Strawberry Basil Tart

Whenever my mischievous and romantic French friend Marion and I get together (which is sadly not very often because of the small obstacle of an ocean dividing us), we spend most of our time talking about two things. Food and love.

I mean, what else is there to talk about really? I'm exaggerating a bit of course, we talk about many other things like the state of the world, and spirituality, and our deepest dreams, etc etc. But we do always seem to come back to food and love. And one day, many moons ago, when I had become completely infatuated with a certain Mr. Wrong, Marion tried to come to my rescue by sharing this recipe with me, swearing it was a tart to melt the heart of any man. Well. I never did end up making the tart way back then. And as everyone had predicted, things did not go well for me with that mister. But over the years, my mind often went back to that tart. Fresh strawberries and basil. Together. In a tart. Filled with custard. I mean. How can you resist making a dessert like that? I actually did resist, for many years, but this summer I couldn't hold back anymore. Besides, I had a very special someone to make it for. And while I am not a huge fan of Valentine's Day, I am a huge fan of strawberry season, which is so infinitely better in my books. So without further ado, I present to you dear reader, Strawberry Basil Tart.

Now, a very quick word of warning on strawberries. Strawberries, more than any other fruit or vegetable on the market, are routinely found to contain toxic residues well above the allowable limit. So if you're not too keen on eating a toxic cocktail of over 50 pesticide residues, I strongly recommend buying (or growing!) organic strawberries. The extra buck for your health is well worth it!

You can find my strawberry basil tart recipe right here at PBS Food. Bon appétit!