Got Lemons? Make Lemon Loaf

The citrus trees are blooming in Arizona, the air is sweet, and most of us are sneezing with allergies. Oh but we have LEMONS. Lots and Lots of Lemons.

Very Lemon Loaf is from Tastes & Treasures cookbook, page 119. It is a delicious loaf from historic Rancho de La Osa in Sasabe, AZ.

Bread Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Lemon Glaze Ingredients

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

For the bread, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl. Mix the sugar, butter and lemon extract in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs. Add the flour mixture and milk alternately, beating until just blended after each addition. Fold in the lemon zest and pecans. Pour into greased and floured 5 X 8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

For the glaze, blend the lemon juice and confectioners' sugar in a bowl until smooth. Drizzle over the cracks int he warm bread that form while baking.

Makes 1 loaf. Decorate with slices of fresh lemons and blueberries. Yummm.

Note: Before adding glaze, it really helps to take a fork and make deep punctures from the top of the loaf pan. Then the glaze flows down through the entire loaf.

When using fresh lemons instead of lemon extract, you need to cut back slightly on the liquid (milk) used since fresh lemons are not as concentrated. We used 1/3 cup milk.

Margarita Pie topic on talk radio

The interview with www.blogtalkradio.com/big-blend-radio/2011/07/23/food-history-travel was fun with lots of interest in Margarita Pie and Rancho de la Osa in Sasabe. The hosts did not know the Jesuit mission built in the late 1600 at Rancho de la Osa is the oldest building still in use in AZ. I was nervous about the interview since they know lots of history, so I felt good when I could give them some new information.

The interview was to promote Tastes & Treasures cookbook and Arizona Recollections and Reflections An Arizona Historymakers Centennial Commemoration book.

H. Alan Day, co-author of "Lazy B" with his sister Sandra Day O'Connor, preceded me on the talk show. He is such an interesting speaker. Both he and Sandra talked at a Historical League meeting a few years ago and it was fascinating. His passion now is rescueing wild horses and he tells us about this in his new book.

For all you foodies, here is the sought-after Margarita Pie recipe. Easy to fix and looks so impressive.

MARGARITA PIE

Pretzel Crust

1 1/2 cups finely crushed pretzels

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Pie

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1(14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons gold tequila

2 tablespoons Triple Sec

2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped

Green food coloring (optional)

For the crust, pulse the pretzels and sugar in a food processor several times to combine. Add the butter in a steady stream and process until well mixed. Press over the bottom and up the side of a 9 inch pie plate sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

For the pie, combine the lime juice, condensed milk, tequila and Triple Sec in a bowl and mix well. Fold in the whipped cream. Tint with green food coloring, if you desire a deeper color. Spoon into the crust. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 4 hours or up to 1 week. Garnish with additional whipped cream and lime slices.

Note: Do not use fat-free or low-fat pretzels in the crust or the crust will not hold together when cutting. You may substitute graham crackers for the pretzels.

We added green coloring but swirled it (not mixed it in uniformly) so it gave a marbled look.

Serves 6 to 8

Lemon Bread Pudding

Cooking classes can be "hands on" at Rancho de la Osa dude ranch in Sasabe. Not only did I use the huge commercial mixer but donned latex gloves for the mixing of bread cubes and egg batter. We spooned them into individual ramekins to make a tangy, sweet dessert that looked like a muffin.
It was fascinating to watch tortillas being made. Experience is key to the production of these and nothing beats them warm and fresh off the grill.









Recipe from Rancho de la Osa cookbook page 80.
Lemon Bread Pudding
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds croissants or brioche torn into one inch pieces
3 cups milk
3 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons lemon zest
9 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups white sugar
3 oz fresh lemon juice

Directions
Scald milk and cream with lemon zest. Meanwhile, beat together the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Temper hot cream into egg mix.
Toss with diced bread. Soak until liquid has absorbed, about one hour.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Scoop mixture into a large ceramic baking dish (about 3 quart size).
Place dish into a pan filled with hot water to form a water bath.
Bake covered, 45 minutes.
Remove cover and raise heat to 350 degrees for 15 minutes to crisp the top. Cool slightly and cut bread, putting into squares. Serve hot with warm Lemon Sauce.
Note: We put them into individual ramikens.

Lemon Sauce
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons melted butter
Beat together eggs and sugar. Add lemon juice and zest, then add melted butter. Cook all together over a double boiler till thickened. If sauce gets too thick, whisk in a little water to thin it to pouring consistency.

Dude Ranch Rides

Rancho De La Osa is a beautiful place providing lots of entertainment for the League members.
Kay Holcombe looks comfortable in the saddle but we teased Julie Tribbey about her "wild" horse.
The cute Pennsylvania Cowboy with the beautiful chaps almost got Delores Tomasek to join the ride but she declined.
Janie Burke prepares to mount her horse while Jeannie Fletcher is so relaxed she is taking photos.
Rancho de la Osa had a large selection of "broken in" cowboy boots if you forgot to bring your own as Kay Holcombe, Pam Ryan and Jeannie Fletcher demonstrate. The ride was over rolling hills along the Mexican border fence and electronic camera towers.

Rancho de La Osa

Pam Ryan and Jeannie Fletcher organized a fabulous overnight trip to Rancho De La Osa in Sasabe, AZ. Twenty eight League members enjoyed the history, culture, conversation and good food at this historic inn that has a chapter in Tastes & Treasures cookbook. Owners Richard and Veronica Schultz were most hospitable, sharing their home and appreciation for the values of the Old West.

Getting Healthy at Olive Mill

Olives are good for you. We learned a lot about the health benefits of EVOO, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, on our tour in Queen Creek of the Olive Mill.

Five years ago, Schnepf Farms sold a part of their land to the Olive Mill and owner Perry has made it a destination. The tours are short but very informative. Mary Parker stands next to the Olive Press. At the bottom of the photo is the red valve where the oil drips. To ensure the freshest oil, the olives are pressed within 24 hours of harvesting. This press works for 16-hour shifts during that time. One thousand pound flats of olives go through in a season.

The Olive Mill in Queen Creek has made history by being the first in Arizona to make Extra Virgin Olive Oil. We brought the cookbook to show them. They were impressed and bought a case for their gift shop.

The grounds are lovely for picnics. Forty League members attended the tour and enjoyed the lunch. Jeannie Fletcher and Pam Ryan also announced our overnight tour will be an exclusive visit to Rancho de La Osa in Sasabe. That is a great destination since it started with Father Kino in the late 1600s and has a chapter in Tastes & Treasures cookbook.

Margarita Pie from Rancho de la Osa

Frozen dessert in the frozen north may not make much sense but it was very good and the perfect finish to a great company dinner. Calgary, Canada hit minus 30 while we were there with a snow storm crippling the city and stopping schools and businesses . . . but not us. We walked to the corner market to get the ingredients for Margarita Pie and covered every inch of exposed skin so our faces were barely visible. Brrrr. But it was worth it.

My sister in law, Kitty McLeod, added the two tablespoons of tequila and I stirred in the ingredients. Nephew, Alec McLeod, couldn't wait to add the whipped creme and limes.

Margarita Pie pg. 124 from Rancho de la Osa in Sasabe, AZ

Pretzel Crust
1 1/2 cups finely crushed pretzels
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted

Pie
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons gold tequila
2 tablespoons Triple Sec (We used Galliano since we couldn't buy Triple Sec at the corner market. Is that a NO NO in the liquer world??)
2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped
Green food coloring (optional)

For the crust, pulse the pretzels and sugar in a food processor several times to combine. (We used a blender and it worked great.) Add the butter in a steady stream and process until well mixed. Press over the bottom and side of a 9 inch pie plate sprayed with non stick cooking spray.

For the pie, combine the lime juice, condensed milk, tequila and Triple Sec in a bowl and mix well. Fold in the whipped cream. Tint with green food coloring if you desire a deeper color. Spoon into the crust. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 4 hours or up to 1 week. Garnish with additional whipped cream and lime slices.

Note: Do not use fat-free or low-fat pretzels in the crust or the crust will not hold together when cutting. You may substitute graham crackers for the pretzels but the pretzel crust is the best. Serves 6 to 8.