Welcome to My Kitchen

Spring arrived March 20th, according to the calendar, and though we have had a few days over 60 degrees, the wind is cold, the ground is cold and I am waiting until Mother’s Day to plant potatoes. Cold weather aside, it hasn’t diminished the number of baby and wedding showers on Odessa calendars. Following are a couple of flavorful recipes ideal for any spring gathering.

Lois Iksic called in search of a lemon cream pie recipe that called for fresh lemons. Here is my favorite recipe that comes from a Pillsbury cookbook I have used so much, the cover and copyright page are long gone.

Sour Cream

Lemon Pie

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp corn starch

1/2 tsp salt, optional

2 cups hot water

3 egg yolks

2 tsp grated lemon rind

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp butter

1 cup sour cream

1 baked and cooled 9 inch pie shell

1 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a heavy saucepan; stir well. Gradually stir in hot water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored. Gradually stir about 1/4 of the hot mixture into beaten egg yolks. Add egg mixture into remaining hot mixture, stirring constantly. Return to stove and cook over medium heat 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until thick. Remove from heat.

Add lemon rind, lemon juice and butter, stirring until butter melts and is thoroughly incorporated. Let cool until room temperature. Stir in sour cream until well blended. Spoon mixture into baked pastry shell.

Beat whipping cream at high spread with electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Spread mixture over pie filling. Chill thoroughly. Yield: 8 servings.

Note: purchase fresh lemons on sale. Bring to room temperature. Roll lemons briskly on counter top with the palm of your hand. Using a fine grater or zester, remove the yellow part of the lemon peel and freeze for later use. Then squeeze juice from lemons and pour juice into ice cube trays and freeze. Store lemon juice cubes in an air tight container in freezer. Thaw just what you need for recipes and beverages.

Then place the remaining white peel and membrane in blender and fill container with water, blend until thoroughly pulverized, then water your acid loving plants with this mixture. Lemon peels are also good for cleaning and deodorizing your garbage disposal unit. Use a few at a time with lots of cold running water. Use the 3 egg whites left over from the pie to make Egg Confetti to garnish green salads. In a small bowl whisk egg whites just until blended, add 1 tsp water per egg white and blend. Don’t over beat.

Heat a small non-stick skillet over medium low heat. Pour in egg white mixture and cook slowly until just set. Flip egg white “crepe” and let cook 10 seconds more. Don’t over cook. Remove to plate and cool 10 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until serving time. Use a shape knife or pizza cutter to slice into thin strips then cross cut at 2 inch lengths. Sprinkle over salads. For an extra burst of flavor, sprinkle with smoked paprika or your favorite herbs before cooling and chilling. Use a 6 inch skillet for 3 egg whites or an 8 inch skillet for 6 egg whites.

More lost and found. I discovered this recipe in the back of my notebook on St. Matthews Quilt Display, which probably means someone gave it to me around Deutschesfest last year.

I don’t recognize the hand writing and no name or even the title of the recipe was included. If this is your recipe, please let me know so we can credit the submitter and give it the correct title. For now it is Strawberry Dessert, and it is a great make ahead recipe.

Strawberry Dessert

1 baked 13x9 inch white cake, cooled

Creamy Topping:

1/2 pint whipping cream, whipped

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese until smooth and beat in powdered sugar and vanilla. Fold in whipped cream until blended. Spread mixture over cake.

Strawberry Topping:

1 cup water

4 Tbsp corn starch

2/3 cup granulated sugar

4 Tbsp strawberry flavored gelatin or

1 box Danish Dessert, prepared according to package pie filling directions

6 cups sliced fresh strawberries

Combine water, cornstarch, sugar and gelatin in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in strawberries. Pour over cake to evenly cover. Refrigerate until ready to use. Yield: 12-15 servings.

Share your favorite spring time soup, salad and sandwich recipes by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Odessa Record, P.O. Box 458, Odessa WA 99159 or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office. Squash, cucumbers and melon vines make a productive ground cover.