Fruit Salad, Anyone?

One thing we do very well when we are at the cottage is eat. I think I have savoured some of my best meals lakeside, including my wonderful 50th birthday dinner a few years ago. Is it the result of culling what everyone brings with them that turns into such wonderful menus? I think so. And this time was no exception. Betty made fabulous chicken on the BBQ in her cast iron fry pan - perfect seasonings and a white wine reduction. Yum.

I made Summer Fruit Crostata from a recipe by my patron saint, Ina Garten (aka The Barefoot Contessa). I LUV this dessert and make it several times once peaches and plums come into season. Not only is it great for dessert it is wonderful for breakfast with plain yogourt.





Unlike most of the recipes that I like this one doesn't have that much sugar so the fruit really shines through. And the rustic, free form crust makes it easy to whip.







But I digress. I'm really supposed to be sharing quilt tales with you, aren't I? In keeping with the fruit theme it seems the perfect time to share Betty's amazing Fruit Salad quilt that she started working on last fall.









The inspiration came from Kaffe Fassett's pattern in Quilts en Provence. Anne gave me this book last fall and I have to say that with the exception of Fruit Salad (which is on my TO DO list) and maybe two or three other patterns, I wasn't that impressed with it. I have several of his books but this one just seemed like it was a rush job to meet a printing commitment.

Anyway, the pattern is based on equilateral triangles but Betty has elongated hers and gone with a deep, rich blue/organic palette that is just amazing. It is a feast for the eyes. Her triangles are about 3" at the base and about 5" long.

The individual strips are gorgeous enough in and of themselves but when they were all laid out together it was a true feast for the eyes.

Now she is going to add golds & browns to the ends of the rows to create a bit of a border and then we'll see where it goes from there.

I left the cottage on Sunday but rumour has it that Jane was so inspired that she started cutting fabrics for the same quilt in a very similar palette. Great minds think alike. At the speed she moves she's probably got it half finished by now!...M