L'orange d'abricot

Tarte Abricots Frais par Gerard Mulot

It's the season (July and August). Gorgeous orangey-red apricots everywhere in the marche. It's my favorite fruit from childhood. These really taste good too. Ripe and ready to eat au moment and you better eat them fast! Mostly from Provence and the Rhone valée.

Coming from the pool yesterday I spotted a tarte d'abricot. It called out, "Hey what about us!?

It's not all cherries and strawberries ya know. Humph!"

When they packed my pastries at Frederic Cassel, the server popped in an apricot-colored hatbox full of Macarons planting a seed in my mind - I've been eating apricots nonstop since...

Even though it was 4pm and no one with any sense should be out in this blasted heat, I went looking for Rollet-Pradier to get me some apricot desserts to paint. Natch, I had to go to apricot-colored Metro station Duroc to change trains.

Onboard I was staring inappropriately at this gent's deep apricot-colored man purse. He clamped his hand on it protectively. I wonder if it was by Hermes? I guess I look like your average Metro thief, especially wearing my macaron T-shirt as a disguise...

Natch Rollet-Pradier was CLOSED even though the website said they were open on a Monday. Hmmm... OK so everyone is closed on Mondays. Lord only knows what I'll do in August :(

I passed this apricot sign and want to share with you PBers - this Anthelios XL (get the lotion) is a terrific sun screen if you're into protecting your skin.

Enfin, one can always depend on Gerard Mulot, to be open on Mondays (Pierre Herme also but not sure about the apricot supply there...must check).

Mulot is at 76, rue de Seine, 75006 close to Odeon where you can stop in many air-conditioned movie houses. I did yesterday.

Here's a perfect example of a mini version of the summer tarte base piled high with your 5-fruits-a-day portion. Just don't take this anywhere offsite or your 5 fruits will separate like crazy - happened to me so I know from experience.

I settled on the fresh apricot tart to eat at the counter they have in the back.

Voila and major yum though I left the crust but that's nothing new being a non-crust eater. I need an assistant who loves crust! I got an excellent apricot macaron for company...

Here's your weekly DIY watercolor demo PBers. I am surrounded by apricots here! Warm shadows are dropped in first...burnt Sienna etc...

Then a touch of cool French blue on top while still wet.

My setup. I'm loving my new mini paintbox on the left. You can run your brush across the top and get a nice mix of yellow + red + Sienna on your brush at one go. Note the basket of apricots on the right. I'll probably turn a pleasant shade of orange sans soleil. Well I hope so. Who needs sunbeds?

I guess you could say I've got my orange-colored glasses on...