City Slicker Farms

Backyard Gardener Erica Marcus donated lemons from her tree to our first farmstand of 2015 on Saturday. We asked her to share some of her favorite lemon recipes with us.

When I moved to West Oakland, I fell in love with my house because of the incredible lemon tree in my backyard. It loves my backyard and for the last twelve plus years, it has provided thousands of lemons to me and my neighbors. For the last year and a half, whenever possible, I bring a bucket of lemons to City Slicker Farms Saturday Farm Stand. 

City Slicker Farms has been good to me (I am a member of the Backyard Garden Program) and I always want to give back when I can…whether it is a small donation for starter plants or lemons from my tree. So on Valentine’s Day, Saturday, February 14 at the City Slicker Farm Stand, there were a couple of buckets of fresh lemons. Joseph and Allison have been teaching me and helping me prune my fruit trees, including the lemon tree. And there are lots of lemons just waiting to be harvested.

I love lemons but since I am diabetic, I always am looking for ways to use lemons without using a lot of sugar. Often, the fresh greens in the raised beds that City Slicker helped build at my house provide me with lots of options to experiment.  I just go to the front yard or the raised bed in the backyard and there is lots to chose from. So here are some savory lemon recipes from me and my neighbor and gardening partner, Chizu:

Yummy lemony chick peas with City Slicker Farms Kale

What you need:

extra-virgin olive oil

salt

fresh garlic diced (optional)

1 small onion sliced

1 cup cooked chickpeas (I just use them from a can)

8 ounces extra-firm tofu 

1 cup of chopped kale 

2 small zucchini, chopped

Lemon zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon

Heat some olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add a little bit of salt, cut up onions and some fresh cut up garlic. Just before the onions are totally soft add in a cup of chickpeas. Saute the chickpeas until they are golden and slightly crusty.  Add in the tofu and the kale and cook for a couple of minutes.  

Put in a bowl and let it rest for a few minutes. Meanwhile, heat some olive oil in the pan cook up the zucchini until is is soft. Add the chickpeas, onions, kale, and some skin off the lemon (Optional) and juice of half a lemon.

Ricotta cheese

3 cups whole milk

1/2 tsp salt (this is optional, I think)

2 tbsp. lemon juice

Bring milk and salt to just under boiling. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice and mix well. It will start to curdle. Let stand 5 minutes. Pour into a sieve lined with cheesecloth and let it drain for 20 minutes. (You can discard the drained liquid or whey but I understand that there are lots of interesting ways to use the whey). The longer you drain it, the stiffer the ricotta will be. Chill. It will keep for several days.

Then get some chard or kale from your backyard garden or the farm stand. Sauté some garlic, onions, mushrooms, kale or chard. When the greens are wilted, I take them out use a little bit of balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and add the ricotta. If you want to be extravagant, add some mozzarella, mix well and throw in the oven.

Thanks City Slicker Farms!