Meet Barb

When Life (or Your Mom) Gives You Grapefruits • No. 1 🍊

Meet Barb.

My mother.

A collector of high-anxiety animals. A woman on a first-name basis with every employee at her local Trader Joe’s. A lady who drinks black tea at an alarming rate despite having remarkably low blood pressure. Who rearranges her garage seasonally following an intricate system only visible to her. And who grows enough grapefruit to make you wonder what’s actually in her compost.

Barb loves to garden.

Her Arizona backyard is vast and colorful. From herbs, tomatoes, lettuce varieties, and orange jubilees to fruit trees of every kind; apple, fig, lemon, pomegranate, apricot, and most importantly, grapefruit.

So, so many grapefruits.

In fact, this time of year, guests, be wary. Because should you stop by Barb’s, you’re leaving with at least a few bags full of them. Doesn’t matter who you are, or the reason for your visit. You will take them.

You will.

“And let me know if you want more!” she’ll yell enthusiastically from her front door, smiling and waving in a way that makes you wonder what kind of citrus distribution ring you’ve wandered into.

But it’ll be in God’s hands as you drive home, your back seat so heavy that you barely make it over speed bumps.

Well, I got pulled into that operation a few weeks ago. Naively blindsided, even though I know the game like the back of my hand. I still left feeling guilty that I couldn’t possibly let her bumper crop go to waste.

So, here I am. Writing to you under pounds of grapefruit, with nothing left to do but share a recipe a week to chip away at the madness. The good news is, as it turns out, there are plenty of creative, delicious ways to eat grapefruit beyond cutting one in half for breakfast like a crash diet from the late ‘80s.

Today, we’ll start with an easy crowd pleaser 🍊🍰

Grapefruit Olive Oil Cake

Dry Ingredients:

• 190g all-purpose flour (1.5 cups)

• 4g baking powder (1 tsp)

• 3g kosher salt (1/2 tsp)

Wet Ingredients:

• 200g granulated sugar

• Zest of 2 big grapefruits

• 3 large, room temp. eggs

• 170g olive oil (3/4 cup) choose the mildest option you can find

• 120g grapefruit juice (1/2)

Grapefruit Syrup:

• 60g grapefruit juice (1/4 cup)

• 25g sugar (2 tbsp)

Glaze:

• 120g powdered sugar

• 30-45g grapefruit juice (2-3 tbsp)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.

2. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers until fragrant. This wakes up the citrus oils and makes a big difference in the final flavor.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

4. In another bowl, whisk together the grapefruit sugar, eggs, olive oil, and grapefruit juice until smooth.

5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Don’t overmix.

6. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake for 45–55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

7. While the cake bakes, make the syrup by gently simmering the grapefruit juice and sugar until the sugar dissolves.

8. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then poke holes all over the top with a skewer or toothpick. Slowly spoon the syrup over the warm cake and allow it to soak in.

9. Let the cake cool completely.

10. Whisk together the powdered sugar and grapefruit juice until smooth. Pour over the cooled cake and let the glaze set before slicing.

Happy Baking!

And if you run into Barb… you’ve been warned.

P.S. If anyone’s in the market for a shepherd, let met know.