If It’s From The Farmers’ Market It’s Healthy, Right?

I’ve moved into a new house, a  new town, a new  work at home gig so I don’t have to work as a nurse anymore (hopefully), so of course, I need to do a full diet makeover and get healthy, right? And what can be healthier than going down the street to your local Farmers’ Market for some fresh zucchini, and squash, and tomatoes, and… French pastries?

Oh yes, even at something as seemingly innocuous as a Farmers’ Market, temptation abounds. But hey, they’re French pastries, and we all know how thin those Frenchies are, so they must be doing something right. Or at least it sounds like good reasoning to me.

So, even if you can’t feast on my delightful treats, feast your eyes on them at least. They sure are purty, ain’t they?

Heather Burns owns Just Desserts Fine Pastries & Artisan Breads in Jackson, Mississippi, but she comes on down to Vicksburg Saturday mornings to the market to make us all fatter… er, treat us to some French pastry indulgences.  That lemon tart sure made me pucker up, but in the very best way. (And yes, those are oranges in the photos — I didn’t have any lemons handy, okay?)

Her “Gibassier” (fancy, huh?) is a dense cake-like treat, but not overly sweet. It was made with organic (yay!) unbleached bread flour, some olive oil (tres’ healthy!) candied orange peel, ground anise, and the usual suspects like butter, eggs, and salt. It wasn’t overly sweet, and one alone was satisfying for a snack, warmed slightly per the label instructions

A Rustic Fresh Plum Tart

At first I though this was some kind of savory tomato pastry, till I finally got through the line to ogle it up close — Miss Heather takes plenty of time describing her foods to the masses waiting, and keeps a nice line going. This tart was a bit tart and sweet, with a nice flaky crust.

Oh, so tasty… and a nice ending to a southern or any meal.