When life gives you lemons, there’s no need to juice or smother them in sugar
RECIPES AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSICA TUNIS
Lemons are worthy of appreciation on their own terms, tart and as brilliant as the winter sun they ripen beneath. While sugar is a sweet companion to their sour nature, other flavors can highlight the flavor of lemon zest and juice as well. Meyer lemon, especially, has its own subtle sweetness that shines when the peel is left on and thinly sliced, as it is in the savory Herbed Meyer Lemon Hearth Bread that follows.
Salt-Cured Preserved Lemons
RECIPE AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSICA TUNIS
Salt highlights the rich oils found in lemon peel in this recipe for preserved lemons. Use them in any dish that needs a salty, umami kick. I like to think of them as tiny olives or capers. Once the salt cure is complete, remove the spent lemon flesh and mince the preserved lemon peels finely, sprinkling them over pasta or potatoes with herbs, or blend them into soups, dressings and sauces.
Herbed Meyer Lemon Hearth Bread
RECIPE AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSICA TUNIS
Meyer Lemon Curd
RECIPE AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSICA TUNIS
Lemon curd is sweet, yes, but it’s so many other flavors as well: tart, piquant and buttery all at once. It can be spread on toast, layered between cakes, baked into a tart…or just eaten out of the jar with a spoon.
About the author
Jessica Tunis lives in the Santa Cruz Mountains and spends her time tending gardens, telling stories, and cultivating adventure and good food in wild places.
