Tarts- A Love Story with Rhubarb Tart Recipe

Aubrey and I discovered the joy that is a tart while on our first voyage across the Atlantic in May of 2005. It all started for us in Frankfurt, Germany when we discovered that,
a. It costs money to use a public toilet in Europe;
b. German police actually patrol with German Shepherds, and;
c. We would never be the same again after eating this:

Thus began our love affair with tarts and tart-like things...

But, it was really all about the tarts...

I patiently waited a year and we returned in May of 2006 to Paris for our honeymoon... and, guess what? So, you see my problem...we love tarts, we live in the middle of nowhere Oklahoma, and I can't bake. I can't remedy any of these conditions but I like to go down fighting against my oven. Yes, yes, friends. I tried baking......................again. Enter, rhubarb tart.

Have you ever had rhubarb? This was actually my first time and I can't believe I lived without it for so long...

For an amazingly simple recipe, I managed to screw up the puff pastry ( premade pastry dough, people! How can I mess that up?) and burn the edges. So, both of these faults should make my next statement really hit home.... this was the best sweet I've had since our trip last November. I'm telling you the honest truth. It brought tears to my eyes.
Sure, my puff pastry didn't puff ( note: don't thaw puff pastry in the microwave. Oh, and you roll it out in a sheet, not from the melted ball you formed in the microwave. I learned that here, too late.) But, despite all the obstacles, this was amazing. Whoever first combined tart and tangy rhubarb with the sweetness of a sugar orange glaze will go down in history as a genius in my book. Without further ado...

Rustic Rhubarb Tart with Orange Glaze( adapted from Gourmet April 2009. It's "rustic" because I can't roll out a rectangle... hehe. Recipe found here.)

1 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 pound rhubarb stalks, thinly sliced diagonally ( about 1/8 inch)
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17 1/4-ounces package), thawed
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest ( I skipped this part and it was just fine.)

1. Preheat oven to 400 with rack in the middle.

2. Mix orange juice, lime juice, and sugar in a bowl. Add rhubarb and soak for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Meanwhile, cut the sheet of puff pastry in half and roll out into two rectangles approximately 11" x 7." I literally brought out my ruler but didn't need it since the blob from the microwave wasn't going anywhere near a rectangle.

4. Place both rectangles on an ungreased baking sheet.

5. Strain rhubarb (retaining the liquid) and arrange on both of the pastry sheets.

6. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

7. While the tarts are baking, boil down the remaining liquid to reduce to a thickend glaze.

8. When tarts are finished, remove from oven and brush with the glaze.

9. Try not to burn yourself when you immediately attempt to eat the thing. Ahhh, what one does for true love.