Doktor Dough

Meyer Lemons

As the saying goes, when life gives you lemons you can make lots of lovely stuff. Lemon juice, lemonade, lemon bars, lemon curd, lemon chicken… it all tastes good. And don’t forget what a nice touch lemon and olive oil is on a salad of fresh greens.

These beauties came to us through a fortunate circumstance, accompanied by a large jar of juice, already squeezed! What a treat. Meyer Lemons are a particular type of lemon with a distinctive flavor – very intense lemon plus a little je ne sais quoi;  is it the Mandarin in their pedigree? Their flavor makes them especially tasty for lemonade or a lemon vinaigrette.

Since they arrived, we have enjoyed lemon bars and lemon chicken (from Cook’s Illustrated Best Recipes) and lemonade for kids and adults alike. Today we had a birthday tea for the 2 year old and family which included my take on a Remoulade sauce with crab (tis the season) to make a tasty salad. Well, it’s not really a true Remoulade sauce but I like to call it such:

Crab or Shrimp Salad
cooked crab or shrimp in pieces (about 1/2 pound)
1 stalk celery, thinly cut
1 scallion, thinly sliced

Sauce/Dressing:
1/4 c. mayonaisse
1/4 c. yogurt or sour cream
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tspn. tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
shake or two of Tobasco or other hot pepper sauce
pinch of sugar

Mix the dressing ingredients well. Adjust the tomato paste or other ingredients to your taste. Mix with the crab or shrimp, celery and scallion. Serve on a bed of lettuce with some slices of fresh avocado and a slice of lemon. Enjoy.

Need more ideas? Try this link: 100 things to do with a Meyer lemon.

Addendum 20 March 2010 (first day of spring):
I just found Lemonade Day. Check it out for the kids: http://www.lemonadeday.org/