Lemon Pots de Creme

While cleaning out the butler’s pantry, I am inspired to use one of the many sets of pots de creme from my collection. It is also the middle of citrus season here and lemons are abundant.

Pot de crème, plural pots de crème, (pronounced “poe da krem”) is a loose French dessert custard dating to the 17th century. The name means “pot of custard” or “pot of cream”,and refers to the porcelain cups in which the dessert is served. The place of origin is France and the main ingredients are eggs, cream, milk, vanilla, chocolate or other flavors.

I am hankering for something lemony so I pick fresh lemons from the orchard. After searching the internet and finding most recipes with heavy cream, I stumble upon one from Epicurious using 2% milk. I love heavy cream, but my hips don’t.

This particular vintage set of pots de creme was made in Japan by JSC in the 1970s. There are 6 white porcelain pots with gold trim and a tiny gold acorn on the lid. It also comes with it own tray. You can find different kinds of pots de creme on eBay at varying price points.

The custard is very easy to make. Pour the hot custard into the pots and then refrigerate the set. Even though the recipe makes 8, I am able to fully fill these 6 pots.

Some recipes call for baking in a hot water bath in the oven, which was more labor intensive. I want a quick, easy, light dessert and this one is the most simple.

After the custard cools down and is fully cold, I add a fresh blackberry, some lemon zest and a sprig of mint. A dollop of whipped cream would be delicious too.

This light, refreshing lemon custard feels especially elegant in the pretty pots de creme.

It’s the perfect time of year to take advantage of fresh lemons. Now we wait for my friend, Sam to send me the calorie count! Enjoy!

Here is the Recipe for Lemon Pots De Creme from Epicurious.

Lemon Pots de Creme

This is a much lighter version of pots de creme as the recipe uses 2% milk vs. heavy cream

1/2 cup sugar
4 large eggs
2 TBSP cornstarch
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 cups 2% milk
1 tsp grated lemon rind
whipped cream (optional)

In medium bowl, whisk sugar and eggs. Mix in cornstarch and lemon juice. Set aside.
In large saucepan, heat milk over medium heat until tiny bubbles appear around edges of pan. Stir into egg mixture.
Strain through a fine strainer and add lemon rind. Return mixture to clean saucepan.
Cook over medium heat while whisking 5 to 7 minutes or until thickened. Divide lemon custard evenly among eight 1/2-cup ramekins or custard cups. Allow to cool slightly. Cover each custard with plastic wrap. Chill until ready to serve. As an option, garnish with whipped cream before serving.

Dessert

Homemade Chicken Soup

Who doesn’t love chicken soup? I always like to keep some on hand, especially when the weather changes and sniffles start appearing.

My daughter who is a junior in college wasn’t feeling well and I whipped up a batch for her. I don’t really have a strict recipe, but it’s hard to ruin this soup, especially with my two special ingredients.

I like to start with my favorite stock pot. This hammered copper pot from William Sonoma was a gift from a friend who needed an interim place to stay, using our guest room for a few weeks. It is 9.5″ tall and has 11.75 quart capacity. What a perfect gift as I use it frequently and always think of him when I do.

Chicken~~I use anything with bones. For this recipe, I purchased 1.5 lbs. of drumsticks, 1.5 lbs of boned breast, and 1.5 lbs. of thighs. You can take a whole chicken and cut it up….it’s the bones that give it the most flavor.

Next I add carrots and onions, cut up into chunks. You can add as much as you like. I added 3-4 large carrots and 2 onions.

Next comes celery~~include the leafy tops.

A bunch of parsley…..

I fill the pot with tap water.

Here is what it looks like.

I finish with some salt….again, try not to over salt it as you can always add more later. However, if you do over salt it, I understand you can add a potato and that will absorb it…but I haven’t tried it to confirm. Add pepper if you’d like.

Bring the stock to a boil and then simmer~~for a few hours. If the water evaporates a lot then you can always add more.

Strain the soup in a colander. Remove the chicken, de-bone it and remove the skin. Cut the meat into bite size pieces (it will more than likely just fall off the bone). Cut up the carrots. You can cut up the celery and onion, however, often times I just remove it because it is so soft.

Put aside in a bowl. Skim the fat off the broth. If you decide to refrigerate the broth, the skimming of the fat will be easier as it solidifies.

Add the chicken and the vegetables back into the broth. Now here are my two secret ingredients.

Better than Bouillion~~this organic chicken base can add more flavor to the broth, if it isn’t to your liking. I believe it punches up the taste and is a great substitute for more salt. I add it a spoonful at a time, until the broth is at the desired flavor.

Reames Homestyle Egg Noodles~~these hardy noodles add some bulk to the soup. They taste like real homemade noodles and you can find them in the freezer section of your grocery store. My friend, Sue Frome, turned me onto to these noodles and I always keep a few packages on hand. Add the noodles to the chicken soup and cook for approximately 20 minutes, or until desired tenderness.

I don’t know how many servings this makes since I freeze most of it in portions to use in the future.

As the weather gets cooler, it is so nice to have a bowl of hot, homemade, chicken soup!

Enjoy!

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:13]

Tomato, Peach and Corn Salad

It is STILL very hot here in Phoenix and this recipe is cool and refreshing. Wherever you are celebrating Labor Day, this salad is full of fresh, summer ingredients and is very simple to make. With just a few ingredients and a light dressing, this is a perfect accompaniment to something off the grill.

Since access to the Farmers Market is still a few days away, I purchased the tomatoes and peaches at our local Safeway. The tomatoes are a deep, dark blackish red heirloom tomato called Eclipses.

Aren’t these flat peaches fun? They are like regular peaches that someone sat on~~these beauties are called Saturn, donut or saucer peaches. The reason I chose them is they were the ONLY peach that wasn’t hard as a rock and these actually smell like peaches.

The dressing is a Honey Vinaigrette ~~which is a lighter, slightly sweet dressing. My relatives, Bruce and Janiece, have their own bees and make the most delicious honey. We are always so excited when we get a shipment of their honey and I added this golden elixir to the recipe.

I adjusted the recipe a bit by adding cilantro. I felt like it needed some green and who doesn’t love cilantro?

This recipe was in the July 2017 edition of Southern Living magazine on page 62.

Have a Happy Labor Day!!!!

This post shared with Tuesday Turn About #58 Fun in July

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:10]

Uptown Farmers Market

I love our neighborhood as it provides the best of both rural and urban living. Even though we are 10 minutes from downtown Phoenix (the 5th largest city in the US), our North Central neighborhood feels like it is miles away.

A few years ago, my friend and neighbor, Bo Mostow, called me to discuss her idea of starting a farmers market. Bo’s dream has now become one of the most successful farmers market in the country. I was so inspired to see her take her idea to fruition and as a result we all benefit from this wonderful addition to our neighborhood. USA Today has listed Uptown Farmers Market as one of the top 50 markets in the United States.

Every Wednesday and Saturday, the Uptown Farmers Market gathers at the corner of Bethany Home Road and Central Avenue, within walking distance to our home. In the summer, they house nearly 100+ vendors in an air- conditioned space at a North Phoenix Baptist Church on Saturdays only. Come September, all the vendors and white tents will again be outside for the cooler, fall weather twice a week.

Going to the Farmers Market is such a joyous event. There is such a wide variety of food choices- from local farmers, small businesses, and home cooks. In addition, there are handcrafted goods, food trucks, musical performances, activities for children. All the vendors and customers are genuinely happy~~it has such a nice family feel.

Fresh produce from the Farm Club. Look at these gorgeous pickled items by Lillie Mae’s Blue Ribbon Pickled Garden.

In spite of the heat this time of year, the market was heavily attended.

I have been craving heirloom tomatoes and really good peaches, so I decided to see what I could find at the market. Look at the incredible displays of fruits and vegetables from Abby Lee Farms. Fresh, local and delicious.

The absolute BEST cinnamon raisin bread is made by Capistrano’s and purchased from Rowland at the Noble Bread tent. If you don’t get there early, the bread sells out very quickly. Just seeing Rowland on Saturday makes my day!

I purchased two loaves of this bread and it is chock-a-block full of raisins. A quick breakfast before a workout will be one slice of this toasted, with almond butter, sliced bananas and chia seeds. Delicious!

I typically buy one loaf of sourdough, slice it and freeze it with a piece of paper towel in a zip lock bag. I use the sourdough bread to make my daughter her favorite sandwich~~grilled brie cheese with sour cherry jam.

So here is my haul from the market~~eggplant, zucchini, arugula, kale, brussels sprouts, peppers, tomatoes, peaches, French breakfast radishes, romaine lettuce, lemons and fresh herbs. Plus two smoked bones for the dogs from Ruff Life. I would have bought more if I had more arms/hands!

I can only lay claim to a few of the photos in this post. The balance of the Uptown Farmers Market photos were done by Kinita Albertson, from Caught by Kinita.

Kinita is doing a project for our neighborhood group where she was tasked to capture the essence of our area. She was kind enough to give me permission to use her farmers market photos for this blog post.

For more information about the Uptown Farmers Market, please click here.

You say tom-a-to, I say tom-AH-to

“It’s difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato. “ Lewis Grizzard

I love to garden. There is a giddiness when picking that very first tomato. I take pictures of it and then carry it around the house for show and tell for the rest of my family. They think I’ve lost my mind but they humor me with oohs and ahhs.

In Phoenix, our gardening seasons are so strange compared to my childhood in Connecticut. Right now, the heat has pushed most of the herbs past their prime. The dill is tall and has gone to seed. Basil is still abundant and may last through the early summer. We will continue to pick tomatoes until the blistering summer heat withers the plants.

But the mornings are still glorious~~ and there is no better way to start the day than coffee in hand and strolling out to the garden.

I’ve had great success with smaller tomatoes~~from brilliant red cherry tomatoes to the yellow grape varieties. We just pluck these off the vine and gobble them up!

The Roma tomatoes are almost ready to harvest ~~ the warmer days should accelerate their ripening.

Wishing you a day of something fresh and healthy~~whether from your own garden or a local farmer or farmer’s market.

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