The lemon in this cake lemon gives it a delicious tang that goes oh so well with a good cup of tea or coffee. The cake also rises fairly evenly, so it’s very easy to make a layer cake just by making two and sandwiching them together with whatever takes your fancy. But we usually just make a single cake, decorate it with dark chocolate chips, and cut the cake into 1-inch squares round each chip to give delicious little bit-sized serves.
Preserved lemons are super easy to make and ridiculously overpriced in the shops. All you need is lemons and salt and, if you want, some cloves and cinnamon. Selma makes it even easier and says you just need olive oil and lemons. We’ve made both this year, thanks to a very generous neighbour with a lemon tree and an agenda of wanting more salted lemons from us.
I first met tabouleh when it appeared in a local bistro many years ago. Served as part of a chicken and tabouleh sandwich, it quickly became my favourite bought lunch. I’ve since learned how to make it, and it appears a few times over summer, especially at barbecues and parties.
Paneer is an Indian cottage-style cheese that’s so amazingly easy to make you’ll wonder why you ever went out to buy it. This recipe works for me and the milk we can get in our supermarkets here: the trick is to find the right ratio of lemon juice to milk.
Be warned, you need a spoon to eat your piece of lemon and orange coconut cake; but it’s worth it for a delightful afternoon tea. As a bonus, he-who-won’t-eat-cake loves it too.
Mermaid's tresses 