We're moving on to the yellow produce part of our journey. When I think of yellow fruits and vegetables, I immediately taste lemons. But beyond lemons, crookneck squash happens to be one of my favorite vegetables to cook with. Golden delicious apples are often overlooked for fancier varieties, even though they boast a unique and refreshing flavor. And yes, you guessed it, we're looking at more bell peppers! For some colorful recipes using all of these yellow ingredients, keep reading.
Blessed with a glut of juicy citrus? Rather than only utilizing half of the precious flavor-enhancing parts of the fruit, zest and juice it, and freeze any extra for later. This is particularly worthwhile with varieties like Meyer lemons that are typically only available for a short window in the Winter.
How to freeze citrus zest: Zest the citrus before halving and juicing the fruit, and stockpile any extra in a freezer-safe resealable plastic bag. The zest will darken in color a bit, and mellow ever-so-slightly in flavor, but it can be substituted 1:1 for fresh. When it comes time to utilize the frozen zest, remove the amount you'll be using for the recipe, let it thaw (or add it directly the recipe), and stash the rest in the freezer for later. If you're a stickler for precision, portion out the zest before freezing — 1 teaspoon is a good place to start — and wrap each teaspoon of zest in bundles of plastic wrap and stow these in a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag. After bagging the zest, write on the bag with a permanent marker the type of zest and portion size (if preportioning) for easy reference.
Though I've made many a soufflé in my years — I distinctly remember tackling goat cheese soufflés at the tender age of 11, oblivious about their diva reputation — each and every time I pull a batch out of the oven, my heart goes aflutter. These lofty, lemony, and all around lovely soufflés are no exception. Something magical happens as they undergo their heat-induced transformation from frothy, fluffy batter to delicate and airy pastry. And while they're utterly lovely unadorned, a drizzle of bright and tangy raspberry coulis takes them over the top, with a minimum of fuss — seriously, if you have five minutes to spare, you have time to make the sauce.
So what are you waiting for? Put your soufflé skepticism aside and whip them up posthaste — they're (and you're) worth it. Experience the magical transformation from batter to beauty yourself.
Saying that lemons are a superfood is an understatement. Not only do they add abundant flavor to a variety of dishes, but they also boast a ton of health benefits. The flavonoids within the juice are said to contain antioxidants, which is why lemons are useful in treating so many ailments and conditions. Here are 10 reasons to enjoy them ASAP!
Keep reading for five more ways lemon juice is super.
I'll pick a slice of cherry pie over a cupcake any day, with one exception: these lemon-curd-filled cupcakes. Pleasantly dense cream cheese pound cake flecked with lemon zest would make for a killer cake without further adornment, but velvety lemon curd is the real star here.
Thankfully (or dangerously), they're not too tricky to make, so I can whip them up with regularity. Just remember not to fill them with lemon curd more than four hours before serving as the lemon curd will start to leach into the cake, marring their otherwise lovely appearance.
Keep reading to learn how to prep them ahead of time — and, of course, for the recipe.
Sweet-tart and lush in texture, lemon curd (or any curd for that matter) is one of my all time favorite foods. Thankfully, it's extremely easy and surprisingly quick to make at home, particularly if you have a slight taste for danger.
Many recipes dictate that lemon curd should be slowly simmered in the bowl of a double boiler, and while this certainly works and is a good alternative for the cautious, it can be a time-consuming process. Instead, I cut the prep time in half by cooking it all in a heavy-bottomed saucepan set over direct heat. Now I know what you're thinking — eggs cooked over direct heat are bound to scramble — but if you set fear aside and implicitly trust that science is on your side*, you'll be left with lemon curd to spare in record time.
If you think of limoncello as a Lysol-scented, saccharine-sweet liqueur, think again. While many store-bought bottles are suspect, homemade is a whole other story.
Smooth and bright with zesty lemon notes, a bottle of limoncello makes for an excellent edible gift for cocktail lovers, particularly when paired with a bottle of sparkling wine for a limoncello-Champagne cocktail.
Granted, it takes a bit of advance planning, but aside from the wait time necessary for the lemon peels to infuse their essential oils in the liquor, it's a very low-fuss process, and it is easy to make in large batches to be divvied up in multiple gifts. Just whatever you do, tuck away a bottle for yourself as well — your cocktails will thank you . . .
Things I've learned so far this Summer: sipping on a glass of crisp and fruity Riesling makes hot days without air-conditioning worlds more bearable. Fish sauce is an excellent and surprisingly subtle addition to everything from sweet-leaning salads to simple weeknight pastas. It's my go-to "secret" ingredient of choice these days. Oh, and you can make a granita out of (nearly) anything liquid. Riesling spritzer granita, anyone?
I've never been a huge celery fan, often neglecting the crisp green stalks on crudite platters and the like, but these days, I am in the midst of a celery renaissance of sorts. While I'm still not enamored with the texture of whole raw stalks (too stringy), the flavor is another story, and I truly can't get enough of it when muddled in a cocktail, slowly braised, or, as in the case of this salad, sliced thinly across the grain.
I was immediately drawn to this salad when catching up on an episode of Barefoot Contessa, and, thankfully, Ina did not disappoint. Essentially, this is celery to the Nth degree, minus the stringy texture; razor-thin slivers of the stalk and delicate leaves are bolstered by a celery-seed-flecked dressing.
While I'm fearful of overselling any recipe, this one was one of the highlights of my week . . . celery salad, really! Make it the high point of yours when you keep reading.
It always baffles me that citrus season falls during the darkest days of Winter, as I can't think of a more quintessentially Summer drink than lemonade or its tea-spiked cousin the Arnold Palmer. Mellow and refreshing, it's the perfect beverage for poolside sipping, alfresco dinners, or even packed into a bottle for a romantic picnic.
So cut your seasonal eating some slack and make like the eponymous golfer by cooling down from within with each sip of this plucky beverage.
