HAPPY WEDNESDAY! And happy beginning of spring. It has finally arrived here; the riverbanks are full of very very white people enjoying the first few warm beams of sun.

In Switzerland, spring brings about the same discussion year after year: Strawberries. Suddenly supermarkets start selling them in the craziest amounts, as though they grow around the corner. The same questions arise every year: Where do they come from? Should we be supporting this terrible berry import business? Should we be buying fruits when they aren’t “in season”? Yes, this discussion even manages to steal the local newspaper’s headlines, year after year….. What I don’t understand is why we don’t object to having, let’s say, mango or papaya all year round. Now those fruits definitely don’t grow around the corner. Ever. Not even when they are “in season”. Having passion fruits all year round is fine as well, but dear god – importing strawberries – how dare we!!

Personally, I love strawberries. If the supermarket sells them and they taste of more than water, I will buy them. ALL OF THEM. With the following result: A tasty, light, spring-summer dessert or teatime treat. NOM.

Strawberry Hazelnut Tart

adapted from bbcgoodfood

makes one 20cm tart

You’ll need

for the pastry
140g flour
50g ground hazelnuts
100g butter, diced
50g caster sugar
1 egg yolk
for the filling
200g mascarpone
2 tbsp icing sugar
125ml double cream
1 orange, zested and juiced
500g strawberries, hulled and quartered

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan and line a 20cm cake tin with baking paper.
2. Using a food processor, process the ground hazelnuts, flour and butter until you have fine crumbs, then add the sugar. Add the egg yolk and 1-2tbsp cold water and bring together to form a firm dough.
3. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out. Line your prepared tin. Chill for 15-20 minutes. Line the pastry with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for 15 minutes and remove the paper. Bake for a further 5-7 minutes until cooked and pale golden.
4. Beat the mascarpone with the icing sugar. Whip the cream until it holds shape and fold into the mascarpone. Add the orange zest and 1-2tsp of juice. Adjust the taste to your liking with more juice.
5. Remove the pastry from the tin onto a serving plate/board. Fill with the mascarpone mixture. Top with the strawberries.
6. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Rating 8/10