Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake

There's just something about lemons and blueberries! They go so well together when the little tartness of the lemons mix with the sweet blueberries; it's like a match made in heaven.

During blueberry season, I always buy up some of the freshest blueberries I can find at the farmers market. Sweet, delicious, burst in your mouth blueberries. I like to flash freeze some and place them in food saver bags for use throughout the year.

There are so many things you can make with blueberries; top them on pancakes or waffles, bake them in muffins, make your own blueberry pie filling, top them on cheesecake, make blueberry turnovers, no bake blueberry cheesecake parfaits, blueberry coffee cake, cobbler, and even blueberry balsamic barbecue sauce. So many choices!

This is a wonderful spring and summer cake, but I chose to make it on a dreary rainy day in January. Oh my goodness, talk about lifting your spirits and bringing some sunshine in on an otherwise yucky day, it was fantastic.

Just the right amount of sweetness, with a little hint of tartness from the lemon, this is one delicious cake to serve as a dessert, or even enjoy a slice with coffee for breakfast!

RECIPE
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour, divided
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen and thawed
1 tbsp lemon zest
Lemon Glaze
3 tbls fresh lemon juice
1 cup of powdered sugar

Method
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease, or spray with baking spray, a 10-inch Bundt pan

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between each, and mix in vanilla extract.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk 2 cups of flour, salt and baking powder, and add the flour to the butter and sugar mixture. In a small bowl add the blueberries, lemon zest, and 1 cup flour stirring well to coat the blueberries; add to batter and stir or mix in well. Batter will be very thick.

Spoon batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake for one (1) hour and 15 min or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack 5-10 minutes; remove cake and place on a cake plate or cake storage container.

Lemon Glaze
Whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice together until smooth, and pour over and around the top of the cake allowing it to drip down the sides.

Also seen on Meal Plan Monday

Also seen on Weekend Potluck

Original recipe adapted from Real Housemoms

Enjoy,
Mary

© Cooking with Mary and Friends. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cooking with Mary and Friends with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Satsuma Mandarin Orange Pepper Jelly

At the very end of October or early November, these pretty little Satsuma Mandarin Oranges ripen and are begging to be picked, so a group of us headed over to McKenzie Farms Nursery to visit Stan McKenzie and buy some of his glorious citrus fruit freshly picked from his grove.

Satsuma Mandarin Oranges McKenzie Farms Nursery

A few  years back we had paid our first visit to Stan's nursery and marveled at all the wonderful fruit he had available. He showed us everything from Asian Pears and Dragon Limes, to Guava and Persimmons, but it was the much sought after Satsuma Mandarin Orange we were really after.

Satsuma Mandarin Oranges - McKenzie Farms Nursery

What is the Satsuma Mandarin Orange? It is a seedless and easy-peeling citrus species, Its fruit is "one of the sweetest citrus varieties, with a meltingly tender texture" and usually seedless, about the size of other mandarin oranges (Citrus reticulata). One of the distinguishing features of the satsuma is the thin, leathery skin dotted with large and prominent oil glands, which is lightly attached around the fruit, enabling it to be peeled very easily in comparison to other citrus fruits. The satsuma also has particularly delicate flesh, which cannot withstand the effects of careless handling. The uniquely loose skin of the satsuma, however, means that any such bruising and damage to the fruit may not be immediately apparent upon the typical cursory visual inspection associated with assessing the quality of other fruits. In this regard, the satsuma might be categorized as a hit-and-miss citrus fruit; the loose skin particular to the fruit precluding the definitive measurement of its quality by sight and feel alone. (source: Wikipedia)

Our visit this time did not disappoint, and we quickly loaded  up on these delightful little oranges, along with some fresh lemons and pecans from his trees and a few produce items also grown right on their land.

McKenzie Farms Nursery

When I got home with my goodies I contemplated making a jam with my Satsuma Mandarin Oranges, but I didn't want a marmalade, so I thought, hmmmm, what about a pepper jelly with just a touch of heat? One that would be great with grilled shrimp, chicken or pork, but equally delicious on a cheeseboard with crackers and cream cheese? And so this recipe was "born." It is sweet and tart with a touch of heat ... just as I wanted.

Recipe
Ingredients
1 - 3 lb bag Satsuma Mandarin Oranges
1 small lemon, sliced thin
1 cayenne pepper, sliced thin
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced thin
1 package (1.75 ounce) Sure-Jell (powdered pectin)
5 cups sugar

Method
Peel oranges and process sections in small batches in a food processor. Pour into a mesh strainer placed over a large bowl to collect the juice. Use a spoon to spread pulp back and forth in mesh strainer to get out as much juice as possible. You should have about 3 1/2 cups orange juice.

In a large stock pot, add strained orange juice, thinly sliced lemon, peppers and Sure-Jell (powdered pectin). Bring to a boil over high heat stirring often. Add sugar all at once and return to a rolling boil (one that doesn't stop when you stir it), and boil hard one (1) minute.

Ladle jelly into prepared canning jars, using a spoon to evenly distribute the peppers and lemon slices into each jar, leaving 1/4-inch head-space. Cover with lids and bands and process in boiling water bath 10 minutes.

Remove jars from water bath and let sit on a kitchen towel on your counter-top. Jars are sealed when button on the top of the lid is fully depressed and won't move up and down. Once jars are sealed, and while the jelly is cooling and thickening, slightly shake jars to evenly distribute lemon slices and peppers throughout.

Store jars on pantry shelf up to one year. Opened jars need to be refrigerated.

Yield: 6 half-pint jars

Enjoy,
Mary

© Cooking with Mary and Friends Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cooking with Mary and Friends with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Strawberry Lemon Marmalade

The sweet taste of strawberries blend with the tang of lemons to make this deliciously different marmalade. Spread it on English muffins or scones for wonderful treat, top on angel food cake or pound cake, put a spoonful in muffin batter when baking or use in hand pies. It's delish!

Ingredients
1/4 cup thinly sliced lemon peel
4 cups crushed strawberries
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 package Sure Jel pectin
6 cups sugar
half-pint or pint canning jars

Method
Prepare boiling water. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil.  Wash lids in warm soapy water and set bands aside.

Combine lemon peel and water to cover in a 6- or 8-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 5 minutes, until peel is softened. Drain and discard liquid. Return peel to pan.

Add strawberries and lemon juice to peel and mix well. Gradually stir in pectin.

Bring mixture to a full rolling that can not be stirred down, over high heat, stirring constantly.

Add entire measure of sugar, stirring to dissolve. Return mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat. Skim off foam if necessary.

Ladle hot jam into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch head-space. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.

Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

Original recipe from Ball Fresh Preserving

Enjoy,
Mary

Grilled Swordfish Steaks

I grew up most of my childhood in New England, in a few small towns located on the coast. My dad would go down to one of the local fish markets several times per week, and depending on the season, or what was "fresh off the boat," bring home swordfish, cod, haddock, clams, quahogs, lobster and more.

We had fish steamed or grilled, clams and quahogs steamed or in chowder, (my dad's clam chowder was amazing), baked-stuffed lobster and so many more fresh delicacies! I loved it all, with the exception of something my mom called "Finnan Haddie," which was dreadful to me. Do you know it? All I know is that was the only seafood I didn't like as a child, because I absolutely adored all the rest of it, and do to this day!

Recently a "new to me" seafood market opened locally, Off The Hook Seafood Market, and I'd been trying several times to check it out. Finally I went on a day they were open and it didn't disappoint at all. Fresh wild caught shrimp, sea scallops, sea bass, salmon and more awaited me, along with this awesome swordfish. I didn't hesitate one minute, but bought it and brought it home.

RECIPE
Ingredients

1 - 1-inch thick swordfish steak
1 fresh lemon
Couple sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
Course-ground black pepper (to taste)
1 tbsp. butter

Method
Rub hot grill grate with a thick slice of fresh lemon, reserving the remainder to squeeze over swordfish.

Sprinkle swordfish with course-ground black pepper and squeeze fresh lemon juice over top.Grill on direct medium-high heat approx. 7 minutes per side, or until swordfish is cooked through and flaky.

Remove from grill and top swordfish with 1 tbsp. butter and let it melt in. Serve immediately.

Yield:  2 servings

Enjoy,
Mary

© Cooking with Mary and Friends. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cooking with Mary and Friends with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.