The week before Valerie left Buenos Aires, we invited my friend Mercedes over for a casual farewell dinner for Val and to spend a relaxed Monday evening together.
Mechi (short for Mercedes) replied quickly: “Sure! This time I’ll bring something since you treated me last time. I’ll come after dance class, around 8:30.”
True to her word, the doorbell rang around half past eight and Mechi bounded into our small rental with grocery bags on both arms. After a big hug and the customary kiss on the right cheek, she announced with excitement, “I’m making a sweet corn tart!”
Mechi is the kind of person who radiates energy—her cheerful spirit lights up any room.
She moved with practiced ease, julienning the onions and tossing them into a saucepan with the red bell pepper I had already cubed. “I only use olive oil when I cook—and only good olive oil,” she declared.
When the onions and peppers softened, she flipped them with a confident shake of the pan. Val and I watched from the kitchen’s edge, delighted and slightly awed by her ease.
With the vegetables ready, Mechi opened two cans of sweet corn kernels. In a large bowl she combined the sautéed onions and peppers with the corn, beaten eggs, milk cream, cream cheese, and salt and pepper. We didn’t have many spices in the rental, but she smiled and said, “You don’t need fancy ingredients—simple ones, well seasoned, always work.”
After mixing the filling, we preheated the oven. Mechi prepared two store-bought tart shells and gently stretched them a little wider. I greased a round baking tray with olive oil and fitted the first shell in. I poured in the filling, Mechi placed the second shell on top, and together we pleated the edges to keep the filling contained. We poked holes in the top crust with a fork, pressed lightly so some juices could escape, and sprinkled the surface generously with sugar.
The tart went into the oven, and while it baked for about thirty minutes, we relaxed and chatted.
As the tart’s aroma filled the apartment and we pulled it out—hot, crisp, and golden brown—we ate with the hungry satisfaction that comes after a good day. In that moment I felt grateful.
Friends like Mechi remind me that life is good—how simple pleasures like baking a sweet corn tart with a close friend and my sister can be among the most meaningful moments.
Grateful for those moments and for the comfort of having enough, I remembered a poem by Bob Perks I’d read recently titled “I Wish You Enough.” It struck me as lovely, so I wanted to share it here.
I wish you enough.
I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish enough “Hello’s” to get you through the final “Goodbye.”
SWEET CORN TART (Serves 4–6)
Adapted from Mechi’s recipe
Ingredients:
1) 2 cans sweet corn (or 1 can sweet corn and 1 can creamy corn)
2) 2 onions, thinly sliced
3) 1 large red bell pepper, diced
4) 1 cup milk cream
5) 1 cup cream cheese
6) 4 eggs, beaten
7) Salt, pepper and ground nutmeg to taste
8) 2 pre-made tart shells
9) 3–4 tablespoons sugar
Steps:
1) Peel and thinly slice the onions.
2) Remove seeds from the red bell pepper and dice it.
3) Sauté the pepper and onions until the onions are soft and translucent.
4) In a bowl, mix the sautéed vegetables with the corn, eggs, milk cream, and cream cheese.
5) Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.
6) Preheat the oven to 200°C.
7) Grease a round baking tray with olive oil.
8) Stretch one tart shell to cover the tray completely.
9) Pour in the corn filling and spread it evenly.
10) Cover with the second stretched tart shell.
11) Poke holes in the top crust with a fork and press lightly so juices can escape.
12) Sprinkle the top with sugar.
13) Bake at 200°C for 30–40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
14) Serve warm, optionally with a side salad.
