Duck Egg Sponge Cake with Rhubarb Compote and Cream

  

One of my very favourite things is receiving unexpected food gifts... I swear I'm not trying to sneakily demand presents, I'm just stating a fact! The last time my mom came to visit, she brought homemade apricot jam and beef from my uncle's farm. Beautiful! My dad often brings artisan sausages back from Saskatchewan when he visits, and I've gotten some pretty nice treats from my brother and sister when they've come back from travelling. People must just think, "Lindsay likes food" and assume it's a safe bet ...and they are correct. ;)

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Sour Cherry & Almond Tarts

Once I get the first whiff of spring, I immediately want to do the following, all day every day: 1) stroll along Whyte Ave, coffee in hand; 2) sit on a patio, any patio, and get day-tipsy; and 3) go to the farmers' market, namely the Old Strathcona Farmers Market. The Strathcona market is great because it's indoors, so even if you have premature spring fever and it's still -10 degrees outside, you can get that lovely market experience without freezing your buns off. 

We went to the Strathcona market a few weeks ago, and it was packed with equally eager market-goers. Among the goodies I picked up was a bag of frozen sour cherries from Rainbow Acres farm. I can never find cherries in the grocery store that aren't candied or swimming in sugar, so this was exciting. Real cherries are such a rare treat. Plus these were already pitted! Since then I've browsed what feels like hundreds of cherry recipes, until I finally landed on this cherry almond tart from the Joy of Baking. It was a tough decision, but someone had to make it. 

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