Fresh ideas using lemons

CARYS MONTEITH/ The Press

ADD SOME ZEST: A good quality lemon will be thin-skinned; those with thicker peels will have less flesh, and therefore, juice.

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Winter is the best time to enjoy citrus fruit, writes Kate Fraser.

Lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit and and the many variations of mandarins are synonymous with summer; sunshine, cool drinks, hot nights.

And when are these zesty, sharp flavoured citrus fruits at their best?Winter. Or what passes for winter in sub-tropical climates where commercial citrus crops grow. But in our southern dark and chilly winter months, some varieties of citrus fruit flourish. Sheltered bays on Banks Peninsula support lush groves but city gardens can also produce small but healthy quantities of lemons, grapefruits and - when nursed properly - mandarins.

An orange-laden tree is a wondrous sight, and as for picking fresh and sun-warmed fruit, that is a taste never forgotten. Two scrubby backyard lemons and a cumquat are never going to measure up to the memory but when they grow by the kitchen door, are not waxed or stamped, and you can cut a fresh lemon in half and leave it on the sill for a bit of a sunbathe to release its fragrant oils, who needs an orange grove in Greece. This treatment, I must add, is the opposite of that recommended by citrus fruit growers. Never store in sunlight, they say. Keep in a refrigerator, they insist. Spoilsports. Citrus juice is as much about zingy aromatics as tongue-tingling taste.

The Crusaders brought lemon and orange trees from Palestine back to Europe. Then Christopher Columbus who for once wasn't just trucking chocolate, coffee beans and gold back home, took a load of citrus to the Americas on his second voyage to the New World. Today the United States, Italy, Spain, Greece, Israel, Turkey, Brazil and Mexico are major producers of citrus, with lemons and limes leading the commercial crops.

FRESH IDEAS USING LEMONS

*If you are watching your salt intake (and even if you are not), serve lemon wedges with meals as a salt substitute.

* Combine lemon juice with olive oil, crushed garlic and freshly ground pepper to make a light salad dressing.

* Place thinly sliced lemons, peel and all, underneath and around fish before cooking. Baking or grilling will soften the slices and they can be eaten with the fish.

* Add an-easy-to-prepare zing to dinner by tossing seasoned cooked brown rice with peas, chicken pieces, spring onions, pumpkin seeds, lemon juice and zest.

* Rub a lemon slush into a chicken before roasting. Mix 2 Tbsp fresh finely chopped parsley, 2 Tbsp fresh chopped oregano, 6 Tbsp olive oil, juice of 2 lemons and the zest of 1 lemon with the amount of salt and pepper you would add to a roast chicken. Use your hands to rub this oily, herby slush inside and outside the chicken.

Keep uncovered but refrigerated for at least 4 hours or even better overnight. Preheat oven to 190C and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Check the juices are clear (no pink) by poking a skewer between chicken thigh and body. If you wish to serve with roast vegetables, cut veges into even-sized pieces, par-boil or microwave for a few minutes, toss in a little cooking oil and roast in a separate baking tin for at least 3/4 hour.Observer

* Make lemony spaghetti for 2-3 by cooking 225g spaghetti as directed on packet. While it's cooking grate the zest of 1/2 lemon into a large bowl, then whisk in the juice of 1 lemon, 70ml olive oil, 120g grated Parmesan cheese and salt to taste. Add the drained warm spaghetti and toss to coat. Serve warm.Baltimore Sun.

* Whip up a lemon curd tart. Join 2 sheets of thawed sweet shortcrust pastry by wetting the edges of two sheets then rolling together. Cut into strips and pat into the base and side of a 19cm tart tin, making sure the joins are tight. Do not prebake the pastry but keep chilled while you make the filling. Grate the zest of 2 lemons, juice 1 lemon. Beat 1 large egg, with 140g caster sugar, add 85g melted butter, the zest and juice and beat again.

Pour into the unbaked pastry case and bake at 200C for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is golden and the tart is light brown.

You won't need all the pastry; use the rest for lemon biscuits by cutting into rounds and sprinkling with lemon zest flavoured sugar and a few finely chopped pistachio nuts. Bake 10-12 minutes at 180C . Adapted from a recipe by Bill Granger.

LEMON FACTS

A good quality lemon will be thin-skinned; those with thicker peels will have less flesh, and therefore, juice. Choose lemons that are heavy for their size and have finely grained peels. They should be fully yellow in colour. Green tinges indicate the fruit is not fully ripe and will be more acidic. Signs of over-mature fruit include wrinkling, soft or hard patches and dull colouring.

Lemons will stay fresh at room temperature for about one week, and can be stored in a refrigerator crisper for up to four weeks. Freshly squeezed lemon juice can be put in ice cube trays until frozen, then stored in bags in the freezer. Dried lemon zest can be stored in an airtight glass container if kept in a cool and dry place.

Commercially grown lemons may be waxed to protect them from bruising. Plant, insect, animal or petroleum-based waxes may be used. Carnauba palm is a common plant-source wax. Other compounds, such as ethyl alcohol or milk casein, may be added to the wax. Organically grown (and home grown) citrus is not waxed.

- © Fairfax NZ News