Strawberry Curd

More strawberry delight!  I cannot get enough of our local strawberries, and with our almost daily treks to the berry stand I am dreaming up different ways to enjoy them.

Over the winter, when citrus was in abundance, I made grapefruit curd and it became a breakfast treat for us.  With the summer and its profusion of berries, I decided to try adapting my grapefruit curd to strawberries.  It is fun to experiment, and even more fun when the results taste good!

Any creation using strawberries is going to be pretty.  The appealing pink of this curd adds a rosy pop of color, especially to a flaky croissant.

When I was picking out some pastries, I could not resist this strawberry croissant – pure decadence to top it with a dollop of strawberry curd!

Strawberry curd is a delightful change from citrus curds. Its creamy texture is buttery and fruity and sings of summer.  With blackberries and blueberries still to come, I think I see more experiments - and hopefully more curds gracing our table!

Strawberry Curd
Makes 1 1/2 cups

3 cups strawberries, washed and sliced in quarters if large, half if smaller
1 tablespoon sugar
2 eggs, whisked
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Zest of 1 lime
A pinch of kosher salt

In a medium sized saucepan, stir and mash the strawberries over medium heat until they break down and become saucy, about 10 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients and continue to stir until the butter has melted and the curd thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 5-10 minutes. Watch to be sure the mixture does not become too hot and curdle.  If needed, turn the heat down to medium-low.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour curd into a jar.  Let cool, then cover and chill.  It will keep in the fridge for a few weeks.

Grapefruit Curd for a Citrus Craving

A possibly obscure feeling - but have you ever walked into the market without a clear idea of what you want to make, only that it must involve citrus? Before you know it, you are swooning over everything, and soon your basket is full of kumquats, minneolas, blood oranges, cara cara oranges, ruby grapefruit, satsumas and Meyer lemons. Ahh...

When I got home I unpacked my sunset-hued treasures and began the fun process of deciding how to enjoy it all. Thinly sliced kumquats were a tart, refreshing addition to my morning oatmeal. A bowl full of oranges and grapefruit set on the dinner table became our dessert. Meyer lemons were zested and squeezed on green beans and baked into cakes. I knew we’d have no trouble eating our way through it all quickly.

Before my citrus bounty disappeared, I wanted to try something new. I’ve made lemon curd in the past and have tasted orange and lime curds which are lovely, but never grapefruit. Eyeing some juicy grapefruit sitting on the kitchen counter, I decided grapefruit curd would be my next venture.

I don’t care for curds that are too sweet, which is often the issue with store-bought lemon curd. My grapefruit was already fairly sweet, so I would be able to keep the added sugar very low.

My first attempt at grapefruit curd ended with curdled egg ... I had the heat too high and let it start to boil. Be sure to only cook the curd until it coats that back of a wooden spoon and remove your pan from the heat if it begins to steam. Usually curd is strained through a sieve when it’s done but I forgot this step in my excitement to not curdle it again! I liked how it turned out so will continue to omit sieving moving forward.

This curd has a pleasing, delicate grapefruit flavor, not too sweet but still rich from the eggs and butter. It would be decadent stirred into whipped cream for a cake filling, swirled through a cheesecake or baked inside muffins (my plan for breakfast one morning this week). Sneaking a spoonful when you open the fridge is always a welcome thought, too. So far we’ve been slathering the curd on hearty slices of multi-grain toast and sipping hot tea - a classic!

Grapefruit Curd
Makes 1 cup

1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice (about half of a large grapefruit)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon grapefruit zest
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Combine the juice, sugar and eggs in a medium saucepan and whisk to combine. Add the butter and start cooking over medium heat, whisking until the butter melts and watching to make sure the mixture does not get too hot. If it begins to steam, remove from the heat for a moment. Lower the heat to medium-low if necessary. When the butter has melted, add the zests and keep stirring (use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of pan) for a couple of minutes until it thickens a little and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Do not let it boil or it will curdle.

Remove saucepan from the heat and pour the curd into a pint sized jar. Let it cool completely then cover and refrigerate. The curd will thicken more as it chills. It will keep for a few weeks in the fridge.

Dates and Butter (and Goodbyes)

We’ve been leading up to two goodbyes in our household.  Did I mention they are happening on the same day?  That’s a lot for one mom to handle.  My first goodbye will be my younger son, Isaac.  He is going to Japan to visit Kyoto, Hiroshima and Kanazawa with his Japanese class from middle school.  Big sigh… so far away.  He will have a marvelous two week experience and I’m excited for him.

The second farewell is our exchange student, Mohammad.  We’ve been hosting Mohammad for the past year from Saudi Arabia.  What a special year!  He is 17 years old and truly became our son and brother.  We learned about each others’ cultures, countries and religions, and mostly realized how much we have in common.  Mohammad and my sons, Sam and Isaac, share so many of the same interests.  The sounds of them laughing and chatting together every day makes me smile.  Sports, music, movies, Xbox... all part of the universal language of teenaged boys. Hosting exchange students has allowed our family to expand in such a unique way.  I love that we can bring someone into our home and hearts and establish a relationship that will grow over the years.

It is fun for me to learn about traditional foods that Mohammad eats, especially for the holidays of Ramadan, Eid al Fitr and Eid al Ahda. He shared a simple Ramadan treat with us that is divine.  In Arabic, it is called Tamr Bizebdah, which translates as Dates and Butter.  Hmmmm … dates and butter.    Sweet, rich, sticky and addictive.  Dates are abundant in Saudi Arabia and there are many varieties.  Often, this date and butter dish is referred to by the name of the dates used to make it.  When Mohammad first told us about this treat, he said, “You might not like it.”  When I asked why, he said, “It has a lot of butter in it.”  I smiled and said, “I already love it!”  He cooks pureed dates with butter until it forms a soft pudding which is served warm.  During Ramadan, the first food eaten each evening to break the fast is a date.  Children are given this date and butter confection and it is understandably very popular with them.  It is often served with Arabic coffee or a thick yogurt drink.

During our dinner to celebrate Eid al Ahda, we did a tasting with medjool, golden zahidi and deglet noor dates.  Medjool are the ones that we see here most often and it was wonderful to compare sweetness and textures.  The deglet noor became my favorite.  Expanding on the theme of dates and butter, I made a Date Butter Tart for dessert from Suzanne Goin’s Sunday Suppers at Lucques.

Mohammad also introduced us to Vimto, and we dubbed it “Saudi soda.”  It has a flavor similar to Red Bull, which kids love. He described it to us as something special that he drinks during the holidays.  Imagine our thrill when we discovered it while eating at an Egyptian restaurant, Shawarma King, in Seattle!   I found I could purchase Vimto at Goodies Mediterranean Market.

The official exchange year may be coming to an end, but the future with Mohammad is just beginning.  Dates and butter (and Vimto) will always remind me of him and his infectious laugh.  And fortunately I’ll say hello to Isaac again in two weeks.  A mom can only take so much at one time!

Dates and Butter (Tamr Bizebdah)

from Mohammad

serves 3-4 children or 6-8 adults (it’s very rich)

13 oz date puree  (I have found packages in Middle Eastern markets of good quality date purees, or you can pit and puree whole dates with a little water to form a paste)

4 oz unsalted butter

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and swirl so it coats the sides of the pan.  This keeps the dates from sticking to the pan.  Add the date puree and stir with a wooden spoon until the dates absorb all the butter. This will take about 10 minutes.   Serve in small glass bowls and enjoy.

Date Butter Tart

from Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin

serves 6-8

For the pate sucree:

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 extra large egg yolk

11/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

31/2 tablespoons sugar

1/8 teaspsoon kosher salt

1 stick unsalted butter

For the tart:

35 to 40 deglet noor dates (another variety may be used, just make sure they’re plump and juicy)

1/2 vanilla bean

9 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 extra large eggs

2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Vanilla ice cream

Make the pate sucree: Whisk the cream and egg yolk together in a small bowl.  In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, salt and butter on medium speed until you have a coarse meal.  (Or use a food processor and pulse until you have a coarse meal.)  Gradually add the cream and yolk and mix until just combined.  Do not overwork the dough.  Transfer to a large work surface and bring it together with your hands to incorporate completely.  Shape it into a 1-inch disc and put in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up.  Place it on a lightly floured work surface, sprinkle a little flour over the dough and roll it out into a 1/4 -inch-thick circle.  Starting at one side, roll and wrap the dough around the rolling pin to pick it up.  Unroll the dough over a 10-inch tart pan.  Gently fit the dough loosely into the pan, lifting the edges and pressing the dough into the corners with your fingers.  To remove the excess dough, roll the rolling pin lightly over the top of the tart pan for a nice, clean edge.  Chill for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork and line the tart shell with a piece of parchment paper.  Fill the lined tart shell with beans or pie weights and bake 15 minutes.  Take the tart out of the oven and gently lift out the paper and beans.  Return to the oven and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, until the tart is an even golden brown.  Set aside on a rack to cool completely.

Make a vertical slit in each date and carefully remove the pit.  Use your finger to press the dates back into their natural shape.  Place the dates, slit side down, in concentric circles in the tart shell, leaving 1/2 inch between each date.

Slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and use a paring knife to scrape the seeds and pulp onto the butter.  Heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat for 1 minute.  Add the vanilla-streaked butter and the vanilla pod to the pan and cook 6 to 8 minutes, until the butter browns and smells nutty.  Discard the vanilla pod.

Whisk the eggs and 2/3 cup sugar together in a bowl.  Whisk in the flour and salt and stir in the warm butter to incorporate.

Pour the batter over the dates in the tart shell.  Sprinkle the top with the remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake 30 minutes, until the filling puffs up, browns and sets.  Cool tart at least 20 minutes and serve with scoops of vanilla ice cream.