STRAWBERRY SUMAC FREGOLOTTA
There’s still time for one more strawberry dessert before the season ends. And a tart with such a delicious sounding name does indeed, live up to its promise. Ground sumac, widely used in the Mid-east, often adds a pungent, tart, lemony flavor to savory dishes. Here it’s mixed with strawberries for a dense, intensely flavorful jam. Adding ground almonds to the crust gives the shortbread a nice crunch. A + sign before ingredients, means add just a bit more! The tart takes a little time to make—but it’s a satisfying, hands-on process.
For the jam:
- 1 lb.(2 cups) strawberries, rinsed and hulled
- 1 cup sugar
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tblsp ground sumac
Bring all to a boil, then simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally—until mixture has noticeably thickened. Pour into heat-proof bowl and chill in fridge to cool and set up.
For the tart crust:
- 1 ¼ cup flour
- ½ coarsely ground toasted almonds
- ½+ cup sugar
- ¼ cup cornmeal
- 1 egg, beaten
- ¾+ cup cold, cubed butter
Put dry ingredients in bowl of food processor and pulse briefly to combine. Add cubed butter and pulse until pea size pieces form. Add beaten egg and pulse briefly to mix and form dough. Set aside ½ cup+ of dough for topping—chill. Working carefully, using your hands, spread the rest of the dough evenly in a tart pan—covering bottom and up the sides. Spread the cooled jam over the crust and crumble the remaining dough evenly over the jam. Bake at 350’ for 40-45 minutes—until jam is bubbly and crust is golden brown. Do not cut tart until its completely cooled!
The Kitchen Hive
