Summer Seduction
“What kind of tarts? I don’t know. But leave me a couple, will you?”
East of Eden, John Steinbeck
Inspiration
I went in search of the Blenheim Apricot. Once the darling of San Benito and Santa Clara counties production faded with the growth of imported apricots, urban development and big agriculture. B&R Farms in Hollister farms 100+ acres of Blenheim’s and has being doing so for 84 years. A fourth generation family business B&R Farms grows, harvests and packages the Blenheim as a dried apricot. I attended the summer harvest tour given by owner, Mari Rossi. Only during the height of the summer harvest is the highly perishable Blenheim sold as a fresh apricot. Sold only in twenty pound boxes, I came home with lots of apricots and plans for making jam. But first I made tarts.