Searching for Gourmet Items

Wow it has been a VRY BZY summer! For not having

any real plans in June, I find myself faced with the waning days of summer and the impending B'nai Mitvot of my younger 2 children, Sydney and Jarrett. I have have cooked some really interesting food, assisted with a friend's retirement party and catered a Bat Mitzvah Oneg (dessert). The photos from the desserts are on Facebook. We made delicious Carrot Cupcakes with Candied Carrot Sprinkles and Chocolate Cupcakes with Bittersweet chocolate/rum ganache. Totally decadent!

I was recently gifted with an enormous box of fresh-picked Virginia Peaches. They are FABULOUS but ripened all too quickly and all at once! This led me on a search for how to best preserve them without canning or a recipe to use them in, that I can freeze for later in the fall.I began my search with Cupcakeproject.com. I am a devoted follower of this lady. I highly recommend her blog, as her hubby is a photographer and the pictures are worth drooling over. She's very creative and I have borrowed quite a few great ideas from her.

Which leads me to today's post. About a week ago, Cupcakeproject was waxing poetic about a spread that she had tasted and used on some peach cupcakes (more to follow in another post!) She was gushing that the spread tasted like Biscoff Cookies in a spreadable form that one would be delirious over eating. For those of you who fly, you know that those Biscoff cookies are a treat; delicious bites of buttery cinnamony goodness! Some of you may even know them by their more common European name of "Spekuloos". Having just eaten those delicious little cookies on my way to and from Vegas, I was intrigued to say the least! Afterall, my sister had introduced me to the joys of Sunbutter, a peanutbutter-like spread that is made from sunflower seeds and can be used as a PB replacement, especially around people with nut allergies. And we had been eating Nutella for years, but a buttery, cinnamon spread with no nuts at all...it sounded to good to be true!

Cupcakeproject explained that she had received her jar of Tamarin Spread from the distributor as a sample to try (a good reason to get my blog up to snuff and get in on those samples!) Cupcake project also explained that this spread is new to the states so if it is not found locally, it could be ordered via Amazon.com (another new thing I learned!) Since my curiosity got the better of me, I went to the Tamarin.com website to read more. Quite interested and still drooling, I clicked on "store locator" and entered my zip code. Amazingly enough, I found 2 locations within 30 miles of my home, where I might actually be able to purchase this product! I was becoming cautiously optimistic and trying to contain my enthusiasm each time I walked past the box of peaches. Wanting to share my joy, I mentioned all of this to my husband who just happened to be going in the direction of one of the 2 stores! Oh fate! Oh destiny! Oh Darn! I had to wait until MONDAY!!!

After a leisurely start to our week, my husband invited me to ride with him to his call and then to go to the market where the Tamarin spread waited for my arrival. I called ahead to the store and was assured they had approximately 10 jars and that they would be there upon my arrival. We took off in a southwesterly direction traveling first to Victoria, VA and then onto Perk's Corner Market in Crewe, VA.

As we traveled farther into farmlands and then onto a two-lane road lined by endless rows of corn on both sides, I was hopeful that we would find a sweet little town with a few antique shops or maybe a great old house to photograph. Arriving in Victoria, we found a downtown that had been abandoned long ago, a Dollar General, a Food Lion supermarket and the Lunenburg County Free Clinic! Oh! and the State prison was just down the road apiece!

After hubby finished up at the clinic, we headed in the direction of Crewe, VA. "Perk's Corner Market" sounded awfully quaint and we did see quite a few more restored homes as we approached. We also saw an enormous train yard and a couple of florists. What an interesting combination! We turned onto the main street again, only to see a lot of abandoned buildings as well as cars but not too many folks out and about. As hubby stated that he would turn around, I spied it out of the corner of my eye! Perk's Corner Market! Located in a building that was once part of a gas station! The old pumps stood out front broken and forgotten. We were incredulous!

Hubby thought for sure I had gotten the information wrong and insisted on driving around the block. No such luck, this was the place. I exited from the car and went inside. A friendly, busty, young lady with some of her teeth yelled "hey y'all" as I entered and asked "whatcha need?" When I explained what I was looking for she pointed me in the direction of the Peanutbutter. Sure enough, located next to the Peanutbutter, the fishing lures, ammo, bait and Vienna Sausages, was my coveted prize! They really did have 10 jars, too. The young lady told me that she didn't think any of them knew what it was, they "never sold none" and had no idea how they came to have it! I purchased 4 jars and was gifted with a fifth. I emerged from the store, victorious, and watched my hubby doubled over with laughter in the car.

Riding home through hill and dale, passing Confederate Flag draped trucks and chicken farms, we cracked the first jar open and dipped in some pretzels. Heaven....yep, heaven in a jar. Next week when hubby goes back to the clinic, we will help the folks at Perk's Corner Market move a little more inventory. I'm buying the last 5 jars. Keep checking to see what we make with it (if I can keep the kids from eating too much of it!)