I grew up on my parents’ farm which had lots of fruit trees.

There was this huge lemon tree which bore a year-round supply of fruit. We enjoyed lemon cakes, lemon desserts, lemon drinks and home-made lemon marmalade jam.

Maybe that’s why as an adult now and a keen cook, I keep a ready supply of lemons and limes in my refrigerator.

These citrus fruits are versatile. They give a great tang to many home-cooked meals.

They are also excellent as the base for salad dressings and for home-made lemonade. A squeeze of lemon juice on fish makes the dish more delicious.

From a health perspective, citrus fruits are a good source of vitamin C and lemons are low in fat and calories. If you are reducing salt in your diet, substitute it with lemon juice to bring out flavours instead.

Lemons are also useful around the home in other ways. A few drops of lemon juice in the laundry help get rid of stubborn stains.

The juice is also handy as a substitute for bleach to clean kitchen benches and chopping boards, as its acid kills mould and bacteria.

They are an all-round deodoriser and an essential ingredient in many air fresheners.

When buying lemons, choose those that are bright in colour and feel heavy for their size. If you are going to grate and use the peel, wash them well in cold water first to remove any pesticide residue.

With just a few lemons, you have the basic ingredient for a delicious lemon cake. Throw in some ground almond meal and finely ground polenta or corn meal, and this cake is an instant hit because of its tangy fresh flavour.

Polenta and ground almond meal are available from many supermarkets and health food shops.

Recipes

Lemon and Almond Cake

220g butter
220g caster sugar
3 eggs
finely grated rind of 2 lemons
4 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
150g ground almond meal
150g plain flour sifted together with 1 heaped tsp baking powder
60g fine polenta

Pre-heat the oven to 160 deg C and grease and line a 22cm cake baking tin.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and creamy.

Stir in the almond meal then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. If the mixture starts to curdle, add a little flour.

Fold in the lemon juice, lemon rind, polenta and sifted flour and baking powder.

Spoon the mixture into the greased baking tin and bake for around 50 minutes until the top is golden-brown.

The cake is a moist one but cook it a little longer until a knife inserted into it comes out clean.

Dust the top with icing sugar and serve while still warm. It is also good served with a few tablespoons of natural yogurt.

Mini Lime and Coconut Steamed Desserts (Four servings)

120g butter
50g caster sugar
150g self-raising flour sifted
2 eggs
100ml coconut milk 

For the lime syrup topping
100g sugar
3tbsp lime juice
rind of two limes very finely chopped
4 crushed cardamom pods (optional)

First prepare the puddings by beating the butter and sugar together until creamy, then beat in the eggs and coconut milk.

Fold in the sifted flour.

Spoon the mixture into four greased ramekins or moulds.

Cut four rounds of baking paper the size of the moulds and place one on top of each pudding.

Steam the puddings for around 30 minutes.

While the puddings are being steamed, make the lime syrup topping by placing all the ingredients in a small pot.

Bring the mixture to the boil, stirring until all the sugar is dissolved.

Reduce the heat and simmer for about five minutes until the mixture becomes a little thicker.

Remove from the heat and pour a little over each pudding.

Serve with a scoop of ice cream or low-fat yogurt.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on July 23, 2008.