Art Beyond the Museum - Pawpaw Meringue Tarts

Art doesn't have to be in a museum. I found that out much later in life. I grew up going to museums. As a kid, my mom loved art in the very traditional sense. She loved museums, and we would travel far and wide to see art. She shared that love with me. Her favorite artist was Gauguin. I would love to ask her what it as the at drew her to his work. Was it the bold colors, the subject matter, or perhaps the intrigue of Gauguin himself? I will never know. But one thing she disliked was contemporary art. She would skip past all the contemporary art galleries. I remember peering in quickly to see large sculptures and bright abstract paintings, but I only got a glimpse.

G introduced me to contemporary art, his art, and public art. Public art installations have been a wonderful way to introduce art to Poet and Flower. They love to run around and play, and large outdoor art installations are perfect for them. The art is often big, bold, and interactive. I had no idea.
We had a chance to check out Exhibit Columbus this month. Exhibit Columbus is a biennial outdoor art exhibit in Columbus, Indiana. Columbus is a vibrant midwestern town with mid-century architecture that is part of the town's social fabric.

Poet and Flower love Exhibit Columbus. They get to see art as part of the norm and our everyday. They love to climb the sculptures or run around them. This year the theme was New Middles and explores the role and future of middle America. These large installations are scattered across Columbus and made for a lovely outing. One of the kid's favorites was Archival/Revival, a series of three-dimensional sculptures in the Columbus library's beautiful sprawling brick plaza. These colorful installations had platforms and stairs the kids could climb and run around and peer through. Images from Columbus's history were playfully deconstructed and presented on a large scale. They are in perfect juxtaposition to the mid-century buildings surrounding them.

As in art, we can also explore new middles in food. Midwestern food culture can be exciting, and I have found it is much more than I had thought. It is vibrant, steeped in roots, and delicious. I recently tried pawpaws, a distinctive fruit native to North America and grows well in the Midwest. Pawpaws are an interesting fruit that look like a small mango. On the inside is filled with soft textured fruit and several black seeds. It tastes like a cross between a banana and a mango, which doesn't make much sense but is delicious. They are available here in Indiana in the fall for a short time. They have a short shelf life and don't travel well.

Pawpaw meringue tarts are a lovely fall dessert. The creamy, fruity filling was a perfect pair with a light meringue. And the buttery, flaky buttery crust, my go-to from Stella Parks, balanced the whole dessert. The creamy filling is made with a hint of brandy and cardamom, giving it some spice.

I'm looking forward to another Exhibit Columbus in two years. In the meantime, we'll keep an eye out for art. Not just in a museum, we'll look for it wonderfully all around us.

Pawpaw Meringue Tarts

These elegant little tarts have a creamy fruit filling. Pawpaws are like a cross between a banana and a mango, creamy and delicious. Balanced with a buttery flaky crust and topped with meringue, they are a perfect fall dessert.

Flaky Buttery Pastry from Stella Parks. This is my go to pastry crust. its quick and easy and ooh so buttery.

Makes 4 tarts

• 4-6 pawpaws (peeled and mashed)
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon clove
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon brandy
• 1/2 tablespoon tapioca flour (or 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch)
• 1/4 recipe Flaky Buttery Pastry
• 4 eggs (separated)
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3 tablespoons sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the pawpaw pulp, cardamom, clove, sugar, vanilla, brandy and tapioca. Stir well.
3. Roll out the pastry dough and then line the tart pans with the dough. Line the pastry with aluminum foil then fill with pie weights, sugar, or rice and blind bake for 20 minutes. Let cool completely.
4. Next, make the meringue. In a medium bowl, with a electric mixer or whisk beat the egg whites until well incorporated. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until you get soft peaks. Then add in the sugar one tablespoon at a time and continue to beat until you get stiff peaks.
5. To assemble the tarts, fill the tarts with pawpaw filling. Top with meringue. you'll use about 6-8 tablespoons for each tart.
6. Bake for 10 minutes until the meringue is browned in places and set.

Buttery Flaky Pastry

I love this pastry dough from Stella Parks. It's endlessly versatile and you can use it for pies, tarts or galettes.

Makes 2 pie crusts

• 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter (8 oz or 2 sticks cold)
• 1/2 cup very cold water

1. In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar and salt and whisk to combine.
2. Make sure you are using fridge cold butter. Cut the butter into small squares, about 1/2 inch pieces. Add them to the flour and toss so they are coated with flour. Then using your fingers, flatten them into small squares. You want the butter pieces to stay intact as they are what give your final crust the flaky crust. If  they get too soft or smushy, put your bowl in the fridge for five minutes.
3. Add the cold water and mix until it just comes together. No need to add any more water. If it seems stiff or dry, the butter is just a little too cold. And if it seems to wet, the butter has melted too much.
4. Flour a board generously and then knead the dough for a few minutes until it comes together. It should not be wet or sticky.
5. Roll it out until it is about 11 x15 inches. Then fold it in like a menu so it meets in the middle. Then fold it one more time like a book. Then take the dough and fold in half, from top to bottom.
6. Divide the dough into two parts and then roll out into approximately a 8x 9 inch rectangle. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.