What a lovely winter we’re having this spring…
NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, along with an update and photos of what has been going on in our lives. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
What a difference a day makes! The airport recorded 8.2 inches of snow Sunday through Tuesday of this first week of spring. The nice thing about spring snow is it melts fairly quickly… it is supposed to be 72 degrees on the Saturday after Easter (a week from tomorrow)! We had fun at Whirlyball this Wednesday night…
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
This is a recipe I pulled out from Easter 2020, during the start of the Covid siege… thought it was worth another look.
LEMON BLUEBERRY POPPYSEED TART
CRUST
- 1 1/4 cup flour, plus extra for the surface
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/3 cup powdered confectioner’s sugar
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
FILLING
- 5 large eggs
- 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from 3-4 lemons)
- 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 6 ounce package blueberries
MAKE THE CRUST
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour to form small pebbles. Mix the the sugar and poppy seeds. Add the egg, and with a fork stir quickly to form a soft dough.
Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a 1-inch thick disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the disk of dough into an 11-inch circle and press into a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan. Freeze for at least 15 minutes, up to a day.
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a baking sheet on the middle rack. Place a large piece of parchment paper directly on top of the tart. Fill with 2 cups dried beans or rice, pushing them into the edges. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment and beans and bake until the crust i light golden brown, 5-10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Reduce oven to 300 degrees F.
MAKE THE FILLING
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and 2/3 cup sugar. Add the lemon juice and 1/2 cup heavy cream. whisk to combine. Strain through a mesh sieve if needed to remove pulp, then stir in the lemon zest.
Place the tart on the baking sheet set on the oven rack, then pour in the filling. Bake until just set but with a slight wobble in the center 35-40 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
In a bowl, whip the remaining cup cream and 2 tablespoons sugar to form soft peaks. Spoon the whipped cream into the middle of the tart and scatter blueberries on top, sprinkling more blueberries on individual pieces for serving.
