a Farewell to Citrus season

I have been enjoying making different desserts and ice creams from Meyer lemons, key limes and grapefruit from Texas. I received the last delivery of Meyer lemons a week ago. I had to be picky of what I wanted to make because I didn't have much of it. I split them up and made Meyer Lemon ice cream and also this wonderful lemon lime bars from Baked book that I have been in love with. This is my version using what I could get locally. I used key limes and Meyer lemons in this recipe and it turned out wonderful.

I use farm fresh eggs and they gave this vibrant yellow color of the yolks that will make your bars to die for. After cooking and baking with these eggs, it's hard to go back to factory eggs.

Meyer lemons are sweeter than regular lemons and are more fragrant. I love the complexity of the taste of it. Key limes are smaller, more acidic and has stronger aroma than Persian limes. We use more key limes in Thai cooking. For these bars, the crust is the winner. I attempted to make my own graham crackers from Smitten Kitchen. I probably will not be buying graham crackers again. This homemade version is so easy and so delicious I could eat the whole batch by myself.



Meyer Lemon and Key Lime Bars
adapted from Baked

Graham-coconut crust
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 15-17 crackers or I just put my pieces of graham crackers that I made and save the rest of the crumbs for the next pie)
2 tbsp firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

The lemon lime filling
11 large egg yolks
3 large eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp grated lemon zest
2 tbsp grated lime zest
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup heavy cream

Make the crust
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9 by 13 inche baking pan or spray it with nonstick cooking spray.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper, spread coconut and put the sheet in the oven and toast the coconut until it starts to turn golden brown about 7-10 minutes. Remove the coconut from the oven and toss it and put it back for a few more minutes.

Put the graham cracker crumbs in a large bowl, add the toasted coconut and the brown sugar, and toss with your hands until combined. Add the melted butter. Use your hands to combine the mixture, turn it into the prepared pan. Using your hands, press down the crust so it's even.

Put the crust in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, then bake for 10 minutes. Let the crust cool completely.



Make the lemon lime filling

Adjust the oven to 325 degrees F. Put egg yolks, eggs, sugar, lemon and lime juices, and lemon and lime zests in a large, clean metal pot. Whisk until combined. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture reads 180 degrees F. on a thermometer, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and cream. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve directly into the cooled crust. Use a rubber spatula to press the curd through the sieve.

Make sure the curd is evenly distributed. Tap the pan gently against the counter to make a level layer.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the filling is just set. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Wrap the pan in plastic making sure the plastic is not touching the filling) and put in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

The colors of Spring

I went to a food blogger potluck party organized by our very own Addie Broyles at Patterson park last Saturday. On her last blog post, Addie is holding a carrot from my platter, I'm so proud. I love this time of the year where you can see the mix of winter crops and the emergence of spring. I was strolling Austin Farmers' Market that Saturday morning to look for something to take with me. It's my day off and I was determined not to cook. I had the idea of taking a platter of cut vegetables with some sort of dip. I got some carrots from Simmons Family Farms, radishes from Johnson Backyard Garden and some beets from one of the newer farmers that the name slipped away from me. The platter is from Michelle, my most favorite potter at the market, the mugs are from Laughing Horse and the dips were from the Mediteranean Chef. I made a perfect Farmers' Market platter to take with me. At the party, there were just beautiful colors of springs.I have these beautiful pictures to share.

Strawberry Tapioca Pudding

I was flipping through my only Gourmet Magazine that I own after learning that it wasn't going to be around much longer. I came across this easy recipe. Tapioca Pudding is the easiest dessert to make. Back home, we add corn kernels, pieces of pineapple, taro roots or sweet potato among others in it.



In Thai, tapioca pearls are called "Sakoo". It is derived from the name of the plant Sagu or Sago Palm that is used to make "sakoo" flour or pearls. Nowadays, most tapioca pearls are made from cassava root flour. My dad told us a story of Sagu palm trees growing along the swamp. My grandmother used to make the pearls from Sagu palm. The tree that is around 15-20 years old are cut down. The bark is peeled off and the trunks are made into "sakoo" flour.

These trees grow in the south of Thailand. There are not that many of Sagu palm left because the land is being used for other kind of farming. Although still called "sakoo", most of those pearls are made from cassava root. Cassava roots are used to make desserts in Thailand and the flour is of many uses. I remember making my own glue from heating up tapioca flour with water for school projects.

I adapted the recipe just a little to make it dairy free. I substituted cream with coconut milk, the way we would make it back home.



Strawberry Tapioca Pudding
adapted from Gourmet Magazine

2 cups water
1/3 cup small tapioca pearls
1 cup coconut cream
6 tbsp sugar, divided
1 tsp anise seeds, ground
1 qt strawberries, trimmed and coarsely chopped

Bring water to a boil in a heavy sauce pot and add tapioca pearls. Stirring occasionally to prevent the pearls sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook until tapioca is mostly clear, about 15 minutes. Add the coconut cream and whisk, add 1/4 cup sugar and 1/8 tsp of salt and simmer, uncovered, until tapioca is cooked through about 3 minutes. Make sure of stir often. Turn off the heat and cool in an ice bath. Stirring occasionally.

Grind anise seeds in grinder or a mortar and pestle. Puree strawberries, the remaining 2 tbsp sugar and anise seeds in a food processor or a blender. Divide among six glasses. Spoon tapioca over strawberries and chill until cold. Enjoy.