Saturday, September 29, 2007

Blueberry Grape Tart


Puddles. I was looking at this piece again( sorry for the slight glare on the pic), trying to figure out why they hold such appeal for me. These fruit tarts Pierre puts together. I am feeling restless you see. Thinking of my wetlands work, eager to walk them again. Yet every time I confront one of these tarts in the case, it is hard for me to pass it up.Then it hit me just a minute ago. It's puddles you see. The edge of the water. From tide pools in Monterey and Carmel (Check out Steinbeck's Cannery Row description in Chapter Six ) and the Pacific Northwest, to mud puddles in Mississippi, to North Carolina Outer Banks, and dear Chandeleur Island, I have been looking from coast to coast at puddles and splashes of wet. Examining form and marveling at all the bits and pieces that live in just this layer or that. And here we have a little island of them. Granted fruit, and berries on custard and cake. But chef has made me a puddle watcher again, tempting me with juicy tidbits that have to be seen up close.He has included nectars, and custards and bounty in it's own little glaze puddle. Notice, I pick the ones whose glaze runs over, and play with the light on the rim. Funny how the muse works, and how we are drawn to things. Now I can't wait to go back to the case this weekend, to see what puddle awaits. Even in this landlocked, over paved place, I have found a bit of my wetlands. So eager am I, the richness and the slight crunch of the fruit are a sublime heaven to eat and aren't a bad benefit. But maybe this isn't so far off the path as I had previously thought. I love painting tarts, and cakes and treats. and what fun we are having, but now I know a way to bring it up a notch or two, as our Emeril would say. I sent a message to chef to "bring it on" I hope he takes it to heart. We need our adventure. Who would have thought a beautiful tart would serve so well. Hats off to chef again and to all of you who like them. Ah-ha. Took me a few, you probably saw it before me. I hope this makes sense. It's all a part of process. Thank you for liking these so much, you have helped me with an aha moment and brought me one step further.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Wetland puddles?
Someones in a muddle...
I see berries.
I see tarte.
I see the chef's art
Is full of heart.