While we’re still trying to fight off winter, spring has already sprung in some of our sunshine states like Florida and California. When I you start to see fragrant strawberries from these states popping up in your stores, you know that warmer days are right around the corner. At least, that’s what I’ve been trying to tell myself…
There are few things better in life than a perfectly red, ripe strawberry. When I buy them, I can always be counted upon to eat at least half of the clamshell package on the way home. So I’ve learned my lesson and usually buy two, just to be on the safe side. As much as I love to eat them “as-is”, it’s so much fun to cook and bake with them in the kitchen!
Cake. Cupcakes. Ice Cream. Vodka. Margaritas. Salad. Salsa. Syrup. You name it – I’ve made it! But one thing that was conspicuously missing was a good homemade strawberry sauce. Which, oddly is probably the easiest of all of those things to make. Fresh strawberries cooked down with a bit of sugar and a vanilla bean. Heaven over a bowl of yogurt and granola in the morning, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the evening…
Look for berries that are a deep red in color, but most importantly – smell them! Good strawberries are extremely fragrant. That’s usually my rule of thumb for most fruits, actually – the better it smells the better it’ll taste. So, keep your sniffer in mind the next time you’re in the produce aisle!
1 pint fresh strawberries, wash and trimmed
Halve or quarter strawberries and place in medium-sized saucepan. Add sugar and water. Cook over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
Add the vanilla bean pod and seeds, stir, and cover. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes.
Mash any large pieces up with masher or wooden spoon. If you like a smoother consistency puree half of the sauce in a food processor, then reincorporate it.
Sauce can be stored in an airtight container refrigerated for 1 week.
Cranberry Orange Muffins are a great way to start out breakfast on Thanksgiving morning. Sweet, citrusy, and a little bit of crunch from the almonds – they’re wonderful for munching on during the parade.
And, while we’re on the topic of cranberries, a Homemade Cranberry Relish is a must-have on our Thanksgiving table. Cranberries, pecans, and fresh orange are comeI love using fresh cranberries while they are in season!
The bird. I like to brine mine the night before, then stuff with lots of citrus and herbs, and baste in a mixture of butter and hard cider. Haven’t had a dry bird in years!
This Hard Cider Gravy is pretty much perfection in a gravy boat. The hard cider adds a great depth of flavor that I don’t think is attained with wine. We love it!
Oyster Stuffing is another must-have on any Eastern Shore Thanksgiving table. The oysters add a wonderful saltiness, complexity, and moisture to an otherwise bland dish!
We strive to have something green on the table, and these Apricot Glazed Green Beans are always my go-to choice. Plus, they include bacon – so what’s not to love?
These Buttermilk-Chive Mashed Potatoes are a jazzed-up version of a classic. Creamy and rich, who doesn’t love perfect mashed potatoes?
Sweet Potato Biscuits are another “must-have” item for Thanksgiving here on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. They’re a little bit denser than your traditional buttermilk biscuit, and they pair wonderfully with all the turkey and trimmings on the table! I’ve also got a great traditional dinner roll recipe too.
And lastly, Pomegranate Margaritas. There’s nothing better than curling up with those you love after dinner, enjoying a cocktail, and watching some football on Thanksgiving evening.
I feel so fortunate to have all these wonderful boys to take care of, and a loving husband and father by my side. Not to mention the big move back to Chincoteague and being so close to family and friends again. Our family definitely has a lot to be thankful for this year!
I hope everyone has a wonderful Turkey Day, and take at least a moment out of your day to think about what we all have to be thankful for. Looking forward to getting the Holiday season kicked off in my kitchen. I have lots of delicious goodies to share with you guys in the coming month!
By this time of year, I’m ready for spring to come. However there’s one thing that I look forward to…the arrival of all kinds of delicious and exotic citrus in the stores. Things like meyer lemons, sweet Cara Caras, plump Tangelos, and of course blood oranges. With their mottled color orange and red skin, along with the deep red colored flesh…they make for such a special treat that I can never pass up when I come across them in the store.
My favorite thing to do with them is usually make margaritas, but since that’s out for me this season I’ve had to turn to other things. I’m freezing some juice, by the way, so that I can enjoy some of those delicious cocktails come summertime! I’ll probably need a margarita or two with 3 little boys to to look after…Ahhh, fun times ahead.
Anyways, this cake. Yogurt cakes are one of my favorite baked goods on the planet. So much moisture and they love to take on the flavor of whatever fruit you want to throw into them. Case in point – blood oranges. The cake itself is studded with plenty of fresh zest and juice, and then topped with a gorgeous glaze simply made from some confectioner’s sugar and a bit of additional juice from the orange. Can you believe that color? So gorgeous.
I topped with candied orange slices for a garnish that is almost too pretty to eat. Almost. So, if you’ve seen these funny looking oranges in the store, but weren’t quite sure what to do with them – this easy cake is a great place to start. It’s wonderful for dessert, or a slice with your tea or coffee in the morning, or even for a fancy brunch…t’s sure to please everyone.
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
For the glaze:
For the candied orange slices:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 8.5 inch x 4 inch loaf pan and set aside.
In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment combine the yogurt, sugar, eggs, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla. Whisk to combine. With the mixer on running on low, add in the dry ingredients into just combined. Then pour the vegetable oil into the batter and mix until it’s combined well.
Pour batter into loaf pan and bake in preheated oven for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
To make the candied orange slices, wash and dry the orange thoroughly. Cut the orange in half lengthwise, then use a sharp knife to make very thin slices of orange. Poke out any seeds using a toothpick. Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves. Add the orange slices to the mixture so that they are in a single layer, reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer about 20 minutes, turning the slices at least once so both sides are candied. Remove from the heat. Let air-dry on a cooling rack (place some paper towels underneath the rack to catch the syrup drips) until ready to garnish.
When the cake is completely cool, combine the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice in a small bowl and whisk to blend until smooth. Adjust the consistency as needed with additional juice or confectioners’ sugar. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake and garnish with the candied orange slices. Let stand briefly until the glaze sets. Slice and serve.
Cake can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Source: cake adapted from Picky Cook, glaze and candied oranges from Annie’s Eats
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