Boo hoo!!! I’m crying because I used the rest of my lemons on this cake. I can see more on Eileen’s tree next door. Just need to pull some pantyhose over my head tonight, drug her dog “Amanda Barks-A-Lot,” sneak on over there & help myself… That or ask her for some.

You probably have most of these ingredients:

You might not have lemon curd but can buy it pre-made at most grocery stores:

Lemon curd (click photo for recipe)

INGREDIENTS:
Crumb Topping
1-1/2 c all-purpose flour
2/3 c sugar
1 TBSP lemon zest
1 TBSP orange zest
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 c cold butter, cut into pieces

Cake Batter
1/2 c butter, softened
1-1/2 c sugar, divided
3 eggs, separated
1-1/2 c flour
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 c plain Greek yogurt
1 TBSP lemon zest
3/4 c lemon curd
1/4 c powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Make the crumb topping first. It’s easy. Combine flour, sugar, lemon & orange zest and salt. Add butter & cut into flour mixture with a pastry cutter.

Voila!

Cover & chill in refrigerator.

Now make the batter:

Beat the butter until creamy.

Then add 1-1/4 c of the sugar and beat for about 3 minutes. You want it fluffy. Add egg yolks.

The original recipe says to add them one at a time but I added them all at once because I have 2 small children who get all up in my business when I’m trying to cook.

(And here I thought I was being fancy by having them separated at ALL.)

Beat just until they’re incorporated.

In another bowl, whisk together flour & baking soda.

Just this leetle teeny tiny amount of baking soda makes a big difference!

Add about 1/3rd of it to butter mixture, then add 1/2 the yogurt,

then another 1/3rd of the flour mixture, then the rest of the yogurt and finally the last 1/3 of the flour.

Finally, stir in the zest. Be careful not to over mix this.

In another bowl – beat the egg whites at a high speed until foamy. Then add the last 1/4th cup of sugar, a little at a time, until stiff peaks form.

Fold whites into the batter. Pour batter into a greased & floured 9×9″ square pan.

Drop dollops of lemon curd on top of batter.

Swirl curd into the batter with a knife.

Sprinkle crumb mixture on top & pop into the oven for 45-50 minutes.

I definitely needed to bake mine for 50. Original recipe says stick a toothpick in to see if it comes out clean BUT it might not b/c of the curd. My curd tricked me and I baked it too long. What I recommend is gently shaking the pan – if it jiggles a lot it needs a little more time.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar & serve. YUM!

 
Source: Southern Living Magazine

It’s been exciting having this huge yield of lemons from my next door neighbor’s tree. I’ve been getting “Southern Living Magazine” this year thanks to my niece’s magazine drive and have stumbled upon a few yummy recipes.

Lemon curd can be used for lots of things including Lemon-Yogurt Crumb Cake, Lemon Tiramisu, Lemon Souffles, Lemon Bar Cheesecake and even Rosemary Lemon Curd Martinis which I shall try as soon as I lose this hacking cough. Wonder if I can make a Lemon Curd Nyquil Martini?

This is a really quick microwave/cheater method. I’ll tell you how to do it via stove top too though if you really can’t stand the idea of nuking your curd. Haha!! “Nuking your curd!”

INGREDIENTS:
2 TBPS lemon zest (about 4 lemons)
1 c lemon juice (about 4-6 lemons)
1/2 c butter, softened
2 c sugar
4 eggs

Beat 1/2 c butter, softened and 2 c sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add 4 eggs, one at a time. Beat until just blended each time. Add lemon juice slowly until just blended.

Now add zest & stir.

If it looks curdled, you

You’re about to microwave this so make sure it’s in a large microwave-safe bowl!

**NOTE: See bottom of post for stove-top method!**

Microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes, stirring every minute. That means just set it for 1 min, then open, stir, put back in or 1 min etc. I wrote hash tags on a little paper because I was being talked to and interrupted the whole time.

Now microwave 1 or 2 more minutes on HIGH stirring every 30 seconds. It should be thickening and sticking to the spoon.

Poor into an airtight container. Cover with plastic wrap being sure it touches the surface of the curd to keep it from getting a “skin” on top. Can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks.

Stove top method:

Instead of microwaving, place in a 4 qt saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook for 14-16 minutes, whisking constantly. Pour into air tight container & cover with plastic wrap (directly touching surface of curd to prevent “skin” from forming.)

Source: Southern Living Magazine

**UPDATE: Z Garden does indeed have high chairs!**

This place opened up a year or so ago across Pico from Virginia Park. When I saw the sign, “Healthy Mediterranean Food” I thought, “Yeah, RIGHT!” b/c that building had housed cheap & UNhealthy Mexican food before that. Some buildings seem to doom whichever restaurants inhabit them.

G took the girls there last July when I was out of town. He claimed it good. I thought, “Yeah RIGHT!” since G doesn’t have taste buds.

Finally I tried it out last week after a Clover Park day with my friend and her kids. SO good! I forgot to take pix so I went back again last weekend.

G ordered extra pita & humus.

Extra humus & pita

I got the falafel pita sandwich.

Hey, that was MY salad!!

G & the girls shared the salmon entree.

Doesn’t that look yummy?

Click HERE for the menu if you’re interested.

There is indoor & outdoor seating. I don’t think they have high chairs but maybe they’d get them if you asked?? The owner is super friendly!

Z Garden
2350 Pico Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
http://www.zgarden.net

This is a really simple one to keep in your back pocket! You probably already have all the ingredients. Make sure you have 2-3 lemons though.

You need:

INGREDIENTS
1/2 c butter, melted
1 c sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 c milk
1/3 c lemon juice
1/4 c sugar

This is a 2 bowl endeavor which isn’t bad.

Preheat oven to 325.

1. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and butter.

2. Add eggs and lemon juice. Mix.

3. Add salt, flour & baking powder. Mix. (Normally I whisk together dry ingredients in a separate bowl but I didn’t do it this time and it came out perfect!)

4. Add milk and mix till just combined.

5. Fill well-greased loaf pan with batter and bake for 1 hour or until golden brown.

6. In a small bowl, combine 1/3 c lemon juice and 1/4 c sugar. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the top of the cake. Drizzle the lemon juice/sugar mixture over the top of the cake.

Yum!

Source: Food.com

This is unbelievably tasty despite or maybe due to the simplicity of the ingredients! A perfect pre-dinner salad that you can make quickly or even ahead of time.

My neighbor gives me bags of lemons from her prolific lemon tree from time to time.

I usually squeeze a bunch of them into ice cube trays and freeze the juice for later cooking use.

This time, before I start squeezing & freezing I remembered a simple carrot salad I’d just read about in La Tartine Gourmande. I noticed the book at the library and quickly photocopied a few recipes from it.

Try this!!! I mean it.

All you need:

The amounts in this recipe serve about 4 people. I would definitely double it next time but I was hand grating…

INGREDIENTS:
4 large carrots, peeled
1 TBSP flat leaf parsley, chopped (I used Italian parsley as that’s all I had)
2 TBSP chives, chopped

Vinaigrette:
sea salt & pepper
1/4 c fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
6 TBSP olive oil

Grate the carrots and place in large bowl. In a separate smaller bowl, combine the vinaigrette ingredients in the order listed, whisk together and pour over the carrots. Combine well with spoon. Cover & refrigerate. Dress with the fresh herbs just before serving.

Maddie ate 3 bowls in rapid succession and then asked if she could take some to school the next day. There were no leftovers.

Source: La Tartine Gourmande