strawberry tart with basil-infused whipped cream

strawberry tart, originally uploaded by isabelle gr.

Let the strawberry season begin! This picture shows the second strawberry tart of the year, made with the extra ingredients from the first. The first was for Mother's Day brunch, and it was much neater and prettier, with concentric circles of heart-shaped berries. It did not survive long enough to be photographed any closer than this:

For the second one I just heaped the berries into the tart pan, and I think they tasted better for the lack of organization. Especially since we ate both batches of berries with the most incredible confection in the universe: basil-infused whipped cream. Yes! It's real! A thousand thank yous to the cooks at Martha Stewart, who published this minor miracle in the May issue of Living alongside their strawberry galette. Here is my adaptation:

BASIL-INFUSED WHIPPED CREAM
Serves 6 as an accompaniment to a pie or tart.

ingredients

1 c. heavy cream
1/3 - 1/2 c. fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 c. mascarpone

equipment

hand or stand mixer or whisk
sieve or fine-hole colander

preparation

1. In a small Pyrex or stainless steel bowl, combine first three ingredients over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir gently until the sugar has dissolved, which will only take a minute or two. Remove bowl from heat and allow it to cool slightly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for 2 to 3 hours. The basil flavor with strenghten over time. Yum! While the cream chills, find your mixer whisk attachment and stick it in the freezer along with a stainless steel bowl. My grandma always told me that this was the crucial step to perfecting whipped cream, and I believe her.

2. When the cream is ready (you'll probably need to taste test this once or twice), remove the larger leaves, then pour the cream through a sieve into the frozen mixing bowl. Add the mascarpone before whipping the whole thing until peaks form. The mascarpone will keep the cream from becoming too stiff.

At this point you can either serve it immediately or refrigerate it until dessert time, up to 2 hours or so. After that, someone is going to eat it right out of the fridge. If you can save some till morning, I've heard it tastes great on an omelette full of fresh herbs. If!