Yum, there is nothing quite like a Pixie Pear Tart made from freshly picked pears.

Here is a delicious and simple recipe for making a pear tart of your own that my fairy friends shared with me.

I have included a gluten free version for the crust. The Fairies and I hope you like it!

PIXIE PEAR TART RECIPE

1.) Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and gather together your ingredients.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.) Spray bottom and sides of an 11″ tart pan with organic olive oil and  set aside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RECIPE for CRUST and CRUMBLE TOPPING:

(Regular Flour or with Gluten Free Flour) :

1- 1/2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons  All Purpose Flour or for Gluten Free use

( 1- 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Flour Mix)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon sugar OR: I use  (1 teaspoon  ZING  a stevia / sugar blend)

1/4 cup organic canola oil

2 Tablespoons coconut milk, canned or from carton

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

 

2.) In large bowl stir together 1-1/2 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 Tablespoon sugar (or 1 Tablespoon Zing stevia) and set aside.

3.) In small bowl whisk together 1/4 cup canola oil, 2 Tablespoons coconut milk and 1 teaspoon almond extract. Pour this into flour mixture and mix gently with fork and fingers just to dampen. Mixture should be crumbly, you don’t want to over mix.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.) Transfer dough to 11″ tart pan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spread crumbly dough over bottom and up sides of pan evenly, pushing with fingers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I use a 1/4 metal measuring cup to press down and along and into sides of pan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Set aside.

TART TOPPING INGREDIENTS:

8 or more, nice sized ripe pears

2 Tablespoons cold butter sliced thinly

1/4  cup of white sugar or 2 Tablespoons stevia to taste if you must add sweetener. (I personally prefer not to add sweetener of any kind, the natural fruit is sweet enough for my liking)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon of brown sugar

A handful of chopped walnuts ( optional: you can also add some hulled sunflower seeds, Fairies love nuts and seeds.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.) In a small bowl mix together 2 Tablespoons of all purpose flour (or 2 Tablespoons gluten free flour mix), and 1/4 teaspoon salt and  2 Tablespoons cold butter. Use a pastry blender or fork and fingers to mix up flour, sugar and salt with butter til crumbly. Set aside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.) Slice pears somewhat thinly and evenly and arrange slices in a circular pattern on top of dough in tart pan. Then arrange a second and third layer of fruit slices overlapping the previous layer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.) Have your flour mixture handy and spread evenly over top of tart. Slow down, take your time and enjoy the process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lastly dust the top of your tart ever so lightly with the brown sugar.

4.) Finally your tart is ready to place in the oven.

Bake at 425 degrees for about 45 minutes, until you see thick bubbles and your crust has turned a light golden brown.

5.) For you nut lovers, I add the walnuts and seeds during the last 15 minutes of baking time.

6.) Cool completely on wire rack before slicing. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream…or both!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Folks often comment about an added something in the tarts I make that they just can’t put their fingers on…a certain flavor which they say eludes description.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just smile, because in fact there is a bit of fairy dust in every tart I bake, courtesy of the Home Place Fairies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feel free to experiment and make this recipe your own special kind of magic. Try hazel nuts instead of walnuts…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Try peaches instead of pears.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apples instead of peaches…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A mixture of two fruits or a combination of three!

You can even add blueberries!

(Though if you do I suggest you add them during the last 20 minutes of baking, as their small tender skins can crisp up slightly and burn.)

Enjoy.

 

 

 

September is a generally a month of superb, kind weather. The heavy heat of summer has passed and cool nights have settled upon us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the time of year when my gardens have grown beyond their borders, boldly heralding their abundance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am busy collecting seed for next season’s plantings as fairies twinkle, scattering fairy dust where ever they go.

Elecampane, also known as Elfwort rises regal behind me, yellow and proud. Elfswort grows up to 5 feet tall, is a perennial plant that flowers from July through September here in Maine. He is the favorite plant of Elves and attracts Fairies, butterflies, hummingbirds and bees.

Purple Loosestrife is in love with Elfwort and the two in my garden are often found side by side. Though Purple Loosestrife is very beautiful she is also aggressive and dominating, it takes a steady hand weeding to keep her from free ranging and growing wildly out of control.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fairies, and the Magical Wonder of Possibilities,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

here …

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

now …

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

always…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quote by Cooper Edens…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harvesting organic blueberries, one with the land.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unity, Hope, Freedom, Harmony, Liberty, and Friendship,

All around you;  all surround you…

Dream, laugh, dance, sing and count the stars!

 

Most days in Fairyland everything is harmonious and as it should be. There are rare occasions however when things in the fairy realm can become rather upside down, when no matter how one looks at the world, things appear out of sorts and sideways.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When this happens, (which is very rarely) it’s no longer just another day in paradise. All of the residents of Fairyland must come together to restore balance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

High flying fairy folk are generally the first to notice when things become amiss. Members of Fairyland have a lot of patience and are very optimistic by nature,

Their first tactic is to go about their business while keeping their eyes and ears wide open waiting for things to sort themselves out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The residents of Fairyland know from experience that under usual circumstances everything settles down and the world becomes right again. Rarely has there been an occasion when their world becomes so out of balance that it doesn’t right side up of it’s own accord.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, lately things in Fairyland have become a bit more upside down and very sideways, more so than the inhabitants have ever experienced or known before. Fairy Folk know that this is a time when special measures will be required to set things right. In order to correct this imbalance they will need to join all the different clans of fairy folk in the kingdom together and become a diversified unit of one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The inhabitants of Fairyland, (which includes, Sylphs, Sea Selkies, Goblins, Leprechauns,  Fairies, Pixies and Trolls….to name just a few.) trust in the wisdom of their leader, a wise Old Troll King who reigns from secret chambers hidden deep within the Earth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Entrances to Trolldom are numerous and each is a secret portal only the initiated can see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 There are secret entrance portals to Trolldom hidden in Caves, Ancient Oak Trees, Pines or Ash; under Steep Granite outcroppings,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are entrances beneath secret woodland waterfalls,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And beneath water falls where humans go but but cannot see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However the most direct as well as most secretive and heavily guarded portal to Trolldom  is hidden deep within the Enchanted Forest where only fairy folk and wildlings dwell. (and on rare occasions those humans most in tune with nature go) This portal is beneath what appears to be a derelict Stone Bridge out of view. It is guarded by two large Trolls, one Cautious Coyote, a Boisterous Bear, a Heralding Hawk and a Curious Crow. The entrances to Trolldom are many and all are hidden from view.  Seldom are these portals entered by those seeking Troll King’s council, as Fairyland is generally a most harmonious place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Troll King has the knowledge and wisdom of his ancestors, he is open minded and a scholar up to date on the diverse citizenry of Fairyland, including Wildlings, all those scaled,  furred and feathered, such as turkey, snake, frog, butterfly, coyote and deer folk to name just a few. As Seamstress to the Faires, I am invited to speak on behalf of my kind. Troll King’s wisdom combined with his ability to see into the future by learning from the past, reassures all the inhabitants of Fairyland when things become out of kilter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Representatives from all factions of Fairy Kingdom join together in Troll King’s vast chambers deep within the earth where all knowledge is firmly rooted and wisdom grows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Together as a team these representatives confer until a resolution forms and harmony is restored. The sincere selfless efforts of each and everyone in Fairyland working together is necessary for harmony to be maintained and balance restored.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of the Fairy Folk and Wildlings, the tall and the small, the winged, the webbed, the scaled, the furred and the blue know exactly how to do just that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And once again, all is as it should be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The incredible strength of  dreams and hope coexist in this magnificent world filled with possibilities.

 

 

 

 

“Magic really does happen, all one has to do is look.”

 

 

 

Childhood unlike Fairyland (which is a permanent and very real place) is a temporary Kingdom unto itself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Kingdom of Childhood is a limited time of Magical Thinking and Infinite Possibilities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Fairyland there exists no measure such as time; everything is simply happening, all of the time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Imagination, hopefulness and pure believing are the very essence of what Fairies and Dreams are made of.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glory persists in the garden where children play and Fairies reside.

 

 

 

Pardon me, but which way to Fairyland?

 

The way to Fairyland is not always a smooth and effortless ride.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like most journeys worth undertaking what matters most is that your heart is in the right place.

Fairy Folk do not allow entrance to just anyone and their entrances though many are secret and hidden.

Sincerity of heart along with the soul of a dream and a compassionate open heart just might, maybe get you to an entrance .

 

 

 

As I wander through my garden each morning, there is always some new mystery to discover.

Blossoms awakening confident in full bloom; older ones fading, just as lovely in their departure as young ones are in unfolding.

 

 

 

 

 

Early one morning as I walked about my garden, lovely Doe and her daughter Fawn wandered the periphery of my flower borders intently gazing towards the center of the garden saying, “Now what have we here?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My very best friend, Old Horse was waiting for me as he has been every morning for almost forty years. Old Horse kept a watchful eye on me as I peered into the greenhouse and by the way he was looking, indicated that something new and unusual was about to greet me in the garden that morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I entered the greenhouse not sure what to expect. Fairies had left a sprinkling of fairy dust from the evening before, however this was not unusual and I could see nothing amiss. Everything in the garden seemed as it usually was.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dory – Anna Dove was quietly nested in a Camper-down elm tree beside the greenhouse, typical for this early hour. However her attention did seem unusually focused on something just like Doe and Fawn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old Horse remained insistent there was something in the garden that I was missing, so I wandered over to The Fairy Wardrobe Chamber where children change into fairy dresses I sew, but there too all was as it should be.

 

 

 

 

 

As I closed the wardrobe door a flickering pinkish light caught my eye. This could mean only one thing, that the Home Place Fairies had brought me my yearly gift of fairy dust. As Seamstress to the Fairies I sew fairy dresses for human children to wear as costumes and real fairy finery for Fairy Folk. On the last day of Spring each year fairies deliver a fresh supply of fairy dust made from stardust which they grind precious and fine. This dust I use for enchanting their garments. Although I appreciate and always look forward to receiving this very special gift, it is one I have come to expect.  Old Horse knows this so why his persistence in insisting there was something entirely different about the garden today?

 

 

 

 

 

Slowly, I walked through the orchard, deeper into the garden, seeking, looking, searching… but for what? I did not know. I looked beneath the kiwi arbor; below grape vines and above to the swallow’s house. I searched under Lady’s Mantle and behind roses. Everything was lovely, morning birds had begun to sing, butterflies were awakening and bees were buzzing.  Old Horse lingered in the background, persistent in his nagging that there was some new addition to the garden. I  had looked everywhere and had found nothing new.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eventually it occurred to me that though I had looked high and low and here as well as there, I had not looked into the very center of the garden, where shimmering all pink and silver sat my yearly gift from the fairies. A bottle of Fairy Dust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Behind this bottle of fairy dust was a hand carved wooden sign. A beautiful sign!

The sign’s beauty was enhanced by the glimmering starlight contained within the enchanted jar of fairy dust. What an amazing gift, but from where and whom did it come? Clearly it had been lovingly carved and painted by a skilled artisan. I looked upon the gift in wonder as once again Old Horse began to snort and whinny. Loudly he stomped his right fore leg and tossed his mane suggesting that I look more closely; so I did and before me tucked behind some spearmint was another sign!

 

 

 

 

 

Over time I came to discover who had left the signs honoring the Fairy Folk. His name is Johan and he wanders the wilderness reveling in the natural world. Comfortable with all things wild and wonderful he was able to enter into the garden undetected by me and humbly leave his offering. I have known Johan for many years …as an artist, a woodland wanderer and a friend…but I had not known he crafted fine signs.

 

 

 

 

 

Searching throughout my garden looking intently for something new and different that morning I had neglected the expected gift of fairy dust. In my eager anticipation to find the new I had overlooked this generous yearly offering from the fairies. I had wrongly believed that any addition of significance to the garden was to be searched for when all I had to do was look within.

People are like gardens, there is always more to discover.

The Fairies and I thank you Johan! What a wonderful surprise!