12 Days of Meyers - Limoncello

When it comes to Meyer Lemons, without a doubt, I have been blessed beyond words.  While we only have a single tree, it has for years produced the most wonderful lemons and more often than not, more than we could ever use in a single season.  We had to pick a little earlier than normal this year due to an early season freeze, but it didn't really hurt because this year's crop ripened a few weeks earlier than year's past. I was concerned that we did not have as many as last season (over 1,000), but as always our sweet little tree provided enough for our needs (Limoncello) as well as more than enough to share - I also believe that when life gives you lemons, you should bless others.  I'm convinced a whole blog could be devoted to the beauty of Meyer lemons and it seems that there's no end to recipes, so because of that, I have decided to put a sightly different spin on this year's 12 Days of Meyers series.  I've invited some of my friends and favorite local food bloggers to write guest posts with their favorite lemon recipes. Naturally, I let them know up-front that I would provide them with as many Meyers as they needed for testing their recipes. So, over the next two weeks, I am super pleased to introduce some truly lovely bloggers and some pretty awesome friends that know how to squeeze every last drop of goodness out of these sweet little orbs.  But before I do, I'm going to handle Day One with our Limoncello recipe, along with a little history about our tree.

We brought it to Austin when we moved here over 12 years ago from California. The tree originally belonged to my Grandmother and it spent about 15 years in a pot before we received it, and another 4 or 5 before we moved. The one question we get asked often is "How can one tree produce so many lemons here in Texas?" Honestly, we don't have any secrets. Its got good roots and three walls of protection from the elements. In the past we have wrapped it in Christmas lights to give it a trace of heat in the winter and soaked it good during those hot Texas summers. All in all, a lot of prayer went out over that tree every time the elements tried to swallow it up. We thought we came close to losing it one winter during a particularly hard freeze - one of the few years that we did not get a crop.  Luckily, my little brother mailed us lemons from his tree back in California so that we could make our annual batch of Limoncello.  This year, my sweet tequila guy braved the cold and picked almost 500 lemons before the freezing arctic air swept in overnight. We left another 300 or so on the tree as they were still a few weeks away from being ripe and thought it would be worth the risk to leave them on the tree to see if they would survive. They did and we are still picking them a few at a time for our daily needs.

Since  Limoncello is something we have been making for years, I thought it fitting to post our recipe for Day One of this year's 12 Days of Meyers. It's a little different from other recipes out there as we zest our lemons instead of peeling them, use a combination of Everclear and Vodka, and we let ours sit longer then most. But I promise the flavor is well worth the effort. Come Spring when it starts to get warm you will find us sitting on the back porch sipping this ice cold elixer, reminding us how blessed we are to have such a beautiful tree.

My Tequila Guy picking this year before the freeze. 

Limoncello

1.5 Cup Lemon Zest (15-25 lemons, depending on size)

1 Liter Vodka (80 Proof)

500 ml Everclear (190 Proof)

1 Liter Simple Syrup (Ratio: 1 cup water/.75 cup sugar)

Thoroughly wash lemons with cold water and dry.

With a microplane, zest lemons.

Put zest in sterile, sealable jar.

Add vodka and Everclear, seal, and let sit in a cool, dry, dark place for 30-45 days. Add simple syrup, seal and let sit 14 more days. Strain and filter (cheesecloth and coffee filters do the trick) and place in freezer overnight. Filter again for clarity. *NOTE: It should go without saying, but Everclear is EXTREMELY flammable. Please take appropriate precautions when handling

If 190 proof Everclear is not available in your area, substitute with 151 proof Everclear and use 750 ml Simple Syrup instead of 1 liter.

This will result in almost 2.5 liters of ~70 proof Limoncello

12 Days of Meyer - Day 12: "When Life Gives You Meyers..."

When life gives you an amazing lemon tree that produces more fruit than one can possibly use, it only seems right to share the bounty with others. I had the pleasure of being the Meyer Fairy this past month because our tree had one of those super-productive years. I gave them to friends, neighbors, family members, and some of my favorite food bloggers. I loved how excited they were to receive a big bag of them. Several friends even bartered their own specialties with me which was such a treat. They were all so creative with what they did with the lemons and some even blogged about there Meyer loot. Below you will find stories and links to some of my favorite bloggers and what they did with their lemons. I hope you enjoy reading their entries as much as I did! At this point, I think it's quite possible I could commit to writing a blog solely about Meyer lemons. Unfortunately, I must get back to reality as my tree has been picked almost clean and the cold weather marks an end to another season. Good thing I have a freezer full of freshly juiced juice to last me the rest of the year... I'm jus' sayin'!

First up, check out this trailer if you are in Austin down on Rainey Street. You are sure to get a delicious Persian treat. Chef Nanez is the culinary wonder behind Wholly Kabob and every day she has something new and tasty to accompany her regular menu. She used her Meyers to make a salad shirazi and saffron chicken and I'm hungry just thinking about it.

Next, my friend Carla over at Austin Urban Gardens bartered with me, offering some yummy canned goods from her pantry. Her blog keeps you in the know with all that is in season, as well as what you should be growing in your gardens. She is also the one who is always up on what's happening with the local farmers here in Austin. I encourage you to check out her site.

This next blogger is the cutest little Southern sweetheart whom I originally met through facebook and have recently gotten to know in person. When Katie received her lemons she went home and created this lovely little appetizer. I especially love how she admits the first round was not as she had hoped but kept at it until it was perfected. She is as cute and sassy in her writing as she is in person, so check out her blog if you get a chance.

If you follow me on facebook you should know that I re-post this next lady's recipes on a regular basis. She is a very dear friend and if you are looking for a blog that you can just pull a seat up to, start reading, and instantly feel like you are with her in her kitchen, well then this is the one. I can personally say that she is exactly as she writes. Down home, witty, sassy, and full of Southern charm. If Maggie's pictures don't draw you in at the start, then her lovely stories will. I promise it will be hard to leave her site. This gremolata recipe is just one of her many lemon recipes that she used the Meyers for. I hope you enjoy Notes From Maggies Farm as much as I do.

Tiffany from Trailer food Diaries created several flavors of lemon curd using her lemons. If you have not had a chance to read her latest cookbook I highly recommend it as it's chock full of local trailer food from here in Austin.

My sassy and witty friend Hilah over at HilahCooks bumped up the old family favorite Lemon Bars by using Meyers. She also made some Limoncello and shared some of her stash of lemons with another friend (I love that). Her videos will make you laugh and you will always learn something new whether you are a beginner in the kitchen or a pro. Her printed cookbook was released in 2012 and it's as witty and informative as her popular videos.

My favorite Hip Girl Kate took no time at all to use her box of lemons. As the queen of hip homemaking she quickly used her Meyers to create a yummy lemon strawberry paletas (recipe will be in her upcoming new book out in the Spring of 2014). She also made this yummy marmalade and encouraged a friend towards canning by sharing some of her stash.  If you are looking for a unique gift for the new homemaker/bride or even a college student that wants to be hip in this modern world then I suggest getting your hands on this book.

Addie is our local food writer over at the Austin Statesman. She took 2 loads of lemons with her, one for her family and one for her Mom in Missouri, whom she was visiting while on Christmas break. She made her Mom some limoncello and then just last night finished up making a delightful Meyer lemon tart.

My personal trainer Jeremy from 10 RM Fitness received his first bag of Meyers from me in early December. He had never had them before, so he was obviously blown away by the perfect balance of lemon and tangerine flavors in these sweet orbs. Besides eating them whole (yes you can do that) he kept a supply of lemon water going for his clients. Of course, I had to bring him another bag as he is now sold on the nutritional value and deliciousness of this lemon.

Check out these great ideas from MadBetty. I gave her a bag after Christmas and she has been busy busy. She sent me a note which I think explains it all - "I've been squeezing them into everything! They are the juiciest Meyers I've ever seen. I used the juice in a vegan mac and cheese dish, (stay tuned for the post) over fish and shrimp, in a pasta sauce with garlic, tomatoes and white wine, in herbal tea with honey, and in my smoothies. Mr Betty and I have been enjoying the lemony goodness so much!"

My dear pastry chef friend Christy over at epicuriousities took her lemons and got to work on some up-coming top secret recipes for her day job at cookingplanit.com, however, if you can't wait for that recipe, then check out this link for her special lemon tart recipe.

Finally, South Austin Foodie took her Meyers and made Christmas gifts with them. She gave me a gift of Meyer lemon candied ginger scones and - Oh My! - those were probably the best scones I have ever had. She usually writes only about restaurants, however, on this special occasion she was willing to share her scone recipe with my readers. Thank you a hundred times over as these really are a delicious treat. If you need to know where to eat in South Austin, please check out her blog and by all means try this recipe.

Crystalized Ginger and Lemon Scones
SouthAustinFoodie

1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 ¼ cups white flour
⅓ cup sugar (can omit if glazing)
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt (Redmond Real)
1 tablespoon lemon zest (more, if using Meyer lemons)
1 ½ sticks frozen butter, cut into pats, and halved
4 - 5 ounces crystallized ginger, chopped (can do in food processor), equaling ⅔ cup
1 cup heavy cream (use less if using regular flour, not whole wheat), plus additional for brushing tops (optional if glazing)

If glazing:
½ - ¾ cup powdered sugar, sifted
½ - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 – 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In food processor, combine flours, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Add zest and butter, pulsing until it becomes a fine meal; pour into large bowl
Stir in ginger.
Make a well in the center, and add cream, stirring gently to combine.
Turn dough onto counter with Silpat; gently knead and gather into a ball.
Pat the dough out into a rectangle, about 1” tall (approximately 8” x 8”); can use knife or bench scraper to cut into pieces.
Transfer Silpat to baking sheet; bake for about 18 minutes, until golden.
If glazing, combine all ingredients and drizzle over the tops once cool.

Just in case you missed any of the 12 Days of Meyer posts, I've added the links to each post below for an easy review. Also, I always love broadening my Meyer repertoire so if you have a recipe, please feel free to share the link or any other creative ideas you have for them in the comments below.  Sweet or Savory, you just can't go wrong with these globes of sunshine.

Day 1 - Preserved Meyer Lemons
Day 2 - Meyer Water
Day 3 - Meyer Muffins
Day 4 - Meyer Thyme Butter
Day 5 - Meyer Household Cleaner
Day 6 - Meyer Hummus
Day 7 - Chicken Piccata
Day 8 - Meyer Sponge Pudding
Day 9 - Meyer Margarita
Day 10 - Candied Meyers
Day 11 - Meyer Blackberry Phosphate
Day 12 - Meyer Round-Up

If you're interested, here are some older posts highlighting Meyer lemons:
Meyer Lemon Shortbread
Bob's Limoncello
Lady Bird's Lemon Bundt Cake
Lemonade Pie
Ginger Lavender Lemonade
Vanilla-Infused Lemonade
Meyer Lemon Tartlets

30 Days of Gratitude Day 20 - Friends with Lemons

Every year at Christmas we start preparing for the making of our annual batch of Limoncello. Unfortunately, our beloved Meyer lemon tree that usually provides us with more than enough lemons did not fair well from a couple of winter freezes this year. That cold snap kept our tree from producing a crop this year but I have no doubt it will be stock full of blossoms again next spring. For now, though, we have to think outside of the box. One year, we had a limited crop and my lovely brother shipped us some of his Meyers from his tree in California. We were not exactly sure how we were going to do it this year. The price of these precious lemons can be ridiculous at local stores - especially when we are used to picking them from our own tree. This is where my gratitude comes in. Earlier today I noticed my friend Kate the very talented author behind "The Hip Girls Guide To Homemaking" post on facebook that she was excited to have gotten her Meyer lemons from her local farm. Curious, I asked her where the farm was. Not only did she tell me, but she offered me some of her beautiful organic stash. So tonight we drove over (with J singing carols and observing all the lovely lights along the way) to her lovely little casa. With a ton of thanks and gratitude to Kate, we will be making our limoncello this year and bottling it for our annual SXSW party. Funny how thinking outside of the box led us to a friend's box... I'm jus' sayin'!

"I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"A friend in need is a friend indeed."
~ Latin Proverb

"I get by with a little help from my friends."
~ John Lennon

Lemon Twist?

As promised, I am finally writing my post on Meyer Lemons. I must admit upfront that the credit for a good portion of this blog will have to go to my husband and partner in life, who puts his heart and soul into making our yearly supply of Limoncello (see recipe below). Now, if you have not had the opportunity to try a Meyer lemon, you need to stop reading and get to your local grocer to pick some up. I say this because this is the best time of the year to find them in the stores. You may have to pay three times the amount of regular lemons, but trust me when I tell you, they are well worth it!

These little lemons are a step above the usual. In the stores, they seem to usually be smaller in size and thinner skinned then their cousins (but on our tree, they are as big as navel oranges - everything's bigger in TX, right!), with a milder, sweeter taste, gives way to a whole new citrus experience. I love to go into my backyard with my old baskets and pick them while imagining I'm in an Italian village getting ready to take them back to my villa and create lovely, scented delicacies. (Really I do!)

On December 31 each year, my sweet husband picks about 100 of the best lemons on the tree to use for his Limoncello. Making it on New Year's Eve has become a family tradition and the batches seem to get bigger each year. We then look forward to bottling and tasting it at our annual SXSW (South by Southwest) party in March, the first chance to sip the year's batch of icy cold, sweet lemon elixir with family and friends as we sit on the patio or around the fire pit.

Can I just say that being able to walk out and pick a Meyer Lemon as needed is wonderful! I like to squeeze them in my water every morning for a burst of "C" and then throw them down the disposal for a lovely lemon scent in my kitchen. I love that I can make a full compliment of lemon-based treats. Even more fun is trying new recipes. This year, I added a Lemon Olive Oil Cake - a new one for me - to my list of baked goods.

Finally, after all the Limoncello is made and the lemons have been baked into pies and cakes and preserved in jars with salt, then it's time to juice the rest and fill my freezer with enough juice to last the rest of the year. A glass of icy cold lemonade after gardening under our hot Texas sun hits the spot. Or enjoying it during warm evenings on the patio, eating tapas and drinking sweet lemon-drop martinis with friends. Well, all I can say is "Ahhhh!!" because it's those times that I get to relish once again in this "winter" treat. So whether your putting a twist on a new recipe or a twist in your martini, make it a Meyer - I'm jus' sayin'!



Limoncello

1.5 Cup Lemon Zest (25-35 lemons, depending on size)
1 Liter Vodka (80 Proof)
500 ml Everclear (190 Proof)
1 Liter Simple Syrup (Ratio: 1 cup water/.75 cup sugar)

Thoroughly wash lemons with cold water and dry/


With a microplane, zest lemons.


Put zest in sterile, sealable jar.


Add vodka and Everclear, seal, and let sit in a cool, dry, dark place for 30-45 days. Add simple syrup, seal and let sit 14 more days. Strain and filter (cheesecloth and coffee filters do the trick) and place in freezer overnight. Filter again for clarity. *NOTE: It should go without saying, but Everclear is EXTREMELY flammable. Please take appropriate precautions when handling


If 190 proof Everclear is not available in your area, substitute with 151 proof Everclear and use 750 ml Simple Syrup instead of 1 liter.

This will result in almost 2.5 liters of ~70 proof Limoncello




Lemon Olive Oil Cake

Using Meyer lemons from my back yard, I used the following recipe from Epicurious.com with these changes: Meyers (of course) instead of regular lemons and I sprinkled vanilla sugar on top of the cake to give it a hint of vanilla flavor. For garnish I placed a few candied Meyer slices on top. This was a spongy, beautiful cake suitable for tea or with your coffee in the morning. Oh, I almost forgot! The olive oil flavor is strong when it first comes out of the oven. However, if you wait a day, it seems to mellow the flavor and the lemon becomes more prominent.



Good old fashioned Lemon bars - Adapted from Betty Crocker

2 C. flour
1 C. butter (2 sticks)
1/2 Cup powdered sugar


Preheat oven to 350
Mix the above and pat into a 13x9 in. pan lined with parchment paper.
Bake 20 minutes until lightly brown.

While the crust is baking mix the following in a mixer on high speed until light and fluffy.
2 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
2 tbsp of finely grated Meyer lemon peel
5 tbsp of fresh Meyer lemon juice
1 and 1/4 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
5 large eggs

Pour over the hot crust. Place back in the oven for approx. 25-35 minutes until it's golden on top and no indentation remains when you touch lightly in the center.

Cool on a wire rack dust with powder sugar, cut into squares. Size only matters on you and how much lemon your craving.



Preserved Lemons (used in salad dressings and Moroccan cuisine etc.)

Place a quartered, washed and dried Meyer Lemon in a clean mason jar. Pour kosher salt all over and in-between the lemon. Push with your fingers to squish it down to place another quartered lemon on top. Continue to pour more salt until the lemons are completely covered. Place the lid on tight and turn upside down. Now place in your fridge for a couple days. When the juice has rose to the top, open, drain off and pour a layer of olive oil over it. It should stay preserved in your fridge for months. When you are ready to use your lemons, make sure you rinse a lemon wedge really good to remove all the salt off of it. Then mince very fine to add to all your vinaigrettes, sauces, soups or salads.