Sunday 21 August 2011

The tale of the raspberry tart and the 10 second rule ......

Don’t get too excited, this post is about exactly what the heading says!


So to cut a long story short, I had arranged to pick Tim up from St Pierre des Corps at 8.41 pm on Thursday evening, off the TGV from Charles de Gaulle airport. Knowing this I planned a trip to IKEA and the large Carrefour shopping complex. Just as I was leaving home around 4pm, I received a text message " great news, I'll be there at 6.20". Scuppered again! I think Tim must have some sort of sixth sense as to when I am set loose with the cheque book .....

So...... back to the tart. The journey to Tours was slow, meaning IKEA wasn't an option, so I dashed into Carrefour to look for a dessert, quickly spotting a fantastic raspberry tart. The checkouts were busy and slow moving, and it was just my luck to pick one which completely stopped working just as I got to it. I'm used to this kind of hurdle, so I dashed to queue at the self checkout which refused to scan my bag and tart. Help arrived, but left again before the tart scanned!

By this time I was in a huff, so mid scan I picked up my tart and marched away to a diferent queue. This moved slowly, but eventually took my €8.50.
All went swimmingly, train on time, clear drive home and raspberry tart stowed on the top shelf of our downstairs fridge, until the next morning ....

The tart had somehow upended (could I have put it in upside down?) and raspberry juice had dripped everywhere in the fridge. When I opened the door a lettuce fell out, dripping raspberry juice on to the floor. Not only did I have a fridge and floor to clean, but also just about everything in the fridge was covered in raspberry juice!! I wish the camera had been at hand, but to get it would have meant walking through the raspberry juice. Not an option ...

As we had guests coming for dinner, I decided to take the tart out and wash the container, which is when the tart fell ..... 

€8.50 down the drain (or on the floor). We had a pear and apple crumble for dessert!

P.S. Should you be (un)lucky enough to eat chez nous over the next couple of weeks, beware of the raspberry tart. Of course, if you are family then the 10 second rule will apply ..............

12 comments:

  1. What a shame! Couldn't you 'salvage' the raspeberries and have them with some ice cream, for instance? And I 'll keep your warning in mind ... :) martine

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  2. So much for your reputation as a domestic goddess Gaynor!

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  3. What a shame! It is a testament to the tarte that it still looks delicious even distinctly crumpled.:-)
    Every house should have a 10 second rule; we do ;-)

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  4. Hello Gaynor:
    What a sad story of the tart and clearly, even seeing said tart now, it must have looked magnificent when purchased.

    Our kitchen tales of woe are legion and we cannot recall how many times foodhas been served onto the dining table via the kitchen floor. Now, we try to be found anywhere but the kitchen!!

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  5. Sorry I had to laugh I can imagine your face on opening the fridge. The tills were trying to tell you something me thinks, put it back on the shelf!! Never the less I am sorry, and what a waste of money, think I would have cried :-( Bet the pear and apple tasted fantastic though. Diane

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  6. Hi Martine,
    I salvaged some of the tart and it is in the freezer!

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  7. Hi Craig,

    If you could see the layer of dust that I just spotted on a radiator shelf in the hall you would fully appreciate that I am not, and never have been a domestic goddess.

    However I am honest!!

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  8. Hi Antoinette and Niall,

    I must admit that I did taste the tart and it was delicious! Just right with a refreshing cup of mandarin green tea!!

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  9. Good evening Jane and Lance,
    I always try to be prepared before guests arrive. I'm not too good at cooking with an audience. Besides it is much harder to hide the mistakes (or the shortcuts)!!

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  10. Diane,
    The only thing to do is laugh!

    By all accounts the crumble was enjoyed, or at least those who commented said they liked it. As to those who didn't comment ......

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  11. Good job we're not coming til October...unless the 10 week rule applies to immediate family!

    :o)

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  12. Rhiannon,
    You know me too well ..
    love
    Mum xx

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