Have you ever cooked with preserved lemons? They are often used in Moroccan foods and add a salty tartness to dishes. They are easy to make at home and I used some of our home-grown lemons to make a few small jars yesterday. It's a simple matter of layering lemon wedges and kosher salt, squishing the lemons down until the juice covers them. I added a bit more lemon juice to make certain everything was covered. Seal it up and let it sit for a month or so. I keep the jar in the fridge after that and it lasts at least a year.
While I was working with the lemons, I also made some lemon finishing salt, which consisted of grating the rind of a couple of lemons and rubbing it into sea salt. I dried the mixture for about 20 minutes at the lowest setting on my oven - 200 degrees, let it cool and put it into jars. I think it will be good on salmon and other fish dishes.
In the spring I painted the little lavatory off the laundry room. It was a dismal beige and now it's a beautiful green/blue color called Vienna Lake which is hard to see in this photo. Does the name of a paint color influence your decision? It does mine, so I've learned to cover the names while picking a color.
The fleur de lis canvas was a simple idea. I drew the design on a folded sheet of paper - just one half of it, then cut the whole thing out and traced it onto a white painted canvas. I used a black Sharpie to color in the design, rather than paint, just because it was handy. It also made it easy to get an even line on the edges of the design. Someday we'll replace the vanity and fixtures, but this will have to do for now.
The past couple of days have been deliciously warm. I'm gardening in the early morning or evening to avoid the heat. These daisies are flourishing just now, but I wonder how long they will last.
It's the season for summer meals - salads of all kinds, and some kind of meat on the grill. Simple and satisfying. Thank you for all the ideas for flavoring water that you shared in the last post, and for your kind comments. I'm looking forward to fruity flavored water!
What's keeping you busy these days? Are you laying low trying to stay cool or feeling energetic and getting a lot accomplished?
Trying to get something done, but hard when it is warm. Made raspberry jam today. We have many of the same daisy in our garden. Love, love anything lemon and have thought of trying the lemons in a jar, but now the lemon finishing salt sounds oh so good.
ReplyDeleteLike you I am gardening early or later in the evening...
ReplyDeletewalking early in the day with a bottle of Perrier...we have the sprinklers on tonight and all th windows are open...lovely shade of paint in your powder room!
Looks like a great boating weekend ahead!
Nice tips on the lemons. I didn't know you could pickle them. I like the idea of the lemon salt, too. xo Jenny
ReplyDeleteThanks for the lemon ideas they sound lovely but I fear we'd have to purchase ours rather than harvest them ourselves. I had daisies like that for my wedding posy - I love their freshness. We are lucky here to have had some warm sunshine but it's not too hot as yet.
ReplyDeleteYou have been making the most of your time! Those lemon ideas are great. I am influenced by names of paint and other things, too. :)
ReplyDeleteOhh I love lemon pickle and it's so yummy too :)
ReplyDeleteWhile I enjoy the freshness of lemon, my husband doesn't, but I sneak thence in once in a while. And how do you grow lemons? Inside? Our weather here I n Colorado is just plain strange. Monday it was 97 and yesterday barely 80. We have had more rain so everything is green and pretty. We worked hard all weekend in the garden; now I am staying in cleaning and doing laundry and playing with my camera.
ReplyDeleteI was so surprised, this past visit to France, to be challenged by friends in Paris (both ex-pat, but they've lived there for decades and decades) about my gold fleur-de-lis pendant, very small, delicate. Apparently, in France it's still associated with the aristocracy and often signals right-wing sympathies, might have people thinking of me as a potential LePen supporter! I assured them quickly that the connotations here in Canada are very different. . . you'd agree, I assume?
ReplyDeleteCan't believe you have enough lemons to preserve? That just seems magical to me. I do love preserved lemons, especially in a tagine.
What beautiful colors in your jar!! I have not done much with lemons, other than put them in my drink! I have posted some pictures of daisies today as well...they are one of my favors! Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteHi Lorrie. How are your daisies with this sudden heat? A little droopy? Your nasturtiums must be happy though. They're are such a pretty colour.
ReplyDeleteI've been laying low on the hammock and painting in my studio in the basement. Now don't picture me on that hammock under the trees alone...... there are two little grand girls that like to spend time there making their Nana swing..... faster Nana, faster!
I don't know what I'm occupied with but everyday has it's busyness!
ReplyDeleteI'm interested in the lemons and love your bathroom project. I had Shasta Daisies for years and divided them many times. Now I have none. I should get some from some of the friends I shared them with!
Deanna
Getting a lot accomplished ≠ moi. Getting a bit accomplished is more like it.
ReplyDeleteI like the new color and, yes, I am very much into titles. Blogs that have "cottage" in their name are highly appealing to me (at least, at first glance). Your sign is great, too. Sharpies are a lot of fun to work with!
I never heard of preserving lemons like that. Do you think it would work for limes too? Love the daisies! I used to grow them and pick them for bouquets inside. Simple country goodness!
ReplyDeleteThe fleur de lis is lovely, what a neat idea and simple project (but one i could easily mess up). Our humidity is zapping the energy level a bit.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of preserved lemons, I obviously have never eaten Moroccan food! Our daisies are wilting in the heat and I'm wilting with them!
ReplyDeleteI love lime chutney with a curry, a preserved lemon one would be a good one to try, too.
ReplyDeleteHad to smile at the hought of covering up the paint label, that's something I would do.Your loo looks fab now, the fleur de lys is gorgeous.
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ReplyDeleteI have never done either of these with lemons but I might give it a try! I make home made lemonade in the summer sometimes as a treat so the next time I buy a bag of lemons I will keep this in mind! :)
ReplyDeleteYour daisies are gorgeous right now :)
'Deliciously warm'...I like that. And I agree! And I like your fleur de lis.
ReplyDeleteI like what you did in the lavatory.
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