i get a little obsessed

several weeks ago,

i had a moment.

i had just

written about preserving

meyer lemons

and a sandwich that

used the fragrant fruit,

when i came across

a one-year-old article from 

the los angeles times:

100 things to do 

with a meyer lemon.

i froze.

maybe i had been too

hasty.

sure, the preserved

wedges were good

and i was glad

to have them, but shouldn't

i have

candied them?

marinated them with olives?

saved the juice for lemonade

for later this year when it's

unbearably hot?

put them into the cavity of

a duck?

made spa water with them?

i was losing my mind.

i don't even like duck.

i don't live in a spa.

i've never made a pitcher of lemonade.

ever.

but it was all that i could think about.

and then, the best thing - or worst,

depending on how you look at it -

happened.

just when i thought the

season had passed,

i fell into a large bundle

of meyer lemons.

it started all over, not

wanting to waste a drop

of juice or a sliver

of zest. not remembering

that next year, meyer

lemons will

grow again.

i squeezed them into

dressings, squirted wedges

over fish and froze some

juice for later in the year

(you never know - it could 

get really hot). i made

a meyer lemon chutney with shallots

and figs that was only ok

and enjoyed an absolutely

lovely side dish of

yukon gold potatoes

that i roasted alongside

very thinly sliced

meyer lemons until they

were golden brown.

i felt less...rushed.

but i could not let go 

of the lingering voice in

the back of my head,

insisting on curd.

i really wanted to make

a batch, but every time

i did, i just saw the amount

of butter required staring out at me,

as if i had a magnifying glass

placed squarely over those words.

still, i was tempted, but

resistant.

and then, when searching

for a way to use the nopales,

i turned right to the page in

sally schneider's 

james beard award cookbook,

a new way to cook,

for a no-butter lemon curd,

with a meyer variation.

fate.

in order to successfully 

eliminate the butter, schneider 

adds a touch of unflavored gelatin,

which ensures body and stability.

it is so little, that you don't taste

it or know that it is in there

until it has been chilled.

once cold, it does firm up

considerably and change in

color from a milky pale yellow

to a bright and solid one. 

stirring with a spoon, 

softens it again, making it

easy to spread,

as we did on irish soda bread.

but if you plan to pour

the mixture into a tart shell,

i recommend it as soon as the

finished curd reaches room 

temperature. 

i could not figure out how to take a picture of the double boiler set up while also whisking constantly. the pictures kept looking like i was on a roller coaster - until i was lucky enough to have larry step in and whisk so that i could snap a few shots.

tart and smooth,

the meyer lemons add

a floral sweetness that 

makes you want to dip

your spoon in the bowl

just one more

time, or scour your cabinets

for another item

that would benefit from

the spread.

you could also fold

whipped cream, sour cream

or creme fraiche into the

curd to lighten it up

before frosting a cupcake,

filling a torte

or dolloping over

angel food cake

and serving with sliced

strawberries like we did.

with the exception of 

having lemons 

at the ready, 

i was not prepared

to make anything that day. but,

this recipe is so fast and easy,

the curd was in a bowl, cooling,

less than 20 minutes after i

had flipped to page 532.

making the lemony confection

was the

perfect end to the 

meyer lemon windfall:

sweet, creamy, special,

and just satisfying enough,

that finally, i think,

i've gotten it out of my system.

i no longer regret 

(or resent) preserving

the first batch.

thank goodness -

i've still got a long

way to go with those.

meyer lemon curd

from a new way to cook

the only real trick i see with this recipe, is that you really want to have everything ready before you start - there's nothing like fumbling around for a strainer with your right hand, while holding a hot pot in your left hand. oh, and if you're making the curd with regular lemons, simply increase the sugar to 7 tablespoons to help counter their natural tartness. 

1/2 tsp. unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup fresh meyer lemon juice (for me, this was 5 lemons)

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg white

1 3"x1" strip lemon zest, removed with a vegetable peeler

in a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice; place near the stove.

place strainer over bowl.

in a small saucepot, bring 1" water to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer. in stainless steel bowl that will sit on the saucepot without touching the water, combine the remaining lemon juice, sugar, egg, egg white and zest. set the bowl over the saucepot. whisk mixture 5 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and coats the back of a spoon. stir in the gelatin mixture and cook 1 minute longer, stirring. strain the mixure into bowl; allow mixure to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. transfer the curd to a jar or bowl; cover against the surface and chill. the mixture should keep for about 1 week.