Wheat-Free Strawberry Tart with Lemon Roasted Pistachios

Okay, I know there must be people out there who don’t like strawberries, but I’ve never met them.  It seems like this fruit is universally loved (cue the emails and comments of people telling me about strawberry allergies).  I loved strawberries so much as a kid because we only got to really enjoy them during the summer.  I know you can buy them year-round now, but they’re just not as good.  I think there’s something special about only being able to have foods at certain times of the year, and while strawberries are pretty much in season all the time here in LA, I find myself waiting until spring and summer to really enjoy them.

This simple strawberry tart would be so beautiful on an Easter table.  The colors are vibrant, it’s really delicious, and it’s also really easy to make – which helps when you’re already making an entire meal for your guests.  This recipe is just a variation of my favorite peach tart, obviously subbing strawberries for the peaches.  I’m obsessed with these pistachios, and I thought the lemon flavor would add a nice texture and color contrast.  If you aren’t able to find flavored pistachios you can use plain and just grate some lemon zest to sprinkle on top of the tart.

I’m continuing to experiment with wheat-free baking, so I used whole grain spelt flour instead of unbleached all-purpose for this.  I really liked how it turned out.  The taste was a bit like a cross between a shortbread and a graham cracker crust.  You could use whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour, depending on what you like and what you’re able to find in your local store.

Strawberry Tart with Lemon Roasted Pistachios

This tart is as beautiful as it is delicious.  It would make for the perfect ending to your Easter (or any springtime) meal.

1/3 cup Earth Balance or other non-dairy margarine

1/3 cup Earth Balance or other vegan shortening (you can also just use an additional 1/3 cup margarine ? either way works out fine)

2/3 cup sugar (I use Florida Crystals)

1 tablespoon Ener-G egg replacer

1/4 cup warm water

1 3/4 cup whole grain spelt flour (or white spelt, or unbleached all-purpose flour)

3-4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and slices

about 2 tablespoons brown sugar

about 2 tablespoons lemon roasted (or plain) pistachios

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together sugar, margarine and shortening.

Whisk together the egg replacer and water until the powder is completely dissolved.  Add this to creamed mixture and thoroughly combine, scraping the sides of the bowl.

Add the flour and mix until a soft dough forms.

Lightly grease a 9-inch tart pan and press dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.  You may need to wet your hands if the dough is too sticky.  Arrange the sliced strawberries on top of the dough and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the edges start to turn golden.  (If you use spelt flour, the baking time may be a bit longer).

Turn the broiler on.  Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of brown sugar over the top of the tart and broil until the sugar is mostly melted.  Make sure to watch it so the peaches don?t burn.  Cool, and sprinkle the chopped pistachios on top.  Remove from pan to slice.

This will keep in the refrigerator for a couple days.  Enjoy!