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!

Rhubarb Cardamom Shortbread Bars

I know rhubarb season is nearing its last days (sniff!)... but before it goes, here's one last hurrah: chewy rhubarb cardamom shortbread bars. In fact, I've already filled the freezer with rhubarb so I can make these all through the year. 

This recipe was shared with me via a friend from Salt Water Farm who blogged about it last spring. Thank you Irene!! This one's a keeper! 

This recipe is totally unique because the dough is frozen and then grated into the pan! Which accounts for the delightful chewy crumbly texture of these bars.

If you don't have any rhubarb, you can substitute your favourite jam in this recipe.

I do hope you'll try these, they are quite irresistible! You can find my version of this classic recipe here on PBS Food. Enjoy!

Semolina Gnocchi Stuffed With Asparagus

I'm feeling more than a little giddy this evening. Because Kitchen Vignettes is now on PBS! I'm so excited to join the amazing team of chefs, bloggers, and show hosts at PBS Food... and also blushing a little and getting a kick out of having my photo alongside such talent, especially since I'm not actually a chef but just a girl who loves cooking and eating (and happens to make weird videos with dancing vegetables and such). Over the coming months, I'll be sharing a whole bunch of new recipes I've got up my sleeve on a weekly basis. Please come on over, check it out, and say hello!

To start things off on the right foot with this new blog series, I wanted to share an asparagus recipe that I hope you'll try.



I first had semolina gnocchi (also called Gnocchi Alla Romana) at Shepherd's Pie in Rockport, Maine and then I saw the light. It reminded me a bit of the velvety cream of wheat porridge my mom used to make for me as a kid, one of my favourites. Well it turns out when you add a little butter, egg yolks, and parmesan, plain old cream of wheat takes on a whole new persona. Who knew? I sure didn't. I love potato gnocchi too, but I'm a sucker for easy one-casserole dishes and I'm now a semolina gnocchi convert. Stuffed with asparagus, mushroom, and cheese, this makes a hearty comfort dish that is great for rainy days like today. And it makes tasty leftovers the next day. Have it for breakfast, lunch, or supper. Or all three.

While I pine and yearn to have my own asparagus patch one day, I'm not quite there yet and so my friend Diane from Sleepy Hollow Rag Rugs kindly made a little cameo in my video, picking the basketful that you see. Thank you Diane! And what a joy it was to see those asparagus pop up out of the earth and snap away so juicily!

You can find the recipe for my gnocchi stuffed with asparagus on PBS Food. Please let me know in the comments below, what are your favourite asparagus recipes?

And now I'm going to go back to doing my happy dance to this song which I am a little obsessed with at the moment. Bonne nuit mes amis :-)