a bowl of lemons yesterday at Hamilton’s Grill Room, Lambertville, NJ
First thought of the day? Goodbye to you January! Good Bye!!!!!!!!
Need a little brightening to your day as you run around and prepare for the Super Bowl and tomorrow’s next snow storm? Well, if you are “game”, and you don’t have some, run out to the store and buy yourself a big bag of lemons. Place them in a nice bowl on your counter and then feast your eyes. Not only will they cheer you as they sit on the counter, their uses are innumerable and guaranteed to pleasantly improve your day!
my 20 1/2″ diameter lemon bowl from Tuscany
Winter is commonly thought of as the height of citrus season in the US – although I know first hand, this is not the case in the Mediterranean, where lemons adorn the terraces and arbors of well, just about everywhere, during most of the months of the year and send me into a full-blown swoon. These memories offer up the biggest, most-needed dose of cheer right now, during these dastardly bare months of the year. And, I am especially thankful that we can at least look forward to the bountiful and varied availability of citrus in the markets here. Yesterday, I bought lemons from Spain in Wegman’s and came upon the lovely bowl above in my travels. Today, I plan to source out some Meyer Lemons in the city. Later this week, I will look forward to the arrival of a new cookbook, which undoubtedly will help get me through another Winter week here.
my favorite lemon photo from Positano (https://kitchen-inspirational.com/2013/05/15/its-a-vertical-life-in-positano-it-is-squisito/)
Ahhh, lemons. Their distinctive brightness brings the most lively of essences to the table, and yes, year-round here. As I was pondering early yesterday morning, the name Lemon Golightly popped into my head and seemed both appropriately perky and apropo as, when we use lemons in the kitchen – and their uses are ubiquitous, they are best appreciated with mostly a discerning touch and not a fully saturated application, which is overwhelming. Hence the title of this post.
I just love the name Holly Golightly. She is one of my very favorite characters ever, from the iconic movie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Being a huge Audrey Hepburn fan just, well, goes without saying.
To me, she is the epitome of the eternally-classical beauty, and is oh-so alluring in all of her movies. I think this one is my very favorite photos of her.
image courtesy flavorwire.com
Yesterday morning I was thinking about a comment my cousin made to me the other day – she adores anything lemon. And, so do I. This was in response to my re-posting of Melissa Clark’s new Lemon Bar recipe. In usual fashion, this sent me on a stream of iterations in my head – with almonds, with earl grey tea, with lavender…….. But mostly, I remember my Mom’s grilled chicken recipe, which I still make to this day, with the simplest of lemon vinaigrettes – it is a classic, and remains my very favorite outdoor grilled chicken recipe, ever.
Mom’s Marinade for Grilled Chicken (makes about 3/4 cup)
juice of 3-4 lemons, to make a ratio of 3 parts lemon juice to 4 parts olive oil
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tblsp dried Italian Seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
Pour marinade over chicken pieces and let sit for 30 minutes. Grill for 30 minutes over low heat, turning every 10 minutes. At end, turn grill up to high or place chicken directly over coals to crisp up the skin. Enjoy! This, with a huge bowl of potato salad and a beautiful Caprese Salad with Peaches and Tomatoes, is my absolute favorite Summertime dinner! 🙁
As I was eating my breakfast yesterday, I got to thinking about how thoroughly dedicated I am to lemons. I use them in virtually every drink, meal, accompaniment, dessert or snack that I make. I keep a bowl of lemons in my kitchen always. Their zest is a welcome addition to many of my baking exploits. And in savory dishes, if they are not a forward note, they give just a touch of brightness in the background.
My second thing to do every morning, after the steaming cup of Cafe du Monde French Roast, is to have a steaming cup of fresh ginger and lemon tea. I find this to be totally therapeutic and re-hydrating, especially during these months when the heat is running in the house nearly constantly.
Lemons are highly desirable as garnish, background and foreground flavors in so many ways.
Here is just a tiny sampler of my thoughts and applications. Consider this a little update of other citrus-related posts.
From Delicious, Ruth Reichl’s debut novel, my absolutely very favorite Kale Salad. I am so obsessed with this recipe, I even eat it for breakfast now, as I did yesterday. This may sound too simple to be great, but give it a try – it’s simplicity is it’s genius.
DELICIOUS’ KALE SALAD (courtesy Ruth Reichl):
half a bunch of Lacinato Kale, washed and de-stemmed
1/4 cup pignoli nots, toasted
fresh lemon juice,
extra virgin olive oil,
dried cranberries (or other dried fruit of your choice) (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese shards, cut with a vegetable peeler
Cut the kale into julienne and place in your salad bowl. Sprinkle with the toasted pignolis. Squeeze a good amount of fresh lemon juice over all. Drizzle a light bit of olive oil. Toss in a handful of dried cranberries. Season with salt and pepper. Peel the parmesan over all – be generous. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss and enjoy!
Another salad option: http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2011/06/recipe-for-chickpea-garbanzo-bean-and.html
Here is the Melissa Clark recipe from the NYT. Try this as I would with the addition of crushed toasted almonds sprinkled on top, some earl grey tea, a scant teaspoon added to the curd or crust, and/or some culinary lavender, in the same manner. You can also add a scant 1/8 cup of almond meal to the crust.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/21/dining/lemon-bars-with-a-touch-of-the-tart-and-the-tangy.html?_r=1
My Lemon-Wine Chicken Thighs with Thyme and Red Pepper Flakes:
8 chicken thighs, bone-in or boneless
1 yellow onion, sliced thin
4 large garlic cloves, minced
extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 lemon cut into 8-10 thin slices
6 sprigs fresh thyme
6 whole garlic cloves
In a low, wide covered saucepan or Le Creuset covered saucepan, cover the bottom with extra virgin olive oil, about 1/4 cup. Heat over medium-high heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper over both sides of the chicken thighs and brown on each side for about 4 minutes. Remove from the pan. Add the onions and sauté until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, being careful not to burn. Drain all the oil from the pan and return to the heat. Add the wine and scrape all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat up to high and reduce the wine for 2 minutes. Add the chicken back to the pan and pour in the chicken broth. Place a lemon slice over each thigh, sprinkle with the red pepper flakes. Add the thyme sprigs to the pan, spreading evenly. Add the whole garlic cloves. Cover and place in a pre-heated 300F oven for 45-50 minutes. Remove from oven. At this point. the pan can sit until 10 minutes before serving. When ready to serve, remove the chicken, onions and garlic from the pan. Reduce the pan juices over high heat, watching carefully, until they are at a nice sauce consistency. Return the reserved chicken juices to the pan and see if they need reducing again. Return the chicken, onions and garlic to the pan and spoon the sauce over all. Enjoy.
I am obsessed with using olive oil in baking these days. Here is a great cake to try from the amazing Emily Luchetti. I would also not hesitate to add some earl grey tea leaves or lavender to this recipe. Remember, when using these two ingredients, be judicious – they can easily overwhelm. You can add a whole tea bag of earl grey tea leaves to this recipe – I prefer Bigelow. With culinary lavender, I’d use a tsp only. You can crush it or chop it if you wish.
A pasta option with favorite ingredients: http://www.elizabethminchilliinrome.com/2015/02/broccoli-lemon-and-hazelnut-pasta/
Emily Luchetti’s Almond Olive Oil Lemon Cake – courtesy Dessert Professional
9 oz unbleached all-purpose flour
4.5 oz sliced almonds, toasted
2 large eggs, room temp
10.5 oz granulated sugar
8 oz plain Greek yogurt, full fat
8 oz good-quality fruity extra-virgin olive oil, such as Séka Hills
2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp kosher salt
Grated zest of 4 lemons (about 3 tblsp)
Sliced strawberries and whipped cream, for serving
Position rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350F. Thoroughly coat a 10″ bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Turn the pan upside down to drain off any pooling spray. Coat the sides, bottom and tube with flour, rotating and tilting the pan to coat well. Invert the pan to let excess flour fall from the pan.
In a food processor, process the almonds with half of the flour until finely ground.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar until combined. Whisk in the yogurt and then the olive oil. Add the flour-nut mixture, the remaining flour, baking soda, salt and lemon zest; stir until well-combined. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a bamboo skewer or toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 35-45 minutes. Let the cake cool on a rack for about 20 minutes. Unmold by giving the pan a sharp tap on the counter to help release the cake, then invert the pan onto a cake plate or platter. Cool fully before slicing with a serrated knife. Serve with strawberries (blueberries, peaches, blackberries, raspberries or whatever mixture you love and whipped cream.
Thinking of using Lemons as an accent or flavoring? Try these ideas by merely crushing some lemon zest with the salt, pepper, sugar or herbs and mix into honey or other condiments of your choice. Lemon zest brightens many jams that you may find too cloyingly sweet, like some blueberry jams I’ve had. Add the zest of a lemon into your blueberry, mixed berry or peach pie filling. Ina Garten’s Roasted Pear and Applesauce incorporates lots of lemon zest. She uses it in her apple pie filling as well!
The ideas can be endless. Mix fresh lemon juice into your Sangria, your teas, your sodas, sprinkle it on roasting vegetables as I do with Asparagus, Green Beans or Sweet Potatoes. The applications go as far as your imagination will take you.
Use the side of your knife (or your fingers with the sugar) to work lemon zest into salts, peppers, sugar, garlic or herbs:
Lemon salt
Lemon sugar
Lemon Pepper
Lemon Garlic
Lemon Ginger
Lemon-Herb
Lemon Honey
Roasting Lemons is a great way to add interest to many a main course or side dish. They go great in grain salads and sides and with a roast pork or fish. Preserved lemons are very popular these days as well as the interest in Moroccan dishes continues to spiral up. The range of uses for Lemon Curds is wonderful, as they can adorn tarts, cookies, and fill cakes. I also adore lemon buttercream and lemon ice cream. Just think…….. um, yum! Lemons pair beautifully with all other fruits and you can whip up a mousse in virtually no time. Creme Brûlée? Yes, please!
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/lemon-ginger-mousse
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lemon-Ice-Cream-10427
http://chasingdelicious.com/vanilla-bean-lemon-creme-brulee/
http://www.askchefdennis.com/2012/02/meyer-lemon-gelato-and-ask-chef-dennis/
Here is a little favorite application you might like to try: http://butteredup.blogspot.com/2012/08/lemon-poppy-seed-loaf-cake.html
Need a wonderful appetizer for today? Lemon Zest does wonders in cutting the slight gaminess of Goat Cheese. Even if you don’t like Goat Cheese, try this! Here is my favorite all time lemon-infused Goat Cheese Appetizer from Donna Miller:
Goat Cheese Appetizer:
2 4 oz logs goat cheese
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp fresh lemon zest (or to taste)
¼ cup chopped fresh herbs
1/8 tsp hot pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large french baguette
Mix all ingredients except the goat cheese together in a small bowl. Pour over the goat cheese and let rest at room temperature for at least one hour. Serve with toasted slices of a french baguette. Yum!
Meyer Lemons, those lovely, slightly tangerin-y beauties are in still in season – through March. Stock up on these as they offer a slightly sparklingly new note to your baked goods. I love them in many a scone recipe, just in case you didn’t already know that.
So, today, as you prepare for your Super Bowl party, go ahead and make a beautiful lemon tart (you can make it gluten-free by using a nut crust), add some lemon into your Guacamole, or other dips – and get ready for the next Winter Storm, Linus.
Also, next time you pass by a Williams-Sonoma, pop in and buy a bottle of their Meyer Lemon Dish soap – it’s scent will brighten your day!
……..just the tip of the iceberg…………..
Have a lovely!
photo courtesy Ganache, New South Wales
