I don't do a lot of dessert recipes at SippitySup. Especially elaborate, super-sweet desserts. This is partly because I don't really have much of a sweet tooth. But a bigger part is because there are so many bloggers out there doing such a great job with every genre of sweet confection. Just cruise through TasteSpotting, FoodGawker, SavorySights etc. I bet 50% of the photos are desserts. Gorgeous desserts! Stunning examples of amazingly sweet intricacies. I can't touch the talent of those people. So I leave that particular accomplishment to them.

However, just because I don't like super sweet stuff, nor am I an accomplished pastry chef; there is no reason to assume I don't like to either eat or make a lovely dessert every now and again.

Today is an example. I am going to bring you a "Sweet Cornmeal Cake with Blackberries and Cream" (Torta di Farina Gialla). Calling this "sweet" is a bit of a misnomer. Because it's only a bit sweeter than good southern-style cornbread. Which is just perfect to me. The blackberries I am serving with it are especially sweet this time of year. A sugary cake would just cloak their perfection.

Bye-Bye Basil, Bye-Bye.

It's been fun. But my week long tribute to the biggest, badest herb of the summer garden is over. It stretched into 8 recipes and lasted 10 days. Which is quite a long "week"! But basil is just that versatile.

We are going to end the basil posts with a bang too!

That's because I have the big, bold belt of basil in a dessert. A Peach Tart with Basil and Mascarpone. I think the name alone indicates what a sophisticated summer sensation this is. But let me push you over the edge into dessert nirvana with this little factoid. This simple tart has a crunchy, sweet cornmeal shortbread crust.

This is a very versatile crust (not unlike the star of the show basil). I pulled it out of Martha Stewart Living magazine a few years ago. I adapted it slightly (more butter!) and it has made many repeat performances in my kitchen.

They are not around very long so if you want to have squash blossoms. Have them now.

But I can’t be expected to end my week of basil recipes just because a finicky bunch of squash blossoms won’t wait around for me to finish up with basil. And squash blossoms will not wait.

Which means I am going to have to combine them this week with the basil I am committed to. So my usual trip to the Hollywood Farmers Market for this week's Market Matters will have to be a squash blossom recipe that highlights the big bold flavor of basil.

Which is no easy feat. I have had squash blossoms many ways. A light touch is usually best.

I have had them deep-fried in a beer batter with chili powder. Which was delicious of course, but It could have been fried anything and still tasted just as good. The batter was a bit too aggressive for something so etheral. I say you should save that batter for onions or at least something with more heft on the palate.

I think we have come full circle.

This whole rhubarb obsession started with a rhubarb (she says stewed I say compôte) recipe from The Daily Spud. But to end all this squabbling I think we’ll just call it a sauce. Everybody loves a sauce.

Although, on second thought, since this is my sauce (and my blog), I am going to go ahead and call it a compôte. And if that is not fancy enough I think I’ll take this a step further and call this an Orange Scented Rhubarb Compôte. It tastes better already!

Although in Spud's hands it would be a mighty delicious Stewed Oranges and Rhubarb… you say toe-MAY-toe, I say toe-MAH-toe.

Speaking of which I spent the day at the L.A. Garden Show handing out toe-MAH-toe recipes for TomatoMania. We had a blast! But more on that Monday.

But briefly while we are on tomatoes. Tangled Noodle may have figured out where I was going with this whole TomatoMania/Rhubarb Madness. She correctly pointed out that “rhubarb is a vegetable used like a fruit while a tomato is a fruit that is regarded as a vegetable”.