Rosemary-Honey Marinated Oranges
Kissed with sweet honey and fragrant rosemary, these oranges are incredible served with ice cream for dessert!
Ingredients:
1 (20-ounce) jar with a lid
4-6 small-medium sized Cara Cara oranges
2 tablespoons honey
Sprigs of fresh rosemary, washed and dried
Juice from 1 small Cara Cara orange
Method:
1. Peel the oranges by slicing about ½-inch off of each end. Then, standing them on one of their flat bases, use a paring knife to carefully cut just between the pith and flesh, moving the knife downwards and following the curve of the orange. Remove any excess pith, then cut the oranges horizontally into thin (approximately ¼-inch) round slices. Set aside.
2. Gently remove the leaves from one or two of the rosemary sprigs and set aside.
3. Add a few slices of the oranges into the 20-ounce jar, drizzle with about ½-teaspoon of the honey and a few of the rosemary leaves. Repeat this process until you’ve reached the top of the jar. If you’ve reached the top and still have a few orange slices left, gently press down of those already in the jar. Add a few rosemary sprigs to the jar, along the sides, between the sides of the oranges and the glass. Lastly, pour in the juice, then close the jar tightly and let the oranges marinate for at least 24 hours, and up to 5 days, in the refrigerator.
Lemon-Lime Curd
This classic curd recipe from Gourmet magazine will soon be a new favorite!
Ingredients:
1½ cups sugar
4 whole eggs, beaten lightly
4 additional egg yolks, beaten lightly
⅔ cup fresh lime juice
⅓ cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
3 tablespoons freshly grated Meyer lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly grated lime zest
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Method:
1. In a heavy saucepan whisk together the sugar, the whole eggs, the yolks, the juices and the zests and cook the mixture over moderately low heat, whisking, until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Add the butter, cook the mixture over low heat, whisking, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until it registers 160°F on a candy thermometer, and transfer it to glass jars. The curd will keep, covered and chilled, for up to 2 weeks.
Meyer Lemon-Olive Oil Custard
Ready in 10 minutes, this thick, creamy custard would be wonderful served alongside this week’s sugar cookies.
Ingredients:
3 eggs, at room temperature
½ cup sugar
½ cup Meyer lemon juice
2 tablespoons Meyer lemon zest
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup high-quality olive oil
Method:
1. Place all ingredients except for the olive oil in a blender or food processor.
2. Turn the blender on to its highest setting and process for 4 minutes. While continuing to run on high speed, pour in the olive oil and blend well.
3. Transfer mixture to a double boiler (or bowl set over gently-simmering water in a pot) on the stove top, and stir until custard begins to thicken, about 4-5 minutes.
4. Custard can be refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for longer storage; try it topped with a dusting of powdered sugar and additional lemon zest.
Whole-Poached Seckel Pears
These petite little pears are the perfect sweet bite, poached in just a little sugar and cinnamon.
Ingredients:
1½ cups water
⅓ cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
7-8 ripe, but still firm, Seckel pears, peeled
Method:
1. In a medium-sized saucepan, add water, sugar and cinnamon stick. Dissolve sugar over medium heat.
2. Add pears, making sure they’re completely submerged, and cook at a gentle simmer, partially covered, for 15 to 20 minutes depending on their size and level of ripeness. Turn off heat (don’t worry if they don’t look completely done, the pears will continue softening as they cool), remove from burner, and let cool in the poaching liquid. The pears can be served warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
