Lemons

The origin of citrus is uncertain. China is the most likely origin of the lemon. The Arabs had certainly introduced the lemon and the sour orange to Palestine and Persia by the beginning of the 12^th century and from there to other Arab possessions in Spain and North Africa.

We can grow satsuma oranges in the open ground in our area and after a few years a tree can produce more than you can eat.

Lemons are a different matter. I really prefer to harvest my big juicy Meyer lemons rather than the commercial lemons available in the grocery. Two cultivars dominate the commercial market: Garey’s Eureka and Lisbon. Most lemons can be harvested throughout the year. Lemon trees do not become dormant in the winter and tend to produce some flowers throughout the year. However this makes them more vulnerable to cold weather than oranges and they will usually shed their foliage if the temperature drops below 23⁰F and fruit can be badly damaged below 28⁰F and serious damage can occur to the wood when temperatures fall below 19⁰. Improved Meyer is slightly hardier than true lemon and may be a better choice for home gardeners in a cold climate. Meyer lemons are actually a hybrid between a lemon and a mandarin or an orange. It was first found growing as a pot plant near Beijing, China in 1908 by Frank Meyer, a plant collector for the US Department of agriculture. In the 1940’s the Meyer lemon was discovered to be a carrier of a citrus virus. In the 1950’s California-based Four Winds Growers discovered a virus-free clone and this was released to the market as ‘Improved Meyer’ in the 1970’s.

Citrus do not do well as house plants. Our homes are too dry and not sunny enough. But I have found growing them in pots to be satisfactory. In our climate the pots may be left out all year, particularly if in a warm spot. We have few hard frosts and rarely do they last long. If you can move your pots into the garage or similar space for the short time that the temperature is bad, you can have some success with lemons.

Most mature citrus trees do well in a 15-in. pot. They definitely prefer a terracotta pot because it is porous and good drainage in essential. The main disadvantage of the terracotta is its weight. Citrus grow better in a loam-based (soil-based) material which is well aerated and provides good drainage. The best pH for citrus is between 6.0 and 7.0. Citrus need a number of trace elements if they are to grow well. One expert recommends Vigoro Citrus and Avocado Granular Plant Feed which can be had from Home Depot.

Careful watering is extremely important with citrus. They should be watered until the soil is soaked but drainage is essential. Do not allow to stand in water. Water with rain water if you can.

So if you want some very nice lemons that you cannot buy in the grocery, get yourself a 15-in. terracotta (or other if weight is a big problem) and buy a ‘Improved Meyer’ tree and get started this spring for fruit this fall and winter.

Lemons remind me of spring. If we didn’t have lemons there would be no lemonade and no lemon bars. I love the sweet-tart flavor of lemon bars. I found a recipe created by Chef Dolester Miles (pastry chef at the Highlands Bar and Grill in Birmingham) and she admits she likes all things lemony and this is her go-to classic version of lemon bars.

I am having a meeting of the Norwood Women’s Club this week (Norwood is just down the road in Louisiana) and for my afternoon tea I am serving these lemon bars for one of my treats.

From ‘Palate’ magazine/March 2016

Classic Lemon Bars

Makes 16 squares

For Crust

¾ cup flour

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

½ teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled

For filling

6 eggs

1 ½ cup sugar

 1 cup fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

6 tablespoons flour

¾ teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 335 degrees.

In food processor, pulse flour with confectioner’s sugar, cornstarch, salt, and zest. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Line bottom of 9-inch square pan with parchment paper. Press dough into bottom of pan, and then refrigerate 15 minutes.

Bake until crust is lightly browned, approximately 20 minutes. Remove from oven.

Reduce temperature to 325 degrees.

Meanwhile, beat eggs with sugar in medium bowl. Add lemon juice, zest, flour, baking powder, and salt.

Pour filling over hot crust, and bake until filling sets, about 20 minutes.

Remove from oven, and cool to room temperature. Place in refrigerator and chill for about an hour before cutting. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.

 

 

 

Quahog

By any other name---the clam. The quahog (KO-hog) is the hard-shelled, tough, difficult–to-open clam of the East Coast which is the basic ingredient for all the clam chowder south of Chesapeake Bay. The clam is found on the eastern shores of North America and Central America from Prince Edward Island to the Yucatan. The largest size of the clam is called a quahog or chowder clam. It is from the Narragansett word poquauhock. These New England natives used the shells to make wampum. Clams are a big business for that area and are the official shellfish of Rhode Island.

One writer noted that clam chowder is mostly putting in some of this and some of that. And most chowders, like a good stew, improve with repeated cookings or heatings.

I have been making clam chowder more recently, because my husband was significantly anemic after his January surgery and clams have more iron than any other single food. In doing my clam chowders, I have used different versions of these recipes printed here. I do like using celery.

Even in Wilmington I can only get them canned unless I want to go clamming in the ocean. They are not a Gulf Coast seafood.

I have a 1969 cookbook from Wilmington, The Beachcomber’s Handbook of Seafood Cookery, which is a nice compendium of lore and recipes but probably worth more as it is illustrated by one of North Carolina’s most loved artists, Claude Howell, of Wilmington.

 

Southern Chowder

2 cups (more or less) ground clams

Clam liquor

2-3 slices salt pork

6 (more or less) medium sized potatoes, diced

1 small onion, diced

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons cornmeal

Grind or chop clams in liquor. Render fat from salt pork by frying. Put clams and liquor, potatoes, and onions into a sauce-pan and add water to cover. Season with fat from salt pork and salt and pepper. Cook until potatoes are done. Make gravy of cornmeal and a small amount of water and pour in to give slight body to soup. Cook for 15 minutes longer.

Long Island Clam Chowder

2 cups ground or chopped clams

2-3 slices salt pork

Clam liquor

1 cup celery, chopped

3 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 medium-sized onion, chopped

½ tsp thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

Render fat from pork in pot and remove pork. Add all ingredients, including clam liquor, and dilute with water to cover. Simmer for three hours. Let cool. Chill overnight. When ready to serve, heat chowder, but do not allow it to boil.

New England Clam Chowder

4 cups ground or chopped clams

2-3 slices salt pork, diced

1 medium-sized onion

3 cups potatoes, diced

2 cups water

2 ½ cups scalded milk

½ cup cream

2 tablespoons butter

Clam liquor

Render out salt pork in pot until almost crisp. Add onions and simmer about five minutes, or until onions are soft. Add potatoes, water, and clam liquor. Cover and simmer about ten minutes. Add clams, scalded milk, and cream. Cook slowly about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Add butter.

Rhode Island Clam Chowder

In the preceding recipe, use one cup canned tomato soup in place of the cup of milk.

Watercress

At first glance watercress looks innocent enough. Its deep green leaves are small and rounded, considerably more diminutive than some of its relatives, such as collards or mustard greens. But take a bite of its soft leaves and crunchy stems, and you will find a big, peppery burst of flavor that can be downright spicy.

Wild watercress can be found in shallow streams, springs, ponds and lakes. My husband says we cannot grow it here, but I told him I like to buy it in the spring because it looks so fresh and inviting. Cultivated watercress---the kind you are likely to see in the store---takes root in a hydroponic greenhouse system and is very similar in taste and appearance to its wild cousin; the two can be used interchangeably.

In the grocery you can find watercress in bags or bunches. Look for bright green leaves and no signs of yellowing or slimy wet spots. The stems can be thick and wiry so these should be trimmed off. The stems will become tender with cooking but they can still be a bit leggy so are best served with a knife and fork.

Watercress is highly perishable and you should plan on using it within two days of purchase.

Watercress can be eaten raw, wilted, or cooked. The more heat it’s exposed to, the tenderer and mellower it gets. I used it in a wilted salad and it was delicious. I also found many recipes for a watercress stir-fry, so again the watercress would be wilted. It will give a muted peppery backdrop to the chicken and mushrooms in the stir-fry recipe.

Taken from Dig It by John Folse.

Wilted Watercress Salad with Sweet and Sour Dressing

Serves 6

3 (5-ounce) bunches watercress

1 pint cherry tomatoes, rinsed and halved

1 tbsp. olive oil

6 slices bacon

2 tbsps. Brown sugar

Pinch ground mustard

Pinch sweet paprika

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

Salt and black pepper to taste

Rinse watercress thoroughly under cold running water, removing old leaves and thick stems. Drain well then transfer to a large serving bowl. Add cherry tomatoes to bowl and set aside.

In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add bacon and cook 5-7 minutes or until crisp, turning occasionally. Using tongs, remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels, reserving bacon fat in pan. Add sugar, mustard and paprika to bacon fat in pan, stirring to dissolve. Cook 1 minute or until fragrant, stirring constantly.  Whisk in vinegar, then season to taste using salt and pepper. Pour hot dressing over watercress and tomatoes, tossing lightly to coat. Crumble bacon over salad and serve immediately.

The next recipe is from the April/May issue of ‘Fine Cooking’ magazine. It is easy to put together and goes great with rice.

Chicken, Shiitake, and Watercress Stir-Fry

Serves 2-4

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into ¾-inch pieces

1 Tbs. reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tsp. sake

2 tsp. cornstarch

Kosher salt

2 Tbs. canola or other neutral oil

1 ½ Tbs. Chinese chile-bean sauce; more to taste (can be found in the Asian section of the grocery store)

2 tsp. minced fresh ginger

6 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced (about 2 ½ cups)

¼ cup lower-salt chicken broth

1 medium bunch watercress (60 oz.), stemmed

1 Tbs. rice vinegar

Put the chicken in a medium bowl and toss with 2 tsp. of the soy sauce, the sake, cornstarch and ½ tsp, salt. Heat a wok or a 2-inch skillet over high heat. Add 1 Tsp. of the oil and the chicken to the pan in a single layer. Leave the chicken undisturbed for about a minute before stirring, and then cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and partially cooked, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a bowl.

Return the pan to high heat. Add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil, the chile-bean sauce, and ginger to the pan, and stir to combine. Add the mushrooms, and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 2 minutes. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan. Stir in the broth and the remaining 1tsp. soy sauce. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the watercress, vinegar, and more chile-bean sauce to taste. Toss until the watercress wilts. Serve hot.