CITRUS PIE

Serves 6 to 8

Since last winter’s freeze damaged many trees and reduced our expected citrus crop, you’ll want to treasure any fruit you harvest this spring. This easy pie showcases both the pure citrus flavor and pretty slices of our more unusual citrus varieties. (Do not use grapefruit or thick-skinned lemons or oranges for this pie; you’ll have too much white pith.)

You can make the pie in a standard pie plate or, for a prettier presentation, use a thin tart shell. The quantity of sugar depends on the sourness of your fruit; I like the pie a bit on the tart side. The most difficult part of this recipe is removing the seeds, especially if you use kumquats. Don’t forget to start the recipe the night before you plan to serve it.

Approximately 2 cups organic citrus of your choice with thin, unblemished skin (such as 2 large Meyer lemons, 3 to 4 medium limes, 8 limequats or 24 kumquats)
Finely grated zest of 1 scrubbed lemon
1 to 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
2 extra-large eggs
Pie crust or tart shell, partially baked (put citrus zest in the crust for an extra hit of flavor)

1. Scrub the citrus under warm water with an abrasive scrubber. Rinse well. If using large citrus fruit like lemons or limes, cut off both ends of to expose the fruit (if using kumquats, this is not necessary). Then cut the citrus into paperthin slices (I like to use the slicing tube on my food processor.) Remove any seeds. Layer the citrus slices, zest and sugar in a large bowl. Toss gently and set aside for 30 to 60 minutes. Toss again. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight, stirring once or twice if convenient.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

3. Stir the citrus mixture carefully and remove any remaining seeds. Whisk the eggs until light in a separate bowl, add them to the citrus mixture and mix well. Pour into the pre-baked pie crust or tart shell and arrange citrus slices as needed so that they lay flat in the crust or tart shell.

4. Bake the tart until the filling is set and lightly golden, approximately 25 to 30 minutes for a thin tart and 30 to 40 minutes for a pie. Rotate the pie in the oven midway through baking to ensure even coloring. Remove and place on a wire rack.

5. Serve the pie warm or cool. To keep the pie, wait until it cools, cover it and refrigerate. Bring it back to room temperature before serving.

Adapted from the China Moon Cookbook by Barbara Tropp.

More recipes are available on the Queen Creek Olive Mill website, www.queencreekolivemill.com/recipes.jsp.

GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

Serves 6

4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1⁄2 cup whole milk
1⁄2 cup Queen Creek Olive Mill garlic olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chopped parsley

1. Boil potatoes until tender when pierced with a fork, drain and place in a large bowl or in a food processor.

2. Add milk, garlic olive oil and salt. Whip potato mixture using a hand mixer or food processor. Be careful not to over whip.

3. Garnish with chopped parsley.

TEQUILA LIME FAJITAS

Serves 4

5 Tbsp. Queen Creek Olive Mill Mexican lime olive oil
1 pound chicken breast, sliced (medium shrimp or sliced steak may be substituted)
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño pepper with seeds removed, chopped
1 medium red onion, sliced vertically
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 shot of your favorite tequila (optional)
1 Tbsp. Queen Creek Olive Mill White Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro.

1. Heat Mexican lime olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add chicken and sauté for 2 minutes.

2. Add all peppers, onion and garlic and continue to sauté for an additional 8 to 10 minutes until chicken is fully cooked.

3. Add tequila and white balsamic vinegar. Cook for one minute more, remove from the heat and sprinkle with the chopped cilantro.

4. The fajitas may be served right out of the skillet with warm corn or flour tortillas accompanied by salsa, guacamole, shredded cheese, sour cream and a cold beer.

Enjoy the season’s leeks with the last of the carrots for this refreshing summer
soup. Garnish with thin slices of lemon, lime or orange.

CHILLED CARROT AND GINGER SOUP

3 Tbsp. chopped shallots
1 leek, white part only, chopped
2 tsps. butter
7 carrots
2 Tbsp. grated ginger
2 quarts chicken stock
2 Tbsp. long-grain rice
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper

Sweat the shallots and leek in the butter. Add the chopped carrots, grated ginger and salt and pepper. Stir well. Then add the chicken stock and rice and simmer for 30 minutes.

Puree the soup in a blender (being careful with the hot liquid) or with an immersion blender, strain and chill.

Before serving add the cream and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serves 6 to 8.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Pascal Dionot of Classic Cooking
10411 E McDowell Mountain Ranch Rd, Scottsdale
(480) 502-0177; www.classiccooking.net.

TRADITIONAL SAUTEED CHOLLA BUDS

One of Frances’ favorite foods, cholla buds have a unique flavor that includes tones ranging from artichoke to asparagus. Very nutritious and tasty, they make a healthy side dish for any meal.

1 onion, chopped
2 pieces broken dried chiles (optional)
1 cup boiled or roasted cholla buds
1 tsp. olive oil or other oil
1/2 cup cooked tepary beans (optional)

In a frying pan, cook onions in the oil until lightly browned. If using chiles, add these now and cook until the peppers darken.

Add cholla buds and cook for five minutes or until they have absorbed all the oil and are warmed through. If they seem dry, add more oil and continue cooking.

If using beans, add these now and cook until they are warmed through.

O’ODHAM WHITE TEPARY BEAN STEW

Tepary beans love slow cooking. This recipe produces a slightly sweet, delicious rich broth and is ideal for a crock pot. Frances always kept a pot bubbling on the stove.

1 cup dried white tepary beans, rinsed and picked through
10 cups of water
1 tsp. salt
1 pound oxtails, beef short ribs, deer or rabbit

Place beans, water and salt in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours.

Add meat to the bean mixture, cover and cook for one more hour, or until beans are tender and the meat is falling off the bone.

If using a crock pot, place water and all other ingredients in the pot, cover and set to high. Cook for 8 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone and the
beans are tender.

Recipes Courtesy of Frances Manuel, San Pedro Village

STUFFED SQUASH BLOSSOMS

Adapted from Chef Chrysa Kaufman

12 large or 16 small squash blossoms
1/3 cup fresh goat cheese
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup Parmigiano, Asiago and/or Pecorino cheeses, grated
1 Tbsp. mixed chopped fresh herbs (basil, marjoram, parsley, cilantro and mint are options)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup toasted ground bread crumbs
Olive oil

Mix the cheeses with the herbs and salt and pepper to taste. Add just enough egg to keep everything together (keep the remaining egg to use later).

Put the cheese mixture into a pastry bag, use it to fill the squash blossoms and then twist the ends of the blossoms to enclose the filling. Dip the stuffed blossoms gently into the remaining beaten eggs, and then roll them lightly in toasted ground bread crumbs. Fry quickly in about a half-inch of olive oil, turning to brown all sides.

Ranch Pinot serves the squash blossoms with an arugula salad topped with a cherry tomato vinaigrette.

Serves four as an appetizer.

Use this recipe on salads made with bitter greens or spinach, orange segments and nuts. To make the vanilla sugar, insert your used/scraped, washed and dried vanilla beans into a canister of sugar. You can substitute local citrus blossom honey for the vanilla sugar (especially good on fruit salad).

ORANGE VANILLA VINAIGRETTE

1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp. vanilla sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. orange zest

Combine white wine vinegar, orange juice, vanilla sugar, vanilla extract and orange zest in a bowl. Whisk together until thoroughly mixed.

This vinaigrette should be used the same day; otherwise the orange zest will make it turn bitter.

Recipe reprinted with permission from
Simply Vanilla: Recipes for Everyday Use by Patty Elsberry and Matt Bolus (Elevate)
See www.arizonavanilla.com.

Recipes compliments of Chef Ed Walsh,
local hotel and restaurant consultant and educator.