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The lemon is one of the most useful foods in the kitchen, especially in summer. Use the zest with vegetables and in marinades, add lemon to salad dressings, make a lush lemon curd, and add a little lemon to ice cubes on a sultry day.
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Whoever turned the word "lemon" into a term for faulty automobiles wasn't a cook. When it comes to food, lemons are anything but defective. "Lemons are indispensable in the kitchen," says Cheryl Smith, a host of Food Network's Melting Pot. She often mixes lemon zest with julienned vegetables, adds lemon-juice to salad dressings, and makes lemon butter for seafood and fish. "The oil from lemon rinds is an important flavor factor in marinades," Smith says, especially for pork and poultry. "I love the way lemons look, the way they feel in your hand," says Mary Merris, co-author of The Golden Lemon: A Collection of Special Recipes. "They can disappear into any dish, yet change the flavor of it." The value and versatility of lemons has been recognized since their inception in India more than 4,000 years ago. Egyptians painted lemons on tomb walls. Romans believed that lemons held the antidote to all poisons. The ladies of Louis XIV's court occasionally bit into lemons to keep their lips red. In the late 1700s, the British navy made lemons part of sailors' rations to combat scurvy. In the 1850s, a scurvy epidemic during California's Gold Rush created a demand for lemons, and soon groves were planted throughout the state. Today, California's arid, coastal climate makes it one of the world's leading lemon producers. Several counties pay homage to the fruit with lemon festivals, as does Menton, France, a small town on the French Riviera where lemons grow year round. During the Fete du Citron, a two-week celebration held every February, townspeople create murals, sculptures, and parade floats from lemons. How is it that a fruit too sour to eat can be so loved? The lemon earns its reputation thanks to its myriad uses. "Lemons are a great boon to people who want to add flavor without oversalting their food," says Doris Tobias, Merris' co-author of The Golden Lemon. Gremolata, a mixture of finely chopped lemon zest, garlic and parsley, is a refreshing alternative to salt and pepper. Tobias also notes that dressings made with lemon juice, rather than vinegar, are more likely to complement wine served with a meal. For all their magic in savory fare, lemons work equally well in sweet dishes. Try making lemon-juice ice cubes to serve in summer drinks. Combine juice and grated zest, sugar, butter and eggs for lemon curd to use in cakes, pies, and tarts, or to spread on toast. And lemon juice is not only a flavor enhancer, but also a preservative and cleanser. Sprinkle it on sliced fruit to keep it from turning brown, or add it to cauliflower or potatoes while cooking to keep them white. During kitchen cleanup, rubbing lemon juice on your hands eliminates garlicky or fishy odors and stains from berries or beets. There are several types of lemons. The most common are the yellow, juicy Eureka and its cousin Lisbon. The newest and trendiest is the Meyer, a cross between a lemon and sweet orange that bears a mellower, less acidic flavor. When buying lemons, look for fruit that is fully yellow and seems heavy for its size-the heavier they are, the more juice they'll render. Before juicing chilled lemons, submerge them in hot water for a few minutes, or, as Smith suggests, pop them briefly in the microwave to soften the pulp. Since they last in the refrigerator for up to a month, Smith also recommends keeping lemons in your crisper at all times. "Something always comes up where lemons can be useful." For more information visit www.foodtv.com . (Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.shns.com )
RESOURCES :
The Golden Lemon : A Collection of Special Recipes
Model: ISBN: 059500413X
Author: Mary Merris and Doris Tobias
(June, 2000)
iUniverse.com
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