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Lychee

The Food Coop had lychee! They're easy to peel and so, so sweet. Lane doesn't like the texture, which you could describe as eyeball-like. But I'm willing to overlook the texture.

Stone fruit braised lamb

Another unappetizing photo, alas.

Nectarines and apricots haven't fallen from trees in the Northeast yet as far as I know. These babies definitely come from south of the Mason-Dixon line. But after months of apples I couldn't resist. Here is the non-recipe recipe.

1. Brown chunks of lamb kebab meat, cut into 1-inch square pieces, on high heat.
2. Add about 5 halved apricots and three quartered nectarines.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Drizzle about 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar.
5. Throw in a couple of cinnamon sticks.
6. Lower heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

I tried this with millet--my first attempt at cooking it. I hear it's less acidic than other grains. I toasted it first before cooking it in water but wasn't thrilled with the results. I'll have to keep tinkering with the millet, but the lamb with fruit was tartly tasty.

What fresh mustard greens hell is this?

I meant that in a good way. I bought some "salad mix" plants at Jasper's plant sale this spring and the packs were not labeled. So I'm wondering what variety these spicy mustard greens are. Osaka purple, maybe? Whatever the variety, the just-picked leaves were so sharp and spicy they nearly knocked me off my feet. I really liked how they brought my Black Forest ham and fresh mozzarella sandwich to life.

I also like this short piece from Devil and Egg on the delights of red mustard greens. Wish I hadn't just eaten the last of ours!

Family-sized strawberry cake

One of the reasons why I don't bake very much is because most recipes produce quantities too large for us to consume in a timely manner. I'll bake for an event, but if it's just for us the cookies, cupcakes, and pies linger longer than their deliciousness lasts. I know it sounds perverse, but you really can have too much of a good thing, even homemade desserts.

When I was growing up in a five-kid family, the food marketing term "family-sized" meant gigantic. It still does, I believe. But my idea of family-sized food means something a wee bit more diminutive given our one-kid family, especially since that one kid practically lives on air. Cutting recipes in half makes me nervous. I still remember a mathematician trying to tell me that it won't actually work--his explanation had something to do with pi. Anyway, with cookies you can freeze half the dough. But what about cake?

I've found my family-sized dessert recipes lately in Nigella Lawson's cookbook Feast. Ordinarily I don't like celebrity chefs and authors, but I love using this cookbook because Nigella has such excellent taste. So far her desserts are all on the small size and do not overstay their welcome in our kitchen.

I used her Love Buns recipe to make strawberry cake the other day. The recipe is actually for cupcakes (12 instead of the usual 24) but it worked well for a one-pan cake.

1/2 cup plus 1 T unsalted butter
1/2 cup plus 1 T sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teastpoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1/2 cup fresh, chopped strawberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and butter and flour one 9-inch round cake pan. Cream together butter, sugar, and eggs. Mix in vanilla and buttermilk. Sift together flour and baking soda. Combine flour mixture with butter mixture. Gently stir in strawberries. Pour batter into pan and bake for 10 minutes. Turn pan and bake another 10-15 minutes until cake is done.