Taru Gardens at Sundy House | Delray Beach, Florida

I am a natural plant murderer; the complete opposite of a green thumb. Greenery cowers at the very mention of my name.

I joke about this, but it is often the source of much dismay for me since I dream about how fabulous it would be to grow my own fruits, veggies and herbs {a la Ina} to use in my cooking. 

Instead of brimming with jealousy at the obvious success of Sundy House's flourishing Taru Gardens, I secretly hoped that some of its magic would rub off on me as I wandered its shaded pathways with Executive Chef Lindsay Autry and Pastry Chef Sara Sipe for an afternoon of botanical learning.

Located in the heart of Delray Beach, Sundy House itself is a local landmark that brings great pride to the area with its rich history and deeply rooted {no pun intended} ecological awareness.

Like the earth has accepted the restored 1902 Queen Anne Victorian home as its own, Sundy House blends into the surrounding foliage, beckoning for further exploration from passersby. Its full acre of tropical gardens features over 5,000 types of plants and 500 varieties of vegetation from around the globe.

Over 100 of those plants yield things that can be cooked with or eaten, an opportunity that is not passed up by its chefs.

From sweet tropical fruits and fragrant herbs to strange, almost prehistoric-looking edibles, nothing is off limits in the kitchen and on the menu at the renowned Sundy House Restaurant. 

Oh, you know. Just nibbling on some plants.

Chef Lindsay Autry {former Top Chef contestant and finalist} enjoys the challenge of letting the seasons and available yield guide her menu selections -- a "farm to table" method that allows ingredients to be used at their peak of quality. As we roamed through the trails and paths of the garden, she pointed out unique varieties of fruits, vegetables and herbs.

The garden is ever-changing depending on that season's weather and each plant's reaction to the environment, making it a constant surprise what one will find growing amidst the brush from year to year. Working with a "living" produce department has its moments -- dealing with an excess of one type of fruit {which reminded me of this}, wondering if something will bloom that year, and even figuring out what in the world some of the new items in the garden are!

One of my favorite parts of touring the garden with the chefs was seeing their passion and excitement for all things green. {And red... and orange... and...} From incorporating nature's little gifts into foods, desserts, drinks and plating to teaching visitors about these unique edibles, it's obvious they love what they do and appreciate the access to so many amazing things in their very own backyard.

As for me, I enjoyed every part of my visit. In fact, I could barely bring myself to leave! When the tour was over, I stuck around for a while sipping this amazing champagne cocktail with homemade star fruit syrup.

Yeah, you try leaving this place.

Then I headed back out to snap some more pictures and soak up the "zen" of Taru Gardens.

The pictures don't do this place justice. If you happen to be in area, make sure to stop in and visit Sundy House. They offer free tours of the garden certain days of the week. Better yet, make a reservation to eat there! {I'm so sad I didn't get to do so during FLAVOR Palm Beach, but I'm definitely planning on trying to come back soon!}

Chefs Lindsay & Sara gifted me with a bag of garden goodies...

Obsessed with her business card. Check out my Instagram for a close-up of the coolest part!

So, of course, I had to use some of them to make a little something to share with you!

These Star Fruit Tartlets are so dainty and sweet. I stumbled upon the recipe in an old press release from Sundy House that contained several of their recipes for carambola {star fruit's other name} treats since the garden produces lots of star fruit in late summer. Maybe that's why they were part of my goody bag! 😉

I made my own tartlet shells using this recipe {I halved it and made minis by baking them in cupcake tins}, but if you don't feel like going to all the trouble, you can probably find pre-made mini shelves at the grocery store.

They're a perfect way to use up this unusual {but beautiful} fruit, although it's also very tasty on its own!

Many thanks to my friends at Sundy House {and to my favorite It! Girl who set up the meeting!} for a wonderful afternoon. Can't wait to visit again!

Star Fruit Tartlets
Adapted from Here

6 homemade or store bought mini tart shells
4oz. cream cheese
1'4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons flour
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6  slices of star fruit, seeds removed

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar and flour until smooth.

2. Add beaten egg {I actually didn't even use all of the beaten egg, probably about half}, cream and vanilla extract and cream. Mix until well combined. I find a hand mixer to do the trick.

3. Scoop about a tablespoon of filling into each mini tart shell. {Don't overfill, mine puffed up and didn't look as pretty because I got a little too generous with the filling.} Press a slice of starfruit into the filling of each tartlet. Push down gently until it sinks in a bit.

4.  Bake at 425 degrees for about 5-6 minutes, this temperature for 6 minutes, then lower heat to 250° and bake for 7-8 more minutes.

5. Remove from oven and let cool. Refrigerate until chilled. They aren't as pretty as when they're fresh out of the oven, but I think they taste better cold.

Bonus pic... I think they're secretly Gator fans! 😉