Strawberry Rhubarb Crostata

You don’t need a special pan for this rustic, free-form tart. Feel free to use other fruits when they’re in season, like pears, peaches, nectarines, plums, raspberries, or blueberries.

Dough

1 1⁄4 c all-purpose flour
1⁄4 c coarse cornmeal
1⁄4 c sugar
1⁄2 t kosher salt
1 stick (4 oz) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
4-5 T ice water

Place flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the flour. You can also use a food processor to cut in the butter, but be careful not to over process.

Sprinkle ice water, one tablespoon at a time, over the mixture, stirring to work in the water. You want dough to hold together, but not be too wet. Transfer to a floured work surface and gather the dough together to form a ball. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using (can be made the night before and refrigerated).

Filling

1 1⁄2 c sliced strawberries
1 1⁄2 c rhubarb, sliced into 1” pieces
1⁄2 c granulated sugar
3 T cornstarch
1 t vanilla bean paste, or extract
1 t lemon zest
1 egg beaten with 1 T water for egg wash
Demerara or sparkling sugar, for garnish
2 T unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄2” cubes

Combine filling ingredients in a medium bowl. Toss to coat fruit thoroughly with cornstarch and sugar. Set aside.

Flour a work surface and roll dough into a large circle about 1⁄8” thick. Transfer dough to a sheet pan lined with parchment. Add the strawberry rhubarb filling to the center of the dough circle, leaving a 2” border all around. Brush the 2” border with a little water. Fold the border up and over the edges of the fruit mound. Pinch decoratively to make a pleat. Continue all the way around the circle. Chill crostata in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes while preheating the oven to 375 degrees.

Remove crostata from the refrigerator, brush dough with beaten egg and sprinkle liberally with demerara sugar. Place cubes of butter on top of the fruit. Bake until the crust is golden and the fruit is bubbling, 35-40 minutes. The underside of the crostata should also be browned. Transfer to a rack to cool for 15 minutes. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature, accompanied by vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.