Blueberry Hand Pies and Shellfish Foraging

I've been so excited all month, just waiting for Saturday, April 7. Why you ask?  It's Shellfish Foraging time with Langdon Cook-forager extraordinaire and author of Fat of the Land:Adventures of a 21st Century Forager.  I signed J and I up for the class through Bainbridge Island Parks and Recreation and had been looking forward to it for over a month now. And when I received the email with directions and instructions on what to bring I felt that same excitement you feel just before opening Christmas presents !

 Please bring the following:
- rubber boots
- bucket
- digging tool such as a short-handled garden cultivator
- rain gear and sunglasses (you never know!)
- bowl, cup, fork, spoon (we're asking you to bring your own to cut down on paper waste)
- water/snack
Gloves are also recommended. Wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty (an extra set is a good idea). We'll be preparing a shellfish feast in the afternoon; feel free to bring adult beverages to complement the food and/or an appetizer such as cheese or salami.

Forget the salami bring on the oysters ! I kept thinking what could I bring that would be as good as freshly harvested oysters and clams-NOTHING !!  So I opted for dessert,something that would travel well,could be made ahead of time and would be a simple compliment to what I anticipated would be excellent food in the great Pacific Northwest Outdoors . I'm cup caked out so I thought pie. Pie would be good,not too heavy,easy to transport,wouldn't need to worry about refrigeration and if I made little hand pies I could forget about the whole mess of cutting into a pie.  I had squirreled away Smitten Kitchen's pie crust recipe a while back and thought why not try it now. It sounded heavenly and looked beautiful, all brown and flaky.

Smitten Kitchen's recipe did not disappoint.  This and Kate McDermott's are now officially my only go to recipes for pies.  I haven't made hand pies with Kate's recipe yet , but that is a blog saved for another day. I knew this crust was going to be outstanding when I saw all the little checkerboard pieces of butter showing through as I rolled it out.  All I could think of was flaky flaky flaky . And watching them puff up in the oven and take on that beautiful golden brown color,well it was all I could do to restrain myself from stealing one out of the oven and biting in to it.  But I did. Almost. I made sure it was completely baked ,then carefully broke of a piece,watched the steam rise from the blueberries,then  bit into the hot filling .  Oh so worth the little burn on the tongue,the crust was exactly what I anticipated, flaky,crisp and not too sweet-perfection.

The blueberry filling I made was 2 cups of fresh blueberries with enough blueberry jam to just coat the berries.  I used a 3 1/2 inch fluted tart cutter , then placed a mounded scoop of the blueberry mixture in the center of the dough. I used the egg glaze and gently dotted the edges of the dough to aid in sealing the top to the bottom. I glazed the hand pies with the egg mixture from Smitten Kitchen's recipe,sprinkled on some crystal sugar and baked at 400F for 10 minutes and reduced the oven to 350F and baked for an additional 25 minutes or until golden brown.  I also made the strawberry rhubarb filling included with Smitten Kitchen's recipe and it was delicious.

 I carefully wrapped my little sweetie pies in brown baking paper and tucked them into their carriers for the trip over to the Hood Canal.  Little did I know when wrapping these,  that they would pale in comparison to the perfection of the day we experienced with Langdon Cook and the rest of the group during the shellfish foraging class.

The day started out just beautifully,blue blue skies and sunshine-two things that have been in short supply in the Pacific Northwest.

We met the rest of the group, a serendipitous group of people who came from as far as British Columbia for this experience; our instructor- Langdon Cook; our shellfish expert-John Adams from Taylor Shellfish (p.s thank you John Adams for your generosity in sharing the bounty from Taylor Shellfish and even more thank you for sharing your extraordinary knowledge !) and the organizer of this class- the incredible Jeff Ozimek from Bainbridge Parks and Recreation.(Check out the Bainbridge Parks link-Jeff did a wonderful job of organizing and keeping this group in high spirits !) We gathered up our shell fishing "tools' and headed to the tide flats.

The beauty of our surroundings matched the excitement of slurping that first oyster fresh from the water. Just before we started our hunt for oysters,as if on cue, a bald eagle and osprey appeared above us.  The eagle was chasing the osprey, trying to get it to release it's catch of the morning.  We all stood awestruck just watching the dance of the battle they performed in the skies above us, and then one of those once in a lifetime things happened. The eagle knocked the fish out of the talons of the osprey, the eagle dove and triumphantly capturing the loosened fish in one gorgeous swoop. We just couldn't believe our good luck in witnessing that-what a blessing and what a way to start foraging in the wild .

I can't begin to tell you how incredibly sweet and salty and tasty this first oyster was. Just a little squeeze of lime , slurp and chew-no restaurant or chef could recreate that moment or that taste.

We took our treasures and headed back to the picnic area to enjoy our harvest.  All I could think of was how incredibly fortunate and blessed I was to be in these beautiful surroundings, with a group of such warm and friendly people,eating something so delicious and fresh from Nature.  And yet there was more to come-how could that be ?  How could this day be improved upon ? Could it really get any better than it already was ?

Everyone brought something to add to the table; we had smoked salmon, salami, fresh strawberries,a variety of cheeses,good crusty bread, olives,wine,beer and champagne.  Add that to the oysters and clams and food that was being cooked for dinner-a 5 star picnic indeed !

Lang preparing his version of Tom Douglas's Mignonette Sauce for the oysters-a must have for the oysters.  J, who had an intense dislike for oysters, started slurping oysters practically non-stop after adding this Mignonette sauce to the oysters !

Ahh, the magic mignonette. And here is Tom Douglas's recipe for the magic sauce.  Lang suggests adding a little Togarashi (Japanese chili spice) for a little kick if you like.

1/4 cup Champagne vinegar

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

Fresh ground pepper ,season to taste

Mix everything in a glass jar-great to prepare ahead of time,put on ice, and take with you to the beach-enjoy slurping those oysters.

 John's:How to shuck an oyster without stabbing yourself class.  I fell in love with the wooden slab he uses for shucking.

John watching over one of his shucking students !

Nom,nom,nom...Pacifics,Olympias aka Olys (my personal favorite) and Kumamoto oysters

Like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words-everyone was so intent on savoring every bite of this meal.

Clams with Italian Sausage, Tomato & Wine

Langdon's recipe for Clams with Italian Sausage,Tomato & Wine can be found here on his blog, Fat of the Land.  This is a keeper recipe for me and it's how I will be preparing my clam bounty for dinner tonight.  That broth was so clam juicy and made a delicious dipping sauce for the crusty bread we had on hand. ( We also had some Thai Red Curry Clams, but I was so enamored with the Italian version I never got to try that recipe. J assured me it was just as delicious as the Italian version.)

Good bye Hood Canal and Dosewallips State Park, until the next time,and there will definitely be a next time.

Our absolutely incredible view from the ferry back to Seattle-what a way to end a perfect day !

As I finish writing this, J is at Uwajimaya buying us some oyster shucking tools and I'm getting ready to make up some Mignonette sauce for the oysters that are chilling in the refrigerator.  More pie dough is also chilling in the refrigerator.  We will be spending the rest of the day slurping oysters at my sister's and eating blueberry hand pies !  I suggest you get over to Lang's blog and the Bainbridge Parks and Recreation site and see if you can still get into one of these classes.  If it's full,there will be more during the Summer and into the Fall. If you can't make it, well so sad for you, but Taylor Shellfish has an online store-enjoy and Bon Appetit !

 

Click here for Smitten Kitchen's recipe and enjoy her beautiful blog,it's another one I find myself spending hours on !

Meyer Lemon Macarons

Just when you thought I was finished with the Meyer Lemons !  I haven't made macarons for quite some time-I was afraid I had lost the touch.  But I should have known that relying on Helene's recipe,you can never go wrong . The only difficulty I had was in using my oven. The last time I made macarons was in the old oven and with the new oven I wasn't used to the convection setting.  After 3 trays of macarons, I finally arrived at the perfect temperature- 305F for 14 minutes.

And since I had plenty of left over lemon curd from the cupcakes I made recently,  I chose to fill my little macaron babies with the lemon curd instead of butter cream.  So delicious and tart,it was like biting into a fresh lemon slice. Hmm,maybe someday I'll try adding a little vodka to the lemon curd and perhaps we will have Lemon Drop Macarons-doesn't that sound yummy ? This is another recipe from Helene's Blog Tartelette, can you tell I love that blog, since I recently made her cupcakes !

Meyer Lemon Macarons
adapted from Helene's basic recipe. 
I found this adaptation  at Delectable Deliciousness

*Please use your scale for precise  measuring
110 grams almond flour/meal
200 grams powdered sugar
90 grams aged egg whites (about 3)
30 grams granulated sugar
zest from 1 Meyer lemon
yellow food coloring (powdered or gel - see note below-next time I'm not using the food color, I like the neutral cream color of macarons)

About 24 hours before you plan to make your macarons, set your egg whites out in a clean bowl to age. Keep them loosely covered, at room temperature with a paper towel to keep any stray dust out. This helps remove some of the moisture and helps you achieve a meringue that is more stable.

Combine the almond flour, powdered sugar and zest. Get your hands in there and break up the clumps and lumps. You can sift if you like, but I prefer this more casual method. (I should have sifted as evidenced by my little bumpy macarons) . If you're using powdered food coloring, add it to the almond/sugar mixture. Set aside.

In a stand mixer, whisk your aged egg whites until they start to get foamy. Once you start to see enough foam to hide any remaining liquid egg white, sprinkle in your granulated sugar in a slow, steady sprinkle  . Continue to beat until you have a stiff, glossy meringue. This should take from 3-5 minutes in a stand mixer.

Add your almond/powdered sugar mixture all at once. Gently stir to break down your whites a bit, then begin a careful fold. The key is to not over-beat the batter. The goal is to achieve an oozy mass that looks similar to a very thick pancake batter. It should be oozy, like thick magma.

Transfer your batter to a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip - #807 or #808 work best. Pipe your rounds onto Silpat or parchment lined baking sheets. You can trace a circle on the underside of your parchment, or just pipe for a count of 4.

Once your shells are piped, smack your baking sheet a few times on the counter to pop any air bubbles you may have lurking.  Let them sit at room temperature to dry for 30 minutes to an hour - or when the tops are no longer tacky to the touch.

Use a double baking tray,one inside of the other when you place them in the oven. Bake at 315 F for 18 minutes, or until the shells are hard and cooked all the way through. It's important to know your oven and check on your shells near the end of baking time.

A note on using food coloring with macarons - powdered is best but can be difficult to find at your local market (though is easily found online with a quick google search). One thing that I've found to work is to take gel food coloring (this probably also works with liquid food coloring, but I haven't tried it. Gel coloring is easily found at craft stores) and add it to the 30 grams of granulated sugar. Mix them together very well until the sugar is evenly coated. Spread the sugar out into a thin layer on a piece of foil. Turn your oven on to a low heat, such as 200 F and once it's reached temperature, turn it off. Place your colored sugar into the oven but leave the door open. After a few minutes, the sugar will be dry. Take the back of a spoon and break it up back into small granules, as it will be clumped together. Be sure to color your sugar more intensely than you want your macaron shells as the color will lighten once the rest of the ingredients are added.

Meyer Lemon Limoncello Cupcakes

I'm sure it must be Spring somewhere, it just doesn't seem to want to be Spring in Seattle.  Oh, we are getting teased, sunny blue skies,bright yellow daffodils and pink blossoms swirling to the ground.  But just when we get our hopes up,here come the huge dark grey clouds and pelting rain,sleet and lately snow.   I would love to fast forward to summer and away from this rain.  I know that Spring in Seattle equals rain,winds,blue skies,grey skies and tumultuous weather, but deep down in my soul I long for warmth,gentle breezes and blue skies.  I'm either going to have to move or accept Seattle and it's crazy weather.  Opening a bottle of Limoncello to use in this recipe didn't help matters either.  That first sweet scent of fresh lemons took me right to a balcony in Positano overlooking the Mediterranean.  At the end of each day we would sit on the edge of the pool with a cold glass of Limoncello and toast our good fortune .

The view from Villa Fiorentino, Positano

A deep blue sky that went on forever , the sun so warm and the breezes just perfect-thank goodness for sweet memories.  They will have to get me through this wet Spring along with the remains of my Limoncello !

Since I went a little crazy at the grocery store earlier this week with my purchase of Meyer Lemons, I've been searching for recipes that I haven't tried before. I was enticed by one of Helene's postings on her blog Tartelette . Her blog is so beautiful and her photography always inspires me. This recipe has a few steps to it, but trust me they are well worth the time.

Meyer Lemon Limoncello Cupcakes:Makes 12
Thanks to Tartelette
For the cupcakes:
2 oz (60gr)unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 oz(60gr) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup (200gr)sugar
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons (30gr) limoncello
1½ cups (190gr) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup(125ml) buttermilk
1/4 cup Meyer lemon juice
zest of one Meyer lemon

Preheat oven to 350F and position a rack in the center.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese and sugar at medium speed until light and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the limoncello and beat an extra minute. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternatively to the butter/eggs mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Add the lemon juice and zest. Fill cupcake tins 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely.

Meyer Lemon Curd

I used Diane Morgan's recipe that I found at Leite's Culinaria
Yield: 4 -1/2pint jars

6 large egg yolks, at room temperature

6 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice (from about 6 lemons)

2 tablespoonsgrated Meyer lemon zest (from about 4 lemons)

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

 

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, eggs, and sugar. Whisk in the lemon juice. Transfer to a double boiler and cook the curd over barely simmering water, whisking constantly, until the lemon mixture thickens and reaches 170°F (76°C) on an instant-read thermometer. (The mixture will be very foamy on top.) Remove the pan from the heat. Strain the curd into a bowl. Immediately whisk in the lemon zest and butter until the mixture is smooth and emulsified.

Meyer Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Helene's Recipe

makes approximately 1 1/2 cups
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp cut into chunks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons lemon juice
zest of 1-2 lemons, or to taste

In a double boiler, combine the egg whites, sugar, salt and cream of tartar. Use a hand held mixer to beat until the mixture becomes too hot to comfortably touch - approximately 5 minutes or so. Remove from heat and transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk. Continue to beat until you have stiff peaks. Add the butter a few pieces at a time, beating the mixture thoroughly. Lastly, beat in the vanilla, lemon juice and zest. Use at room temperature.

To assemble:Cut a whole into each cupcake with a melon baller or the back end of a large pastry tip. Fill each cavity with the lemon curd. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a star tip with the buttercream frosting and pipe onto each cupcake. Decorate with candied lemon peel or berries if desired.

I have just a few more Meyer lemons remaining,perhaps candied peels ?  But first, maybe a little bite of this sweet little cupcake ? Bon Appetit .

Meyer Lemon Doughnuts

This is the time of year when I really wish I lived in Southern California. Not because of the rain in Seattle, but because it's Meyer Lemon Season in Southern California. Meyer Lemon's are so pretty and smooth,a beautiful blend of orange and yellow in color.  Not the bright knobby yellow of a regular lemon,much more subtle. The Meyer Lemon is a citrus fruit native to China and thought to be a cross between a true lemon and either a mandarin or common orange.  It was introduced to the United States in 1908 .  Alice Waters of Chez Panisse made it very popular during the California Cuisine food revolution and Martha Stewart's use of it made it even more popular.  Personally, I don't care who brought it to the U.S. or who is responsible for making it so popular . I'm just glad it's here and available.  It's like waiting for the first flat of strawberries of the season. When I saw the overflowing basket of Meyer Lemons at my favorite market I couldn't pass them by.  By the time I got home with them I had a hundred ideas of how might use them. But when I saw the beautiful photos of the Meyer Lemon Doughnuts by Flour Child over at Pinterest I knew I had to make them.  These are truly addictive, so don't say I didn't warn you.

Meyer Lemon Doughnuts
Adapted from Gourmet, December 1999 & December 2006
Thanks to Flour Child for inspiring me to try these

For the doughnuts:
1 (1/4-oz) package active dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons warm water (105–115°F)
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for sprinkling and rolling out dough
1 cup whole milk at room temperature
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar + 3/4 cup to roll the finished doughnuts in
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
About 10 cups vegetable oil for deep frying

Stir together yeast and warm water in a small bowl until yeast is dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If yeast doesn’t foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
Mix together flour, milk, butter, yolks, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and yeast mixture in mixer at low speed until a soft dough forms. Increase speed to medium-high and beat 3 minutes more.
Scrape dough into a ball in the center of the bowl, then sprinkle lightly with flour to keep a crust from forming. Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Or you could let dough rise in bowl in refrigerator 8 to 12 hours.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out with a lightly floured rolling pin to 1/2 inch thick. Cut out as many rounds as possible with a small round cookie cutter ,I used 2 inch diameter one for the smaller ones and a 3 inch diameter for the larger ones. Transfer doughnuts to a lightly floured large baking sheet. Cover doughnuts with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until slightly puffed, about 30 minutes (45 minutes if dough was cold when cutting out doughnuts). Do not re roll scraps ,you can , but they will be your testers and may be slightly tough.
Heat 2 1/2 inches oil in a deep 4-quart heavy pot until it registers 350°F on thermometer. Fry doughnuts, 3-4 at a time, turning occasionally with a wire or mesh skimmer or a slotted spoon, until puffed and golden brown, about 1-2 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain. (Return oil to 350°F between batches.) Let cool.

For the lemon curd:

An adaptation of the recipe I used for my Tarte au Citron

2 large whole eggs+1 egg yolk

1/2 cup very fine or superfine sugar

1/2 cup juice from Meyer Lemons (will take about 5 lemons)

2 teaspoons of Meyer Lemon Zest

1 stick of unsalted butter-room temperature and cut into 1 inch pieces

Small pinch of sea salt

In a double boiler over medium heat whisk everything but the butter together. Whisk this constantly ,don't stop or you will end up with curdled or scrambled eggs instead of lemon curd. Continue whisking 5-10 minutes,until the mixture starts to bubble and holds it shape when the back of a wooden spoon is coated.(If using a thermometer it should reach 160 degrees F).   If you can draw a line through the mixture coating the back of the spoon and that line stays clear then it's ready. Remove from the heat and let cool for about 3 minutes,then whisk in the butter until all of the butter is melted. Place in a bowl,cover with plastic wrap directly onto the curd and place in refrigerator until mixture cools and firms ,approximately 2-3 hours.

Once the doughnuts are completely cool fill with  the lemon curd. I followed the tip from Flour Child and I used a plastic squeeze bottles with a long tip. I used a wooden chopstick to poke a hole in the side of the doughnut then filled it with the squeeze bottle. When the doughnuts are filled, roll them liberally in granulated sugar. 

Since Meyer Lemon Season only comes once a year, I bought enough to try some other recipes.  Check back in with me, I'm thinking of Meyer Lemon Cupcakes made with Limoncello !  Or maybe Meyer Lemon gelato with Dorie Greenspan's Meyer Lemon Sables au Citron !  I think I will have doughnut while I make my decision. Bon Appetit !

Tarte au Citron de Genin and the Little House of Love

Are you wondering what this picture has to do with Jacques Genin's wonderful pastry? Read on

Have you ever seen a photograph of something or a place that just stuck in your soul ? And every time you thought of it , you knew you would find a way to get there, to be there  and experience everything you imagined from that photograph.  A few places have stayed with me like that, Positano and St Remy were two that I carried with me after seeing photographs of each of them. And when I had the opportunity to visit both places I had such strong stirrings in my heart and soul .  The feeling is hard to describe,but it's being able to stand in a place that you've been  in love with and let out the kind of sigh that is usually only elicited by a lover.  And that feeling just envelops you and you know that ,yes it is just as magical and wonderful as you imagined and then there is that  feeling that you've been there before .. as the wind blows across your face or you feel the heat of the sun on your shoulders..you feel content, you feel like you belong..you feel like you are home.  Positano and St Remy aren't the only places that do that for me..Paris is at the top of the list. A new one that I recently discovered has taken it's place in my heart and soul along with others.  This sweet house on the beach of Anguilla. 

 I'm not usually a pink and blue house person, I like earthy monochromatic tones, but when I saw this home in the New York Times real estate section I immediately fell in love. I stared at the photos for hours while reading everything I could  about the house and Anguilla. Karen,the owner of the house- La Petite Maison d'amour (The Little House of Love),designed and built the place herself. One visitor wrote: "there are pictures of her (Karen) hauling and hammering so I really believe that she somehow managed to infuse love into every pore of the place." Someday I will get there and feel the ocean spray and sit in the sun on that beautiful deck.

Now I am day dreaming of Caribbean breezes and the sound of the waves on the beach,waking up and looking out at the beautiful sea.  With all this daydreaming I feel the need for citrus,something light and summery and just as delicious and sweet as this little beach house. 

I stumbled on something delicious when I saw the picture of this tart over at Paris Patisseries.  And since I can't just hop a plane to Paris to taste it, I knew I had to find the recipe to make it. Don't you just love the Internet ?  I found the recipe but had to use my very basic high school French and Google translator to figure out the recipe. Google gave a sweet little translation for how many servings the recipe makes:" a pie of 6 people ", I love it. Here is my attempt at trying to make something as gorgeous and perfect as the one created by Jacques Genin. You can find the recipe I used here . It is a simple uncomplicated recipe but must be made with love,care and perfection in order to even come within the same solar system of Jacques Genin's quality.

Chef Genin's book,  Tarte au Citron de Genin is available through Amazon and contains everything you could want to know about his tarts(It is in French). Since I'm still struggling with my translation of Pierre Herme's Macaron book, I'll put Chef Genin's on the back burner for now. (Yes,yes, I know the Macaron book is now published in English -but it's a good exercise in trying to teach myself French!)

 

 I watched the You Tube Video 5 times and those look like limes being squeezed and grated ,so I was confused as to why a Tarte au Citron, Lemon Tart, would be made with limes. I started questioning the translation provided by Google. Voila, I figured it out, or rather David Lebovitz figured it out for me. I was reading David's post on lemon bars and he mentioned that Jacques Genin prefers to use fresh limes for his lemon tart !

Pour une tarte de 6 persoI prefer Out of respect for Chef Genin, I'm not publishing the recipe on my site. If you decide to try it and do the Google translation I will tell you that icing sugar is powdered sugar; use almond meal flour for the ground almonds (unless you can grind the almonds very very fine); and caster sugar is very very fine sugar.Warning the sweet pastry dough is so delicious you will want to eat it before it's baked.

Next time I make this, and there will be a next time, I will not add the zest to the pastry cream as the recipe calls for.  I prefer my pastry cream to be smooth and the lime zest takes on an odd color when cooked with the pastry cream. But the pastry cream, oh my goodness,it's so rich and tart,absolutely delicious. I will keep practicing with this recipe until I create a tart as beautiful as the Chef's. But in the mean time I think I will have a small slice and day dream of my house in Anguilla.
Pour la pâte sucrée : Pour la crème citron : La veille, préparer la pâte sucrée.ur cela, fendre la ½ gousse de vanille en deux et retirer

Le jour J, préparer la crème citron.