Autumn weather is here at last with stunning beauty. Chilly mornings where slippers and flannels are essential, followed by exquisite golden days of rich sunshine and cool breezes. I feel like I’ve come back to life and it is marvelous.
Bear and I have been working hard on the farm pruning trees, chopping wood, planting winter veggies, and using up the remains of last year’s bounty from the freezers so we can start filling them again with homemade sausages, frozen vegetables, and baking.
We’ve been bottle-feeding two orphaned baby goats and look forward to each feeding. They are the sweetest little girls and make us laugh every day.
Our geese, ducks, and chickens have slowed down their laying, ready to hunker down for the cold months. Each time we find a new egg is cause for celebration.
In my downtime I’ve been making wood-burned necklaces for my Etsy shoppe, building up my stock for the medieval markets we’ll be attending in just a couple of months. It’s such a lovely break from hard labor, turning pieces of wood, beads, and stone into little works of art.
Today we took a break from our labors to wander through one of our favorite thrift stores to see what we could find. My treasures are this darling little pottery mug and a bag full of nearly-new cookbooks and gardening books to inspire me.
Our dessert this week has been a fresh strawberry tart with vanilla cream in a whole grain crust sweetened with dark brown sugar. Simple, delicious, and just the edible cheer we need to keep us going through our chores.
What keeps you plugging along when you have lots of work to do? xo
Strawberry Tart with Vanilla Cream
Ingredients:
1 pint strawberries, washed and trimmed
1 tub sour cream
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Crust:
1 cup whole grain flour
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, melted
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Mix all crust ingredients, add a little flour if too soft. Press evenly into 9-inch tart pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until crust is golden brown.
3. Gently blend sour cream, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth. Do not whip or it will get too runny. Chill until crust is cooled.
4. Let crust cool, remove from tart pan and set on serving tray. Spread sour cream mixture in the bottom of the tart shell, and top with strawberries.
5. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.
Oh Krista that strawberry tart looks amazing. I’d like to make it one day. I love your pottery mug too 🙂
It feels so good to spoil ourselves with a good dessert each week, @wanderingsheila:disqus 🙂 I hope you like it!
It’ll be strawberry season here in a couple of months and I can’t wait to make delectable tarts like this!
Hooray for strawberry season, @breannemosher:disqus 🙂 Can’t wait to see what delicious things you make. 🙂
soul food for the eyes – lovely post!
http://mlleparadis.blogspot.com
Thank you so much, paradis. XO
Sounds like you’ve been busy, Krista, but in a good way! Enjoy.
Definitely in a good way, @liz_posmyk:disqus It’s been steady but, thankfully, not stressful. 🙂
Love that mug! And that tart is amazing. Hard to think of chilly mornings while traveling in this part of the world where the morning, 7 a.m. temperature was in the 80’s!
Oh my goodness, @disqus_WseMqaTPwi:disqus I’m amazed it’s so hot and it’s only April!!! XO
that tart looks scrummy! And poor goats but they are lucky to have you there Krista 🙂
I’m so glad we’re here for them too, @tandysinclair:disqus 🙂
I love wandering through thrift shops. I’d like a piece of that tart when I finished too. 🙂
I didn’t know you were a thrift store fan too, @OrgasmicChef:disqus 🙂 How lovely! I’d happily share a slice of tart with you. xo
The strawberries have just finished here. But watermelon has arrived on the scene so I’m happy. Your tart looks a-mazing.
Oooh, watermelon season makes me so happy, @disqus_xRgkTDNCQJ:disqus 🙂 I don’t think there’s anything better than cold watermelon on a blistering hot Summer day. 🙂
YOu make the most beautiful pieces…and the most beautiful tarts!!
Thank you so much, @joanneeatswellwithothers:disqus XO Hearing such praise from your oh-so-talented self means a great deal. 🙂
Ooooh, I’m experiencing a great twinge of cup envy. What a gorgeous find! Does the cream in your strawberry tart loose its sour edge? My husband is one of those crazy people who doesn’t care for sour cream, unless it’s cooked off or left out to mellow. If not, I’ll just have to make it for myself 😉
I love all your beautiful crockery. 🙂 Especially the mug, it’s beautiful. A creamy cuppa coffee & bikkie doesn’t hurt to help push through a big work load. Or cake. Or food really. I love food. Lol!
I made a huge pavlova this weekend, laced with lime, slightly boozy, cream. Your tart looks divine.