The Sandpoint Eater: Hello sunshine

By Marcia Pilgeram
Reader Columnist

Come to Arizona, they said. It will be fun and warm, they said. I’m not sure how often it snows in Tucson, but of course, I was there for it!

The weather was mostly warm and sunny though, and those few days in Tucson — along with time in Scottsdale and the Nevada desert — filled my cup. And my plate. I love Mexican cuisine, and north of the border, in Tucson, you’ll find no finer authentic flavors. Whatever your budget, you can experience the best Mexican food ever at one of many food trucks in the city. For a more traditional meal, restaurants offer full menus that might include tableside salsa preparation and lively mariachi bands.

I’m always happy when I find a cheese crisp on the menu. It’s nothing more than a flour tortilla, buttered and baked, topped with lots of cheese, and baked again until it’s crispy on the bottom and covered with melted Mexican cheese. The first bite is always the best, taking me back to the time I spent in Arizona as a child. The secret to a good cheese crisp is the tortilla; nothing can replace the taste of a thin, homemade flour tortilla.

Last week, after a day spent eating, drinking and shopping in colorful Tubac (about an hour south of Tucson), we stopped at a small market so I could grab some bottled water. At the counter, I spied aromatic packages of fresh, homemade tortillas. The clerk noted my interest and quickly informed me that every Saturday, a father and his young daughter drove up from Sonora, Mexico, to deliver the tortillas that his wife makes at dawn. I’m glad the clerk convinced me I needed a dozen paper-thin, lard-rich tortillas.

Sonoran, Tex-Mex, New Mexican and Baja are all styles of Mexican cuisine. The Sonoran area is rich in cattle and wheat production, influencing many of their dishes. Sonoran style is most prevalent in Arizona, and many dishes, such as carne asada and enchiladas, focus on beef. Machaca (dried and shredded beef) is another delicious Sonoran dish.

There’s no shortage of great Mexican food in Tucson, and if you want to get serious about sampling, head there next October to experience “The 23 Miles of Best Mexican Food Festival,” hosted by the Tucson International Mariachi Conference. Tempting, right?

Lots of my friends head south for the winter, and I can see why. “Snow-birding” is the perfect respite from our long, cold winters. Besides visiting my generous hosts, warming up in the sun and filling my belly with Mexican food, I was spoiled with just-ripe backyard citrus that was mine for the picking! 

Friends in Scottsdale and Tucson have beautiful and fragrant citrus trees: oranges, lemons, tangerines and grapefruit, all heavily laden with fragrant, ripe fruit. The soil and sun are the perfect combination for growing fruit. Friends and neighbors are generous with one another, exchanging oranges for grapefruits, lemons for tangerines and picking bags full of fruit to share with the local food banks.

In Tucson, my hosts put out the word that we needed lemons, and a nearby neighbor welcomed us to her yard. Initially, our request for lemons was merely for cocktail ingredients, but visions of sunshine cake danced in my head when I spied her small tree filled with sweet-smelling Meyer lemons, named for Frank N. Meyer, an agricultural explorer who brought the lemons from China in the early 20th century. They’re believed to be a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange: thin-skinned, smaller and much sweeter than a typical lemon.  

Meyer lemons are perfect for baking and are an excellent, tangy addition chopped in salads, rind and all. There’s also nothing tastier than homemade Meyer lemon marmalade.

I’m glad I brought a few of those luscious lemons home because, looking ahead at the weather forecast, I think a sunshine cake is just what the doctor ordered.

Whole lemon sunshine cake

This cake is best made with sweet, thin-skinned Meyer lemons. It’s a dense cake that is perfect for tea time or dessert. The lemony glaze is the perfect icing on the cake. Makes one eight-inch cake. 

INGREDIENTS:

Cake batter:

3 small Meyer lemons

½ cup granulated sugar divided 

1 stick unsalted butter, softened 

⅓ cup Greek yogurt 

3 large eggs room temperature 

1 ½ cup all-purpose flour 

¼ tsp fine sea salt 

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda 

For the glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar sifted to remove any lumps 

1 tbs plain Greek yogurt  

2-3 tsp fresh lemon juice 

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line an 8-inch pan (springform if you have one) with parchment paper. Spray bottom and sides with non-stick spray. Flip parchment over and spray again, so both sides are coated.

Sprinkle 1 tbs of flour into the pan and tap to distribute an even coating. Knock out any excess flour by tapping the pan upside down. 

Cut the lemons in half. Remove the seeds. Put the lemons in a food processor with 2 tablespoons of the sugar and process until fairly smooth. You should have a generous ½ cup of thick lemon puree.

In a small bowl, whisk flour together with salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside. 

Beat the stick of softened butter with the sugar and yogurt in the bowl of a standup mixer, with paddle attachment on medium speed, until fluffy, about 3 or 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the lemon puree to the mixer. Beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and stir just until the batter comes together with no streaks. Spread the batter evenly into the pan. Tap the pan against the counter to air pockets.  

Bake 35-40 minutes, or until the top of the cake springs back to the touch, or toothpick inserted in center is clean. Cool the cake in the pan 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze, stir together all the ingredients until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and let it set for 10 minutes before cutting. 

Wrap leftovers well and refrigerate. It will keep well for 2-3 days.