Tuesday, March 20, 2012

The Warm on My Feet

I ran outside yesterday to chase the deer from the yard and realized as my bare feet stepped onto the wet grass that there was a soft and warm sensation where the cold use to be. I had to stop and enjoy the moment. Feeling the warmth from the bottom of my feet wrapping around to the top was wonderful so I did a little squeal of delight. I knew then that the ground in the gardens was warming and ran to see what was emerging from the winter soil.


asparagus




















snap peas


















Caroline raspberries


















crocus

























rhubarb


















shallots

























So happy for the warmth on my feet.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Cranberry Meyer Lemon Scones



I love scones and I also love anything with cranberries and citrus. Here is a modified scone recipe from  Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour bakery cookbook.  These scones have lots of cranberries in every bite, and the fresh citrus flavor and aroma from the Meyer Lemons adds a nice zippy twist. Top them with the sweet and tangy glaze for the perfect treat with a cup of coffee or tea.


















Scone Mix

2 1/2 C all-purpose flour

1/2 C sugar

1 T baking powder

3/4 t Kosher salt

zest from 2 Meyer Lemons

6 T unsalted butter cut into pea size pieces

1 1/2 C dried cranberries

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

1/2 C cream fraiche

1/2 buttermilk

Glaze

juice from the 2 Meyer Lemons

1/3 C sugar

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.

In a small bowl mix together eggs, cream fraiche and buttermilk.

Place flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon zest and cranberries in mixing bowl and mix on low speed until ingredients are just combined.

Add the butter and mix until incorporated.

Slowly pour the egg, cream fraiche and buttermilk mixture into the flour and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together. There will be dry ingredients on the bottom of the bowl and which can be incorporated by gently turning the dough over by hand and lightly kneading it in the bowl.


















Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper and press the dough out into an eight to nine inch disc. Cut the disc into 8 pieces and move them apart. Place the parchment paper with scones onto a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly golden brown. When done, cool and brush with lemon glaze. Please enjoy!

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Love the Meyer Lemons

I've been longing for a Meyer Lemon tree for a couple of years now, just to have all that lemony  goodness around for cooking would be wonderful. The flavor is a combination of lemon touched lightly with tangerine which adds a bit sweetness. To my surprise, the local Home Depot recently had four Meyer Lemon trees in the garden department for such a reasonable price that I bought two! They were loaded with lemons and flower buds. The added bonus is that when the flowers bloom there is a light floral scent that fills the kitchen where they currently live. I'll move them outside when the danger of frost has past.

Beautifully fragrant flowers


















Lemons!

















The citrus trees like an acidic soil which must be kept moist but not too wet and to help the plants maintain moisture while indoors the leaves should be misted everyday if possible. I'll be pollinating the flowers using a Q-tip to help increase the chances of continued fruit production.  With this cache lemon deliciousness, I'm developing a Meyer Lemon scone recipe that I'm excited about and will share it with you soon!