Many years ago I came across a recipe by Philip Johnson in an Australian magazine for lemon creams that was so simple and quick to make. It resembled more of a lemon posset than a classic pot de crème, but I loved the fact that there were no eggs and no baking. Over the years I have made countless adaptations of this dessert by adding assorted fruit and flavors. In this one, the crème is perfumed with lemon verbena and filled with fresh figs. It’s fragrant, rich and sensuous.
Serves 8 people
2 ½ cups cream — do not use ultra-pasteurized which will cause the pots de crème to separate
5 oz (2/3 cup) sugar
5-6 lemon verbena leaves
1/3 cup lemon juice
Zest of 2 lemons
16 figs — chopped
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon mild honey
8 figs — split in half to the stem
Radishes with Salt, Butter and Baguettes
Serves 8 people
1 or 2 bunches breakfast radishes — thoroughly rinsed, ends trimmed
Butter
1 baguette — sliced
Coarse sea salt
To serve this as an appetizer, place the radishes in a small bowl or arrange on a serving board with the sliced baguette, fresh butter and a small bowl of salt for dipping the radishes.
Smoked Salmon Wrapped Asparagus
Serves 8 people
2 ½ lbs asparagus (choose stalks that are not too thick, about 9 spears per person —ends trimmed
½ lb smoked salmon — thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine or Champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon chives — finely chopped
Large pinch of flake salt (Murray River or Malden work well)
Black pepper
1. Cook the asparagus in a steamer until they are al dente. This should take about 5 minutes. Remove from the steamer and place them in a shallow dish filled with iced water to stop the cooking and keep the asparagus bright green.
2. Remove the asparagus from the ice water and pat dry.
3. Assemble bundles of asparagus by wrapping ½ slice of smoked salmon around 3 spears. Arrange 3 bundles on each salad plate.
4. To make the vinaigrette, combine the mustard, olive oil and vinegar in a small bowl and whisk together to create a homogenous sauce. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salmon-wrapped asparagus and then sprinkle some chives over each serving. Add a pinch of salt and some black pepper.
Endives and Salmon “Boats”
Serves 8 -10 people
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 oz crème fraiche
1 heaped tablespoon Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 oz smoked salmon — cut into ¼-inch pieces
4 tablespoons finely diced fennel
2 tablespoons chopped dill
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
2 large Belgian endive — ends trimmed
1. Chill a large serving platter for 30 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the crème fraîche, yogurt, olive oil and lemon juice. Add the salmon, fennel, dill and chives, and mix well.
3. Fill the platter with ice.
4. Spoon the mixture into the endive leaves and arrange on the platter.
The salmon mixture can be made 2 hours in advance. Keep refrigerated.
This is my version of the old English school pudding. It originated at Eton College. It’s called a mess because there is no perfect way to assemble this and, well frankly, it can look a mess. However, as it is oh so delicious, no one will mind!
Serves 8 people
For the meringues:
Makes 15–18 large meringues
3 egg whites
7 oz (1 cup) sugar
For the simple strawberry-pomegranate jam:
2 pints strawberries — hulled and halved
5 oz (3/4 cup) sugar
2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses
8–10 grinds black pepper
1 Meyer lemon — halved and juiced, rinds reserved
To assemble an Eton Mess:
2 pints strawberries — hulled and halved
1 pint (2 cups) heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or pure vanilla extract
SAUTÉED PLUOTS
Pluots are also wonderful sautéed in a pan with a little butter, a pinch of cinnamon and a little brown sugar. The juice from the fruit caramelizes in the pan. Served warm with some vanilla ice cream this makes a quick and easy summertime dessert.
Serves 8 people
1oz butter
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
16–20 pluots—quartered
Fresh mint—chopped
Since the truly bumper harvest of nectarines from my garden a few weeks ago I have been keeping an eye on the plum tree, which I believe has been inspired by its fruity neighbor. It too has produced prodigious, beautiful sweet fruit. Great mounds of them in fact: 20 lbs ripening at a time, and still more to come. So much so that the nectarine frenzy of last month has been surpassed with an abundance of plum filled dishes, jams, ice creams, tarts and cakes. Thankfully we are all plum aficionados here.
Plums which were first cultivated in China are now grown commercially in many parts of the world. California is the United States largest producer of this fruit with much of the crop coming from the San Joaquin Valley. Many of our local farmers grow plums which the almost daily farmers markets showcase in great abundance. Santa Rosa plums are one of the most popular varieties in California. They are sweet and slightly tangy in taste, have a beautiful red/purple color, with an amber flesh and are perfect for the tart set out below.
PLUM TART
For the crust:
24 gingersnaps
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 pinch allspice powder
For the filling:
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons sugar
16 plums – stone removed and thinly sliced
16oz goat cheese at room temperature
Zest of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons cream
6 tablespoons plum jam