Lavender Scone

Yesterday I made lavender scones and lemon curd.  I also served them with my homemade apricot jam.  I meet with a small group of friends from church twice a month.  It was my turn to host and I had time to bake.  We also had iced tea, because it was too warm for hot tea last night.

I am trying to copy a lavender scone we had at a tea house in Capitola.  Mine are good, but not quite as light.  There's a crispy yet fluffy texture that I have yet to duplicate.  It was the first time I'd made lemon curd.  I was happy with it, although it was more tart than others I've tasted.  But I like the tart flavor.  I used lots of lemon zest.

The apricots, lemons and lavender all came from my yard!

First Apricots of the Season

I picked the first apricots of the season yesterday.  They are sweet and juicy and as good as I remember from last year.  These are Blenheim apricots--the best variety there is. I don't have enough ripe apricots to make jam yet, but I think I will be busy cooking in a few days.

Here is my tree.  I put a tarp under it to catch the windfalls and keep them clean.  I mostly just gather apricots from the ground, because those are the ripest and the best.  That way I don't have to use a ladder.  Unfortunately, about half my crop is eaten by squirrels.  They leave a lot of half-eaten apricots on the ground.

Here's a picture of a squirrel enjoying my crop!

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow

The Apricot Harvest Begins!

Almost Time to Pick the Apricots!

I can't wait for the apricots to get ripe.

Sunday Greens and Blues