When Life Gives You Lemons

I love lemons, especially the ones from my in-laws' tree because they are large and juicy and sweet. Since I was on my own for dinner tonight, I knew just what to do.

When lemons are added food seems to have a light, summery feel. Tonight's main course – tortellini fruit salad with lemon-ginger dressing – is a perfect example of this. Use the small frozen package of tortellini since it is just as tasty as and less expensive than the fresh-packed deli version. While the pasta cooks - which only takes two or three minutes - make the dressing by stirring together a small container of lemon yogurt and some ginger to taste. I use nearly a teaspoon because I like the bite of the ginger in contrast to the cool sweetness of the lemon flavor. When the tortellini is done, drain it and rinse it under cold water to chill it a little. (Of course, if you have left over in the fridge, that's all the better to start with!) Next, gently stir the tortellini, about two cups of chunked mixed fruit, and the lemon dressing together. Leftover fresh fruit - like cantaloupe and peaches - works well, but so does frozen fruit. I used mixed berry tonight which I set out to thaw when I got home. This fruity salad can be eaten as is (tomorrow's lunch) or served on a bed of greens (tonight's dinner). Anything leafy and crunchy will do, but mixed field greens are my absolute favorite here. If you have some chopped pecans or walnuts, throw those on top for added crunch (and antioxidants). This is a great warm weather lunch or late evening supper.

Dessert was a little more complicated - lemon rice pudding with a brulee topping. This recipe came from the Taste of Home yearbook, but you can make the same thing without the book by following a couple of easy substitutions. Use your favorite rice pudding recipe but cook the rice in lemonade instead of water. I used the powdered drink mix kind, but frozen would work just as well. (I suspect this is like wine in that you shouldn’t cook with something you wouldn’t drink.) I also squeezed the juice of one lemon into the pan. When the rice is finished cooking, stir in the zest of that lemon and recover the pot for a few minutes to steam the peel a little. Then, cool the rice and continue as you would with any rice pudding recipe. The instructions I followed substituted dried cranberries for raisins, which went well with the lemony goodness. Finally, divide the pudding into ramekins and sprinkle with a mixture of equal parts white and brown sugar. Run these under the broiler for several minutes until the sugar is caramel colored and bubbly, and serve warm. You will not be disappointed.

This dessert was permeated with lemon flavor. It was sweet and tasty, even though mine was a little grainy because I had some trouble tempering the eggs tonight. (Darn it!) I can only imagine how much more wonderful it would be if it were smooth and creamy as well. So, when life gives you lemons remember there is so much more you can make than lemonade.