Lemons

Is there anyone on earth who doesn’t cook with lemons? I am stuffing lemons with salt into large glass containers whilst contemplating the benefits of adding fresh chillis to the containers of what will, in a short while, become ‘preserved lemons’.

I am thinking about Lawrence Durrell’s book ‘Bitter Lemons’ and how Cyprus, even during the war, is a great place to stuff lemons. Every human being should at least once in their lives stuff lemons with a sea breeze in their face.

The smells of the salty sea and fresh lemons are among my all time favourites but it is the combination of the two that is truly exceptional.

I do not think I can imagine cooking without lemons. They are perhaps one of the most versatile ingredients known to us and can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes.

The citric acid in lemons allows their juice to be used as a ‘cooking’ or curing agent in the making of raw dishes such as poke and ceviche.

Lemons are the basis for a great many drinks such as lemonade (home-made, of course) or limoncello liqueur and their zest is filled with essential oil that is a great way to introduce freshness and tartness into baked or stewed dishes and salads and for use in aromatherapy oils. By the way, is there any fruit that embodies the fragrance of freshness like lemons?

The following are but a few ways to use lemons:

• Mix one cup of sugar, one cup of water and one cup of lemon juice to make a basic lemonade.

• Zest a lemon into your dishes to enhance the flavour of your food.

• Or slice them thin and dry them in the sun, or in a low oven or a dehydrator, and then blend them in a spice mill to form a powder that could be mixed with salt or sugar or used by itself to add zesty flavour.

• Add lemon slices to water, tea, a martini or beer for extra flavour.

• Use lemon instead of vinegar in salad dressing.

• Lemon juice is a great addition to sauces, marinades and preserves.

• Sprinkle lemon juice over fresh fruit to prevent oxidisation and keep it from turning brown.

Although the exact origin of the lemon (citrus limon) is unknown, it is the one fruit that was introduced to the New World by the Europeans. Like chillis, lemons have become a truly universal and global ingredient.

Lemons can be cultivated just about everywhere and make for great garden trees. Being quite hardy, they deliver high yields without much daily maintenance. They are thus ideal for backyard gardens and urban farms.

This week’s recipe is a long time favourite. It is easy to make and I love the mixture of sweet, sour and slight bitterness that comes from cooking lemons in sugar. It is a simple lemon upside-down cake that is hard to mess up and takes very little time to prepare.

Bon appetit!

Ingredients

• 165 grams unsalted butter, softened

• 3/4 cup light brown sugar,

plus 2 tablespoons

• 2 thin-skinned lemons, sliced

paper-thin crosswise, seeds

discarded

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup white sugar

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