We bought a lemon tree in a pot, I think because a neighbour
said that not only were they very productive but that the fragrant flowers
attracted bees and bumblebees.
Our tree,
which I transported back from the garden centre on a bus (attracting comment
and some awe), bore one large, fully formed lemon at the end of a branch.
Alone, this
fruit, in its bright lemon livery, looked rather out of place in our garden.
But we were proud of it. After all, lemon trees are hardly native to England.
The lemon
had to be dealt with in some way in case it rotted and fell to the ground. And
it had to be given the very best of usage – in a sort of celebration if you
will.
I had just
sharpened all the scissors in the house, so the kitchen pair, being the nearest
to the lemon tree would seem to be the ideal harvesting tool. But the lemon was
so well attached to its branch that the scissors were of scant use. Bending and
cutting worked in the end. I now had this lovely fruit in my hand to use as
best I could.
I knew that
there were some uncooked, greeny-grey prawns ready for use in the freezer. They
were unfrozen.
I grated
our lemon’s peel into a frying pan, adding two pressed garlic cloves, some
salt, and a good lump of butter. The prawns went on top.
Ready to eat
them, the pan was heated gently. The butter melted. The prawns were then
stirred, to coat them with the garlic/lemon peel mix.
The tails
were the first bits to become pink. Then the prawns themselves followed suit.
They were turned over for a few seconds. Then we ate them, with our very own
lemon peel enhancing the flavour of the dish to its huge benefit.
Now I had
to deal with the bald lemon – zestless - devoid of its outer skin.
We like to
drink whisky sours. I believed that the juice from our large lemon would do for
two glasses of it.
So the
lemon was cut. There were no pips in it and it was bursting with juice.
This juice
was divided between two large wineglasses. Some dissolved sugar was added, then
Bourbon whiskey, and finally, lots of ice.
We ate
handsomely, and drank a whisky sour toast to our lemon tree and its first and
very enjoyable lemon.
