Last week was a pretty good week. Monday, the July 4th holiday, was filled with fun and family and key lime pie. I was very productive at work, and a new opportunity for career development presented itself. The challenge is somewhat scary, but I like a good challenge, so I may just take it on. I had an article published in the Jacksonville newspaper on Thursday. And on Friday, I was able to share the news that I’ll be speaking at the International Food Blogger Conference (IFBC) in New Orleans in August. I went to that conference last year, and I came away from it inspired and even more in love with the food blogging community.

Also last week, a simple, brown box from Eat Boutique arrived, filled with products handmade on a small scale by artisans who clearly love what they do. Opening that box and digging through the treasures inside was icing on the cake of a lovely week.

I first encountered Maggie, the founder of Eat Boutique, on Twitter, what seems like ages ago. We made a connection that somehow seemed to transcend the limits of 140 characters. I’m not sure how it happens – or why – but sometimes it just does. I’ve made some great friends in this unusual way, and I constantly feel grateful to Twitter for that.

Maggie started curating these seasonal gift boxes of handmade food, like this Holiday gift box or this one for Valentine’s Day, back in December of 2009. As each new gift box was announced, I felt a twinge of envy when I thought about those lucky people who were going to be on the receiving end of one of Eat Boutique’s gift boxes.

I remedied the envy problem this month. I bought myself a present – the summer gift box.

The gift box came very quickly, and the items were nestled inside with obvious care. Strips of crinkly brown paper protected the glass jars and the delicate marshmallows inside this summer version of the gift box. As a bonus, our kitten (also named Maggie) fell in love with the paper and I’m still finding shreds of it under my living room furniture. Yay.

I haven’t sampled everything in the box yet. The one product I opened and devoured within minutes, though, is the Square One brownie – soft and fudgy on the inside, crisp chocolate layer on the outside. Oh, my.

Maggie tells me that the marshmallows are really good roasted over a fire, but I’m not sure I can wait until a fire happens to eat them. The hibiscus syrup will likely end up mixed into an adult beverage, or maybe into some lemonade or tea for the kids, if I’m feeling generous. I’m still developing plans for the other goodies.

Maggie has a real talent for putting together these boxes. After buying this one, I sort of regret not buying any of the previous ones. I’m considering a subscription, but I haven’t made the commitment yet.

In the meantime, Maggie has been incredibly generous and has offered to give away one summer Eat Boutique gift box to one of my readers. If you’re interested in winning one of these boxes filled with amazing treats, leave me one comment at the bottom of this post – just one, please – and let me know which of the items in the box you’re most looking forward to trying. Or, tell me about one of your favorite handmade foods that you can find in your local area. Or, just introduce yourself and say hello.

I’m not going to make you jump through hoops to get a taste of Maggie’s genius. Obviously, if you followed me on Twitter and joined the conversation on my Facebook page, I’d be grateful. You can find Maggie and Eat Boutique on Twitter, too. None of these are necessary to win the gift box, though. Just one comment, and you’re entered for the giveaway. Period. I’ll close entries at midnight EST on Friday, July 15th, and I’ll draw the lucky name randomly on Saturday.

Good luck!

UPDATE: Forgot to add that this is only open to people who live in the continental US only. Also, if you don’t have patience and just want to order a gift box of your own, use the code BEMERRY for free shipping.

(all photos above courtesy of Maggie and Eat Boutique)

Giveaway Now Closed!

And the winner is….

And, the lucky person who’ll be receiving Eat Boutique’s Summer Gift Box is:

I’ve been thinking about making a tomato tart for some time now, but the fact that I live with a husband and two kids who belong to the Anti-Tomato League has kept me from following through. If I cook with tomatoes, the tomato pieces must be mushed down to unrecognizable red bits or else the children get suspicious that they might still be raw. My husband is just as bad. And I’m certain the kids are tomato-averse only because they are influenced by their beloved father – the man who feeds them jelly beans and lollipops at the drop of a hat.

I have one little cherry tomato plant in my garden. It’s a rather sad tomato plant, really. It stands alone, leaning to one side, surrounded by thriving basil and sage and mint. My harvest is pitiful, but each little sweet cherry tomato I pluck off the vine and pop in my mouth gives me at least thirty seconds of joy. My children look at me in disgust when they see me eating tomatoes right out of the garden. I feel so sad for them, these poor children who don’t appreciate the sweet juiciness of a fresh tomato, and I tell them that. They ignore me.

Over the weekend, as we were planning the July 4th meal with our parents, I knew the tomato-eaters would outnumber the three in my family who don’t eat tomatoes. I seized the opportunity to showcase the tomato in a summer tart. Capitalizing on the other fresh vegetables available to us in the markets right now, I added in fresh summer corn and Vidalia onions, those large sweet onions that come from southern Georgia. I held a small sliver of hope that the corn and onions that served as the base of this tart would draw my husband in for a taste.

No such luck. Completely his loss.

As a side note, I wrote about the beloved tomato in this article, published today in the Florida Times Union. My husband swears that he’ll read it, even if he doesn’t agree with the premise.

One of the beautiful things about the town we live in is its proximity to some of the best places in Florida. We’re nestled in between some of Florida’s better known cities – about two driving hours away, give or take, from Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tampa – and many of the state’s lesser known gems, including numerous natural fresh-water springs and state parks. When we crave the sea and sand, a short hour and a half drive east or west brings us to a coastline. To the west, Cedar Key, a quaint fishing village, sits on the Gulf of Mexico and has been a favorite lunch spot and day trip for us since I was a kid. In the other direction, on the east side of the state, is the Atlantic Ocean. I grew up going to the wide sandy beaches on the Atlantic, just south of Jacksonville. We used to stop at fruit stands along the way for fresh peaches, oranges, and nectarines to pack with us in our beach bags for snacks later in the day. And, if I went with my parents, we tended to stop for a bucket of fried chicken to eat at lunchtime, with hands still covered in sand and salt from the ocean.

We headed eastward this past weekend, over to a resort on Palm Coast, a beach community that sits between Daytona Beach and St. Augustine Beach. We were only gone a couple of nights, but those 48 hours were filled with pure fun balanced with the right amount of rest. We soaked up the sun, wiggled our toes in the sand, splashed in the pool, and ate cold ice cream in the afternoons. It was pretty much perfect.

One of the pies I associate with Florida and the beach is key lime pie. It was created initially in the Florida Keys, after all. And, apparently it’s the Official State Pie of Florida – which I did not learn until about 3 hours ago.

My husband is partial to key lime pies. Our kids are learning many of their eating patterns – both good (the love of broccoli) and bad (the complete hate and avoidance of anything resembling a tomato) – from him, including a real passion for this sweet tart pie. Madeline requested a key lime pie for our July 4th cookout, so I obliged.

This key lime pie recipe is not dissimilar to many you’ll find on the internet. I’ve added cream cheese to my version, something that is not traditional but adds a creamy note to the filling. I’ve tried it with reduced-fat cream cheese, which is really sort of a silly thing to do if you think about it. Don’t do it. The texture is not as good and the lumps in the batter tend to stick around. So, take my advice and go full-fat on this one. I like the traditional graham cracker crust, but I add shredded coconut to mine for some extra depth of flavor. Topped with a dollop of sweetened vanilla whipped cream, this pie has become a real favorite in my house.