Seasonal citrus offers culinary inspiration

By Jackie Burrell/San Jose Mercury News

The clouds may roll in and icy raindrops spatter, but the waning months of winter have provided some sunny aspects, too. We're talking, of course, about the Meyer lemons, blood oranges and grapefruit hanging heavy on California trees.

And we're not the only ones to take notice.

Berkeley, Calif.'s Barlovento chocolatiers have used customers' Meyer lemons in their chocolate truffles for the past several years. Now Spoonbar, the trendy restaurant at Healdsburg's h2hotel, and Waterbar in San Francisco have launched share-the-citrus programs that turn diners' lemons, oranges and other fruit into seasonal cocktails and lovely tarts.

Like many Bay Area restaurants, Spoonbar's bartenders and chefs have always worked with local farmers to get specialty produce for their signature cocktails and dishes. Last year, it dawned on them that there was a way to get the community involved in the experience, too - and to take the locavore concept to new heights.

“A lot of people have fruit trees, especially citrus - including me,” says Circe Sher, Spoonbar's marketing director and a partner in its boutique hotel. “You get too much, and you don't know what to do with it. Wouldn't it be fun to have your citrus in a cocktail? We just decided to do a call-out to the community and beyond: ‘Give us your fruit!'”

Soon, people were arriving with boxes of navel oranges, Meyer lemons and grapefruits in their cars, pickups and even bicycle baskets. The experience has been similar in San Francisco, where Emily Luchetti holds court as Waterbar's pastry chef.

“It's like zucchini,” Luchetti says. “All your neighbors have said, ‘No more! I can't take any more!' You can only squeeze so much (citrus) and make so much marmalade.”

Luchetti, who also serves as dean at the French Culinary Institute in Campbell, Calif., has nine Meyer lemon trees in her front yard and for years has been bringing her excess citrus to work to make seasonal desserts. Now, Luchetti, executive chef Parke Ulrich and mixologist Joe Wyre are turning the bounty into lemon curd, oyster mignonettes, vinaigrettes, semifreddos and drinks at the bar.

It's not necessarily a one-sided exchange. At Spoonbar, for example, donors get dining credits. At Waterbar, the fruit is exchanged for a dozen oysters or a dessert. Give them 30 pounds of citrus, and Luchetti will name the dessert-of-the-day after you.

And in Healdsburg, Calif., the fruit has been magnificent. A group of bicyclists arrived at the hotel last week with two crates of Meyer lemons. An octogenarian brought pomelos. The hotel's pastry chef Amber Simpkins made a beeline for the lemons, which became a tender pound cake, with candied lemon slices running through the middle.

“It's also cool, because people show up with unique fruit - kumquats, blood oranges, pomelos - and we're tasked with, how are we going to use this?” Sher says. “It's been a really nice community-building project.”

Meanwhile, the mixology staff is thrilled. Cappy Sorentino has been churning out Meyer lemon margaritas, making his own limoncello and whipping up other citrusy cocktails.

“The bartender just gave me an amazing cocktail. I tasted it at 10 in the morning!” Sher says, laughing. “It's a Meyer Purdy - Meyer lemons, grapefruit, candied Meyer lemon peel. It's delicious. It tastes like quintessential spring.”

And it gives the concept of a giving tree a whole new meaning.

Rum Caramel  - Marinated Oranges

Serves 8

6 large oranges

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons dark rum

Slow-churned vanilla bean ice cream or vanilla frozen yogurt

1. Peel and section the oranges into a medium bowl, reserving 6 tablespoons of the juice. (The oranges can be done a day ahead and kept refrigerated.)

2. Cook the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, 3 minutes. Increase to medium-high heat and continue to cook until the sugar is a light caramel color, about 5 minutes. Do not stir once the sugar begins to boil.

3. Remove the pan from the stove and add 1 tablespoon of the reserved orange juice. Gently stir the orange juice into the caramel, being careful, as the caramel will sputter. Stir in the rest of the orange juice, a tablespoon at a time. If at any time the caramel sputters violently, stop stirring until it subsides. Stir in the rum. (This step can be done a day or two ahead as well, and kept refrigerated. Reheat before using.)

4. Pour the rum caramel over the orange sections. Marinate for at least 10 minutes to several hours.

5. To serve: Scoop the vanilla bean ice cream into 8 bowls and top with the marinated oranges.

-Emily Luchetti, “A Passion for Desserts” (Chronicle Books, 2003)

Meyer Lemon Pound Cake

Makes 1 loaf cake

2 Meyer lemons, thinly sliced

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup water

1 cinnamon stick

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 cup butter

4 large eggs plus 2 yolks

Zest and juice from 3 Meyer lemons

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Glaze:

Lemon juice

Confectioner's sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.

2. Place sliced lemons in a pan; cover with honey, water and cinnamon stick. Bring to boil; cook 2 minutes. Set aside.

3. Using a stand mixer, cream sugar and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 minutes, stopping midway to scrape down sides.

4. On low speed, add the whole eggs, one at a time. Add yolks and integrate on slow speed. Add lemon zest and juice, then the vanilla.

5. Add the flour, baking powder and salt. The moment all of the flour is integrated, stop. Do not over-mix the batter.

6. Pour half the batter into your loaf pan. Drain the sliced lemons (use the leftover syrup to sweeten hot tea). Gently place sliced lemons on top in a single layer; top with remaining batter. Bake 55-70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center pulls out cleanly. Cool in pan 15 minutes, then unmold.

7. Mix just enough lemon juice into the powdered sugar to make a glaze. Slice cake, drizzle with glaze and serve.

-Amber Simpkins, pastry chef, h2hotel and Spoonbar

Citrus Jalapeno Mignonette

Makes enough for 1 dozen oysters

2 jalapenos, seeds removed and finely diced

1 shallot, minced

Juice and zest of one orange

Rice wine vinegar, equal part to orange juice.

Combine all the ingredients. Spoon over freshly shucked oysters.

-Parke Ulrich, executive chef, Waterbar

Sucker Punch

Makes 1 cocktail

Note: The lemon juice makes this drink. Don't try to substitute lime juice. It isn't as good.

1 ounce Meyer lemon juice

1 ounce Bombay Sapphire Gin

1/2 ounce St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur

1/2 ounce Lillet Blonde

Place all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until cold. Strain into a martini glass and serve.

-Joe Wyre, Waterbar

Meyer Purdy Cocktail

Makes 1

1 ounce Charbay Meyer lemon vodka

1/2 ounce house-made Meyer limoncello (see below)

1/2 ounce grapefruit juice

1/2 ounce lemon juice

1/2 ounce Meyer lemon juice

1/4 ounce D'arbo elderflower syrup

Candied Meyer lemon peel, to garnish (see below)

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake briskly for 5-8 seconds, then strain over fresh ice. Garnish with candied lemon peel. Enjoy.

Meyer Limoncello

10-15 Meyer lemons

1 liter 100-proof vodka

2 cups simple syrup

1. Peel the lemons, being careful to remove as much white pith as possible. The oils in the skins are what give the cello its flavor, while the pith just adds bitterness.

2. Steep the lemon peel in about 1 liter of vodka. You can use a smaller bottle (750ml is the traditional bottle size) but the vodka must cover the peels completely. Store in a cool, dry place for at least 3 weeks. More time means more flavor.

3. Then, discard the lemon peels, and add about simple syrup to taste. Voila! Limoncello for after-dinner drinks as well as cocktails.

Candied Meyer Lemon Peels

Meyer lemons

Simple syrup

Sugar

1. Peel the skins off the Meyer lemons, being careful to take as little of the pith as possible. Submerge peels in water, bring to a boil, then drain.

2. Submerge peels in simple syrup, bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes.

3. Drain. Place peels on a rack. Sprinkle with sugar; bake at 175 degrees for 2 hours. Store in an airtight container.

-Cappy Sorentino, bar manager, Spoonbar