lemony snicket

I ordered up a 35-lb box of lemons from Bountiful Baskets this week. Despite figuring out how to share it out with two other friends, I'm still going to have A LOT OF LEMONS to process, use, eat, etc. Plus I offered to share some lemon recipes with those same friends, so they wouldn't be overwhelmed too. I like to use both the juice and the zest of citrus, when possible. I am cheap, and I will wring every last usable drop out of those suckers. To that end, I have a microplane for zesting, as well as a zester if I actually want curls of zest, plus a vintage glass juicer.

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Mint Lemonade (can also be made with limes, and is my favorite summer drink)

• 6 cups water
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped mint
• 1 cup fresh lemon (or lime) juice (about 8 lemons or 12 limes)
• mint sprigs and fruit slices for garnish

Combine 2 cups of the water, the sugar, and the chopped mint in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring often, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes. Strain out the solids and discard. Combine sugar syrup, remaining water, and citrus juice in a large pitcher. Serve over ice, garnished with mint and fruit slices. Get fun and add alcohol, if you're not pregnant.
(recipe adapted from Martha Stewart)

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Watermelon Rosemary Lemonade

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 cups water
• 1-2 rosemary (or mint) sprigs
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 7 cups watermelon, cut into small cubes

Bring sugar and 1 cup of the water to a boil and add the herbs. Cook on medium heat until sugar dissolves. Cover, remove from heat, infuse at least one hour. In a blender, combine the lemon juice with the watermelon (in batches) and blend each batch until blender is almost full of mixture. Add the herbed simple syrup 1/3 cup at a time, until the mixture is the desired sweetness.

Take 4-5 pint-sized Mason jars. Add 1/2 cup cold water to each and fill the rest of the way with watermelon mixture. Cover and shake to combine. Garnish with an herb sprig and lemon slice. For a nice cocktail, add a shot of vodka or gin.

OR: Freeze mixture in popsicle molds as is (do not dilute).
(recipe given to me by Molly)

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Lemon Curd (this is how I use the vast majority of my lemons)

• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 pound of butter (no substitutes), cut into small pieces
• juice from 2 lemons
• 2 cups sugar

Mix all ingredients in the top of a double boiler and cook until thick and custard-like. Cool and refrigerate or freeze.
(recipe almost exactly as given to me by my mother. If you need more detail on how to properly cook a curd until done over a double boiler, let me know in the comments.)

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Delicious Dip (like tzatziki)

• 7 oz plain yogurt (Greek or regular)
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1 clove pressed garlic
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 T each of fresh mint & dill, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 of a large cucumber, peeled and de-seeded
• dippers: cooked/raw veggies, pita chips, etc

Whisk together everything but the cuke. Grate the cuke on the large holes of a box grater. Squeeze it dry inside a clean cloth or a pile of paper towels. Stir in it and serve.
(from an old magazine - WonderTime, I think)

I also really like to use the zest in these Lemon-Sugar-Crusted Blueberry Muffins (Mel already typed up the recipe with pics, so just use her site!), and I never make these without doubling them. Finally, I think I'm going to try this Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate, because it sounds delicious, and if I can it properly, I can use it for end-of-year teacher gifts.

Now I'm beginning to wonder if I need to order another box next week, just to cover all my lemony bases...