bubbling over with plums~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

skillet chicken caprese~

 

right now I have 24 tomato plants growing in my kitchen garden, and not a tomato in sight! But, I do have an endless supply of basil and decided to get the tomato show on the road even if store bought!

 

chicken breasts sliced in half lengthwise

one egg

flour

s&p

garlic

fresh thyme

fresh basil

cherry tomatoes

mozzarella slices

lemon

 

sauté tomatoes in butter and oil with garlic and thyme for a couple of minutes and remove from heat

 

coat and dredge chicken in egg and flour

sauté until golden

place mozzarella pieces on chicken

put lid over skillet to melt the mozzarella

 

pour tomatoes over chicken

squeeze the juice of one lemon

chiffonade fresh basil

 

 

they have arrived!

after 2 years, now that I have color, they will come ...

 

apricot meringue pie~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I picked the last of my apricots and have been trying to squeeze in as many new recipes as I can before they all turn to pulp! speaking of pulp, this does make an excellent recipe! my inspiration for the apricot meringue came from here. I never really follow recipes, i always tweak to what i have on hand, i used 2 cups fresh apricots, no water and used a store bought crust...

 

 

~apricot meringue pie~

 

prebake your favorite crust until golden

For the filling:

• 1 pound apricots, pitted and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1 medium lemon)
• 6 large egg yolks (reserve the whites for the meringue in the very clean bowl of a stand mixer)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick), cut into small pieces

for the filling

 

Place the apricots and lemon juice in a blender and blend until smooth.

 

Set a mesh strainer over a medium bowl and pour the apricot mixture through the strainer. Push on the mixture with the back of a ladle and discard the contents of the strainer. Measure 1 cup of the strained mixture and set aside; discard any excess.

(i used 2 cups, no way was i throwing out perfect apricots)!

 

Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl and whisk to break them up; set aside.

 

Place the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large, nonreactive saucepan and slowly whisk in the water until smooth. Place over medium heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture starts to bubble around the edges of the pan, then continue cooking, whisking constantly, until thickened into a gel, about 10 minutes total. Remove the pan from the heat.

 

Transfer about 1/4 cup of the gel to the egg yolks and whisk to combine; set aside. Add the reserved apricot mixture to the saucepan with the gel and whisk to combine. Add the egg yolk mixture to the saucepan and whisk to combine. Return the saucepan to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is very thick, about 7 minutes total. Remove the pan from the heat.

 

Add the butter, let sit for 1 minute to melt slightly, and stir to incorporate. Pour the apricot filling into the crust and smooth it into an even layer. Set aside to cool for 30 minutes.

 

For the meringue:

• 6 large egg whites, at room temperature (use the whites leftover from the filling)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

 

By hand, whisk the sugar 2 tablespoons at a time into the mixer bowl of reserved egg whites, making sure the sugar is incorporated before the next addition, until all of the sugar has been added; set aside.

 

Bring 1/2 inch of water to a simmer over high heat in a saucepan large enough to hold the bowl of the stand mixer over the water without touching it. Reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer.

 

Place the mixer bowl over the simmering water and whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has reached 150°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 4 minutes. To check if the sugar is fully dissolved, carefully rub some of the mixture between your fingers—it should feel smooth without any sugar granules.

 

Attach the bowl to the stand mixer and fit the mixer with a very clean whisk attachment. Add the cream of tartar and whisk on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium for 30 seconds, and then increase the speed to high for 30 seconds. Continue whisking on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form (the tips of the peaks should barely curl over when you lift out the whisk attachment), about 1 to 2 minutes more. Do not overwhisk.

 

Using an offset spatula, spread about half of the meringue over the apricot filling in an even layer, making sure to cover about halfway over the edges of the crust (do not leave any holes, or the meringue will shrink as it cools and the filling will weep). Dollop the remaining meringue in heaping tablespoons over the top of the pie. Using the offset spatula, gently press the top of each dollop and quickly pull up and away to make swirled peaks.