A long time ago, when Asha was little and we lived in Chicago, she and I would make a weekly pilgrimage to a place called Stanley’s at 1558 N. Elston Ave. Stanley’s was a fruits and vegetable market that sold the best organic produce at prices that were shocking.
D and I had a standing joke that no matter how much we bought there, we never paid more than a few bucks at the check-out counter. Sometimes we would even run out of space to put all of our grocery bags in the car but our bill would still be in the teens. A phenomenon only explainable as magic.
Before we got to Stanley’s I’d get Asha a tartelette from the bakery. She’d nibble on it happily as I made my way around the grocery store.
Tartelettes and groceries and my little boo. I might as well have been in heaven.
When we moved to our current home in Raleigh, one of the things that D planted in our yard were two fig plants. They were tiny like my tiny kids then, but over the years have grown into trees that produce lots of figs. Often times some figs are too high for me to reach, so I stack stools and chairs knowing that I may topple over if I’m not careful. But it’s hard to ignore a ripe fig even if it means risking an injury. Also, I need to show them squirrels who’s the boss.
This week, as I gathered my bounty I joked with Asha and Arjun that I’d have to pay at least $10-$15 at a grocery store for the amount of figs I plucked. And then out of nowhere, I excitedly blurted out, but not if it was Stanley’s!
Ah!
Kids grow. Trees Grow. And I reminisce.
In honor of Stanley’s, which unfortunately doesn’t exist anymore, I decided to make some tartelettes for dessert. The assembly is rather simple if you have all the ingredients which include:
- Lemon Curd
- Shortbread tart shells
- Chopped fresh fruits of your liking including but not limited to figs, berries, orange
- Basil and chia seeds for extra juzze
The method involves no baking. Simply add a heaping teaspoon (or more) of lemon curd in each tartelette and then stack with your favorite toppings. They taste better when chilled for an hour or more, but they also taste good at room temperature. Store extras in the fridge in an art tight container. I hope you give them a try.
Also, I couldn’t resist a then-and-now.
Excuse me as I wipe away my tears and look for that pause button.
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