This is it.
The final post of my epic holiday baking season. I made almost everything I wanted to. Almost.
There always seems to be one or two things I don’t get to. This year it was Kentucky bourbon fruit cake. I made stollen instead.
But I did get in quite a few cookies. Like these. I never know quite what to call them. Growing up they were Mexican Wedding Cakes. Then I learned they are also called Russian Tea Cakes. Also, Snowballs.
We have lemons this year!
It’s been a while. The dwarf Meyer lemon tree I bought at the farmers market in the Bay almost 5 years ago has been through a lot. Pots on a balcony then in a backyard, mild Bay temps, hot Central Valley temps…
But it’s been in the ground for at least a year now, and it seems happy. If you can define happy by about 40 lemons.
It’s been a while since I’ve had an epic holiday baking season. I’ve been thinking back on the timeline.
2012 – We were driving across the country to move to California.
2013 – Small apartment kitchen.
2014 – Larger kitchen, but still a rental.
2015 – Same. And settling in after another move.
2016 – Big kitchen, new house, but I was photographing a cookbook for someone else while working on my own.
But now it’s 2017. I have a brand new kitchen. Not to mention an oven that has been OFF for months due to the summer heat.
I’m ready. It’s about to get real.
When you have a party there is always one thing that no one ends up eating or drinking. At least there always is for me. It’s usually that thing I bought just to make sure all the bases and guests preferences were covered.
During our 4th of July party a few weeks ago it was the lemonade I bought to make sure those who weren’t drinking alcohol had some options. It was just a jug of organic Trader Joe’s lemonade, but once the party ended it went back in the fridge unopened and has been in there ever since.
I expected I’d use it in cocktails or something later this summer. Then we walked past a coffee shop during our trip to the Seattle area this past weekend, and the whiteboard out front caught my attention.
Lemonade lavender smoothie.
I have really been missing the big lemon tree that was in the backyard of our rental house in the Bay Area. I took for granted how easy it was to walk out and grab a few almost any time of year.
Our potted Meyer lemon tree made the move and it’s still hanging on, but it didn’t produce any lemons this year.
I was running the other day and I noticed that towards the end of the public running path, a large lemon tree hangs over a backyard fence. I’d been eyeing it for weeks and a few days ago I finally got the courage to grab a few.
I’ve spent a fair amount of time staring at fresh fava beans at the farmers market. They always get my attention, but I’m never quite sure what to do with them.
Then, when we attended the shims and shrubs workshop that I mentioned last week, it all clicked for me. One of the bites served there was grilled baby fava beans. A little lightbulb went off in my head — oooh, you can grill them!
This salad dressing combines tangy lemon and creamy walnuts for a flavor that will bring out the best in mixed greens, pasta or grains!
Salad season will soon be here. That probably sounds a little strange coming from someone who now lives in a place that most people would consider spring and summer year round.
I always thought that my salad cravings were controlled by the seasons, but I’ve learned that this is not the case. Apparently they are controlled by the months on the calendar. Despite sunshine and vegetables being plentiful all the time, I still really only want salads April through August.
Since moving to California with amazing access to citrus, I love cooking with lemon. These are a few of my favorite lemon recipes.
Our backyard is currently filled with the intoxicating aroma of citrus blossoms. It’s the part of the citrus growing process that is second only to the lemons and oranges that come several weeks later. That scent has the power to take you from a bad to a good mood in one swift sniff.
While I wait patiently for new fruit, occasionally sticking my head out the door to breath it in, the lemon tree has been kind enough to produce some stragglers throughout the entire summer. I pulled a few off the tree to photograph last week and it got me in the mood for some of my favorite lemon recipes. These five recipes are from the Fake Food Free archives and worthy of being made again year after year. (Click on the name and it will take you to the recipe.)
Blue Potato Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Lemon Tuna and Chickpea Salad
Lemon Rosemary Thumbprints with Peach Jam
Blood Orange Bulgar Wheat Salad with Honey, Meyer Lemon and Cilantro Dressing
Kale and Pistachio Soup
