Behold the Power of Eat.at Kindness and Generosity. Remember this rant:

Pat, they have a very delicate flavor that was quite lovely. I wished I'd save a bit

of the puree to daub on the top because it was OUTSTANDING! It tasted the way I remember apricot jam USED to taste like. Now apricot jams just taste...sweet.

My pastry crème didn't thicken enough (at least not enough in my opinion), so I added 3 more yolks and a bit more sugar the next day, recooked and that worked perfectly.

Used 1-cup Pyrex dishes and thought it was a bit too much dessert. If the soufflés were baked in demitasse/espresso cups, that would be the perfect portion size for me.

For you CA folks who can get dried Blenheim apricots easily, this is a definitely a "wow!' kind of presentation.

 
K, I don't do Facebook. Aren't you enjoying her book! Her brussel sprouts are next on my list.

Or maybe the cauliflower saag paneer?
Oh, the okra dish?

 
WOW! Those look truly stunning! You never made a souffle before? Looks fantastic

I can almost smell them! Thrilled they worked out so well for you!

Also:

a) I had no idea the other apricots were such a different color.

b) (Royal) Blenheim apricots are special and very hard to find these days because they don't ship as well as the newer fruit types. If anyone want an apricot tree I recommend this one. They are "royal" because they flourished in the garden at Blenheim Palace in England, birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill and at one time the #1 cot in CA. They are a big part of Santa Clara Valley's (aka Silicon Valley) history.

c) Since sourcing is difficult even here (you won't find these at Safeway or most stores) I've added a link to the stand I get them from. http://www.cjolsoncherries.com/cherries/apricots.html The new crop should arrive in June and I know they are fresh then because the orchard is still here.

BTW Marilyn, when I was there I got some of the best fresh cherries I've ever had and that includes the Bing trees in my neighborhood. So going there was a win/win!

http://www.cjolsoncherries.com/cherries/apricots.html

 
Well we are kindred spirits, one of the few that do not do Facebook!

I have many recipes marked with one of those "pull out of a Post-it pen" tabs. Have to make up a whole new grocery list. I love the book, even though it is a 101, it is refreshing to learn some old skills again, that have gone array, and bring them back. She is a patient and great teacher. I would love to know how her kids turned out...used to watch them on her show.

 
Funny you should mention growing one as I'm actually considering planting

a Blenheim. The problem for me is that the Blenheim has an "estimated winter chilling requirement of 400 hours below 45 degrees." and that may be a challenge for my particular area. I may have to go with a different variety.

 
Thanks for the info, Mar. I'm a big fan of mini desserts and could

see how cool those might look in a demitasse-sized cup. But I also have an assortment of soufflé dishes that range in size from 2 - 10 ounces so am thinking a 4 oz soufflé dish would also present well.

 
What zone are you? I think you are in 9b same as me.

I think you totally could grow one there as Santa Clara and Sacramento were both big farm areas for Blenheims. BTW, it's Chilling requirement is 400 hours --- or less. Talk to the folks at the link. I just went to a garden talk where they did a presentation and really seemed to know their stuff (I also won a fruiting mulberry tree from them).

I say go for it!

We had a Blenheim for years and it did great. Finally took it out when the birds were getting more than we did (ditto the nectarine). Mom was better at 'cot harvest and jam making at the time than I was, so now I just buy them since there is an orchard nearby.

I bet you could espalier one though. That's my plan for an orange, lime and another meyer lemon. I think they'd look so pretty and "California" across the back fence. (I'm too old to want to be climbing ladders or trees after fruit like I did when I was younger.)

http://www.davewilson.com/product-information/product/blenheim-royal-apricot

 
I'm a big fan of Dave Wilson Nursery trees... we have several. Their website has

some really cool espalier ideas we explored a couple years ago when we were considering espaliering our fruit trees. Attached is a link in case you haven't already been to their site.

While I'm personally interested in an apricot tree, hubby expressed desire for a peach tree (there's room for only one tree...to replace the 3 year old apple tree which just bit the dust due to fire blight). I don't want to deal with peach tree curl each year, and spraying, so we're still exploring all the options. Stay tuned, lol.

http://www.davewilson.com:8080/home-gardens/backyard-orchard-culture/photos/espalier

 
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