In honor of spring, before things really warm up, here's a look at 15 of our favorite lemon recipes. Lemon is versatile, and that shows here — there are sweet things, like a lemon elderflower cake and lemon brioche baked French toast. But there there are also plenty of savory recipes for dinner: Meyer lemon grain salad with asparagus, braised chicken with lemon and mint pesto, a leek and lemon frittata. If you have a lemon or three hanging about, read on for some inspiration!

Lemon and other citrus have their peak season in the winter, when they are flown in from warm places in big shining heaps to remind us of sunshine. But as winter brightens into spring, I always feel that lemon is the flavor to take us there. Lemon's spritz of scent and bite of flavor taste of spring sun and brightness, its juice livening up the first salads, and its zest making cakes fragrant and delicious.

SWEET LEMON
• 1 Elderflower Lemon Cake
• 2 Lemon Brioche French Toast and Raspberries
• 3 Meyer Lemon Shaker Pie
• 4 Sticky Lemon Rolls with Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze
• 5 Lemon Rice Pudding
• 6 Lemon Sandwich Cookies with Triple Citrus Filling
• 7 Lemon Cream and Coconut Icebox Cupcakes

SAVORY LEMON
• 8 Pork Meatballs with Lemon and Thyme
• 9 Lemon Braised Chicken and Beans with Mint Pesto
• 10 Meyer Lemon Grain Salad with Asparagus, Almonds and Goat Cheese
• 11 Chickpea Casserole with Lemon, Herbs and Shallots
• 12 Roasted Chicken Thighs with Fennel and Lemon
• 13 Lemon Frittata with Leeks and Goat Cheese
• 14 Spaghetti with Mascarpone, Meyer Lemon, Spinach, and Hazelnuts
• 15 Teeny-Tiny New Potatoes with Lemon

What's your favorite way to use lemons — especially in the spring? Any favorite dishes for springtime that are infused with lemon flavor?

(Images: See linked recipes for full image credits)

You might also like