more citrus

so i made a pie with the grapefruit curd.  it was delicious.  i got the curd recipe from somewhere (i picked the one with the most juice and fewest eggs), but other than that i sort of made the pie up.  it was delicious.  if you happen to find yourself with a few grapefruit you don't know what to do with, i recommend this.  it was way better than the grapefruit-poppy seed loaf.  of course, since it was so tasty, this is no longer experimental, but i kind of like that as a name for it because its probably the first grapefruit pie you've ever eaten or made.

Experimental Grapefruit Pie

 

Grapefruit curd

1 c grapefruit juice

2/3 c sugar

4 large egg yolks

4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

Zest of one grapefruit

 

Whipped cream

1 c whipping cream

3 tsp sugar

 

Graham cracker crust

1 1/3 c graham cracker crumbs

2 tbsp sugar

5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

 

1 or 2 fresh grapefruit, sectioned

 

 

1.  Make the grapefruit curd.  (can be made up to 2 weeks in advance and kept refrigerated)

• Simmer the juice over medium heat to reduce it to ¾ c.
• Whisk together the juice, sugar and egg yolks on the top of a double boiler.
• Set the mixture over simmering water and cook until the mixture thickens, whisking constantly.  Do not let the mixture boil.  When you run a spoon or spatula through it, the gap should fill in somewhat slowly (it should leave a visible track).  (15-30 min)
• Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. 
• Whisk in the butter and zest.
• Place waxed paper or plastic wrap on the surface of the curd. 
• Refrigerate until cold.

2. Make the crust.

• Mix the ingredients together and press into a 9-inch pie pan. 
• Bake for 5 min at 350^oF.
• Cool completely.

3. Whip the cream and sugar together until stiff peaks form.

4. Gently fold 1-1.5 c (to taste) of whipped cream into the grapefruit curd, until no white streaks remain.

5. Put the curd+cream filling into the crust and smooth the top.

6. Top with sections of fresh grapefruit and decorate with the remaining whipped cream.

citrus season

its high citrus season here in the desert.  what's that you say?  how can citrus live in the desert when the fruit is mostly water??  interesting question...  hmm, that is perhaps one reason that there's basically no water left in the colorado river....

but anyway, it means that right now a lot of people have more citrus than they know what to do with.  here at hermosa place condominiums, we have easy access to oranges and what i think are tangerines (not great for eating anymore, but super still juicy!).  there's also a lame lemon tree.  but down the street in some unknown persons' front yard is the real lemon tree, which is loaded.  or was til i picked all the lemons i could reach.  i will have to go back with tim should i need more lemons.  my friend teresa has what is apparently called a "cocktail tree", where they have grafted it so its half lemons and half grapefruits.   she literally has more grapefruit than she knows what to do with, because who really eats all that much grapefruit?  so i have relieved her of some and been experimenting with all sorts of citrus things. 

so far i have made citrus syrup, lemon pie, lemon-poppy seed cake, grapefruit curd and a grapefruit loaf.  i am finding that you can more or less substitute one citrus for another.  however, grapefruit tends to have less flavor per volume so maybe you should concentrate the juice before you use it for extra flavor goodness.  but even if you don't, it tastes good. 

sock free in '08

even more important than the frost-free date is the sock-free date.  this year, mine was february 8.  oh yeah.  and today was my long-pants-free date.  unfortunately, it looks like socks might be re-appearing later this week, but i'm keeping my fingers crossed that they won't. 

friday was apparently my lucky day.  i was wearing my lucky pants.  seriously, they are lucky brand.  and 2 lucky things happened.  i won a drawing at the DBG for a day off work with pay.  every day that you bike, walk, take the bus or carpool to work, they enter your name in a drawing for the day off or some movie tickets.  this is the first time i won.  (i also get a $10 target gift card every month i bike at least 5 times.)  then later on friday, i found out i had won a different drawing for $250 (not related to work).  i'm still a little skeptical about that one, at least until i get the check in the mail!  a while back i contacted the web of science people to have them correct my middle initial in an entry, and then they asked me to fill out a customer service survey, and at the end you could enter a drawing, which i did because what the heck.  even if i never, win i reduce the odds for everyone else!  but i won! 

i think i should wear lucky pants more often.  i offered them to tim for his job interview this week, but he declined.  something silly about they wouldn't fit?