - The Dusty Baker says
Mmmmm…. delicious looking as always and so bright and fresh! I love how posts seem to be rather simple for this swap – a perfect reflection of the recipe. Yay!