Fresh Lemons & the Perfumes of Summer!

copyright 2009, Maria Liberati
Buying fresh fruit in the summer is one of my favorite things to do, the aromas of the freshly picked fruits are so hypnotic (especially if you are buying locally grown produce). The colors are so vibrant (or they should be).
Yesterday, I observed how people pick out their fruit while at a supermarket that does carry local produce. Maybe I make too much of a ‘ceremony’ out of picking my fresh fruits, but I noticed that most people seem to just quickly get the fruit throw it in the bag and they are off, no smelling, looking at the fruit to make their choice.
Smelling the fruit is one of the great pleasures of the summer, and if the fruit has no perfume it has been sitting on shelves or in a truck somewhere for a long time & does not have any flavor…like eating a piece of wax fruit.
So when selecting your fruit, although each fruit has some of their own characteristics you need to look for, pick it up and smell it, the first test.
Peaches, lemons, nectarines, plums ,cantaloupes, strawberries, apricot should have a fresh aroma at this time of the year.
Oh well so much of my rumblings on how to choose fruit!
Here is one of my favorite appetizers or light lunch dishes to make with fresh lemons. Perfect to eat ‘al fresco’:

Stuffed Lemons

For 4

*4 fresh lemons

*16 ounce can of tuna in olive oil

*2 hard boiled eggs

*1 tablespoon of green olives

*1 tsp of capers

*1 tsp of extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil

Wash lemons and cut in half. Scoop out pulp. Place in food processor– drained tuna pieces, capers, pitted olives, yolks of hard boiled eggs. Blend till consistency of a smooth paste. Place small bed of lettuce or baby spinach or salad greens on 4 small appetizer plates. Slice egg whites. Place 2 lemon halves on each plate. Fill with tuna mixture. Garnish with egg white slices and whole green olives. Drizzle olive oil on top. Serve.

July 31-August 2- Atlantic City Food & Wine Shows- Bally’s Casino Come to The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm booth. For more info email: events@marialiberati.com

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

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