French Tarte - March 9 2013

This last Saturday was more quiet than usual at Hope Artiste Village -- the typical controlled chaos during the morning Winter Farmers Market seemed less frenetic than usual, less hustle, and certainly less bustle. And for the first time in modern memory there were a few items left. Still, the Tarte sold nearly everything and took a couple of special orders; all-in-all a pretty good day.

Maybe it was the gorgeous day that kept some folks outside. For me it's always a wonderful experience to spend a few hours every Saturday morning watching men, women, kids, families, couples, friends, groups and singles, drift in drawn by the smell of butter and baking, like they're all children enjoying the simple wonders and pleasures of delicious, hand-baked pastries by the pastry surgeon herself.

This week, the Tarte tried another new recipe (last week it was Gateau Basque), the Bordeaux specialty canele -- and they came out incredibly good - crispy, caramelized on the outside and a baked custard-like filling!