Lemon curd is pretty high on my list of favorite things. So a while back when I came across a recipe for strawberry curd, I definitely wanted to give it a try. A curd is usually made of citrus combined with sugar, butter and eggs. It's thick and has sort of a pudding like texture. They can also be made from fruit combined with citrus and eggs. Since strawberry season is in full swing at Waterberry Farm, we're on the lookout for new ways to use them. Of course when I went to make the strawberry curd, I couldn't find the recipe I'd seen originally. It's out there somewhere on the world wide web!! I adapted this recipe from one for I'd found for a raspberry curd. I had some leftover cake I want to use up so I decided to put it between the layers of cake. The cake I used was just a basic vanilla cake. I liked it with the curd, but I think a lemon cake would have been even better. If you'd rather not go to the trouble of making a cake, you could just serve it as is with a dollop of whipped cream on top.
Although I really like this curd, I think that I'm going to try making one that doesn't have whipped cream and is more like traditional lemon curd. So stay tuned for strawberry curd part two!

Rhubarb in the South!?!

Yes, you can grow rhubarb in lower Alabama! Typically, rhubarb is a cool weather plant and hates the hot humid summers we get here in the South. However, it has been thriving in our hydroponics system. Look at these lovely stalks!

Rhubarb and strawberries are a marriage made in food heaven and we just happen to have both right now! So naturally we've been cooking up some wonderful desserts.
I made a rhubarb strawberry clafoutis. Clafouti, pronounced kla,foo,Tee, is a french counrty dessert with a custard like batter baked over fresh fruit. Traditionally the French make clafoutis using fresh cherries. We don't have any cherries, (which also hate our hot humid summers) but we've got plenty beautiful rhubarb and strawberries.

Ingredients:

1 cup cleaned rhubarb, cut in small sticks
6 oz strawberries
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp sour cream
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar for the rhubarb
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 teaspoon light rum (or vanilla)
1/4 cup blanched almonds (optional)
Confectioner’s sugar, to sprinkle

Method:

Place the rhubarb in a colander and sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar. Let rest for 1 hour so that it releases some juice.
Preheat your oven at 400 F. Butter an oven safe baking dish or pie pan.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar. Add the cornstarch and flour and mix together.
Mix the sour cream in with the milk and slowly add the milk to batter.
Arrange the fruit, in a buttered oven safe dish, and pour the batter over and sprinkle nuts over top.
Cook for about 30 to 35 min, or until golden in color. Remove from the oven and let cool a little before eating. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar. Best when eaten while still warm. Enjoy!