Monsieur Hermé Raids the Garden Again...

My Dearest Friends,
You know you can trust me to bring you some of the most interesting, thinking-outside-of-the-box sorts of desserts. So, once again, I bring you something that may not be for everyone, but you're not here for a devil's food cupcake, are you?

You may remember my post from almost two years ago when Pierre Hermé paired lemon, strawberry and tomato into something surreally divine. (And if not, please feel free to click here!). Once again, he is pursuing what may seem to be unusual combinations in some of his recent macaron flavors, but really the stretch is not so far:

-Métissé: Carotte, Orange et Canelle (Carrot, Orange and Cinnamon) - This seems a very natural pairing to me. I used to drink a combination of carrot and orange or carrot and tangerine juice quite often and I can easily imagine cinnamon pairing with it ina very natural way. So many vegetables are normally seen as being savory, but many, like carrots, possess so much natural sweetness that they pair very easily with fruit.

-Dépaysé: Thé Vert Matcha, Haricot Rouge Azuki, Citron Vert & Gingembre (Matcha Green Tea, Red Adzuki Beans, Lime and Ginger) - This seems another natural matching, only with an Asian twist. The deeply intense matcha with the bright/deep lime and the bite of the ginger would be fantastic together. And utilizing red adzuki beans is brilliant because they are ground into a paste and made into desserts in China and Japan, as well as other dishes in Somalia and India.

-Asperge Verte et Huile de Noisette (Green Asperagus and Hazelnut oil) - This would be the challenging flavor combination, but I can see how the common earthy notes in the asperagus and the hazelnut could combine to make something very unique! And, once again, there is a note of sweetness in the freshest of spring asperagus.

But of course, if you are one of those picky kids who just refuses to have their vegetables, I won't make you sit at the table and pout! Please go pick something else for yourself from the dear little brochures that are given at his stores!