The Atlas Gourmet

Lemon trees laden with their winter crop, boughs drooping under the weight of many hued lemons: dark green, lighter green becoming suffused with yellow, vibrant yellow bursting with life, then as they go unpicked and overripe a flush of orange seeps into the knobbly fruit. Until I came to South Africa lemons came from a shop: smooth, uniform yellow skins all year round. Now I have learned to appreciate their seasonal bounty, struggling to use up all the fruit in winter, hoarding away the squeezed juice of the excess lemons in the freezer for summer, when the lemons must come from the shop again and are more expensive and less juicy.

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When the weather’s warm, it’s almost too easy to rely on ice cream, soda, popsicles and other frosty sweets for refreshment. However, there are delicious ways to cool off without making the hope of a trim waistline melt away.

For instance, you can eat something sweet, feel refreshed and still get your recommended five fruits and veggies a day with the recipes below. Easy to make and even easier to enjoy, smoothies and sorbets made with light and healthy canned Bartlett pears are a refreshing antidote to a hot afternoon. (more…)