This pasta recipe gets a burst of freshness from a bright lemon sauce, perfectly balanced with parmesan cheese and cream.

In Italy, the lemons are the size of watermelons. While that may be a slight exaggeration, some varieties that grown on the west coast of Italy are almost 5 times the size of the lemons grown in citrus-producing states like Florida. Italians take their food, especially their produce, very seriously. And in the region of the Amalfi Coast, lemons are the pride and joy and superstar of many regional dishes. Towns dotted along the seaside cliffs have winding roads and narrow houses and you’ll find lemon trees just about everywhere.

This is not a particularly healthy dish because you’re going to use heavy cream and a generous glug of it at that. But the lightness of lemon zest makes the taste feel effortlessly light. It’s a serious treat, something so simple and perfect and worth the extra calories. It’s a delightful dish for summer suppers, alongside a big green salad or roasted asparagus.

Luscious Amalfi Coast Pasta Recipe with Lemon Sauce 
Serves 2

Ingredients
2 servings fresh fettuccine or linguini
2 lemons 
½ cup olive oil
⅓ cup heavy cream
⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

This dish moves quickly so make sure you have all ingredients on hand. Bring 6 cups of water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Do this 10-15 minutes before you start the sauce so the water is boiling rapidly by the time the sauce is simmering.

Meanwhile in a small saucepan, heat the olive oil over low heat. Using a small box grater or lemon zester, zest both lemons directly into the hot oil. Add the sugar and salt, turn the heat up to medium-high just for two minutes, then add the cream and parmesan and whisk rapidly together. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for five minutes.

Cook the fresh pasta in the boiling water for 3 minutes then use tongs to transfer the pasta to the sauce. Toss with tongs until completely coated and serve immediately with freshly ground black pepper.

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Photos by Ally-Jane 

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The benefits of lemons are wide-ranging.

Lemons were first grown in Assam (Northeast India), and made their way to Europe near Southern Italy around the 1st century AD, during the time of Ancient Rome. The juice of the lemon is 5-6 percent citric acid, which means it’s good for a host of culinary, cleaning, and cosmetic purposes.

10 Benefits of Lemons

1. Freshen your fridge.

Soak a sponge in lemon juice and wipe down the shelves and drawers of your refrigerator. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the way it freshens up any stale odors.

2. Refresh cutting boards.

If you chop foods with strong odors like onions and garlic, refresh and sanitize your cutting board with lemon juice. Simply rub the juicy side of a halved lemon all over your cutting board.

3. Lighten age spots.

The benefits of lemons are cosmetic as well; the citric acid in lemon can do wonders for your skin. It can lighten age spots or dark spots on your face caused by sun damage. Rub the juicy part of a halved lemon all over your face, taking care to avoid your eyes. Let sit on your face for 5 minutes, unless your skin stings, then rinse before that.

4. Treat sore throats.

Lemon juice can treat infections because of its antibacterial properties. Instead of salt water, gargle with lemon water when your throat begins to feel a bit raw.

5. Create natural highlights.

Create natural highlights to your hair by adding 1/4 cup lemon juice to 3/4 cup water and rinsing your hair with the mixture. Sit in the sun until the mixture dries. Repeat for a few days until your hair is the desired shade.

6. Remove stale odors from the garbage disposal.

Toss lemons in the garbage disposal and run for a few seconds to remove stale odors. It will keep your kitchen smelling fresh. Run with a handful of ice cubes for even better results.

7. Remove scratches from furniture.

Combine equal parts vegetable oil with lemon juice to treat furniture scratches. Rub the scratches with a soft cloth.

8. Create an air freshener.

Slice a lemon and cover with water in a small saucepan. Let simmer over low heat for an hour to fill the room with a vibrant aroma.

9. Brighten brown socks. 

Get grimy socks white again by boiling in water with a slice of lemon.

10. Remove grime from pots and pans. 

You don’t need harsh, toxic cleaners to remove tough grime from your pots and pans. Lemon juice will do the trick. Add a touch of salt to lemon juice and scrub pots and pans clean. Do not use on marble.

Related on EcoSalon

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Image: Andrew Comings 

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Discover for yourself the incredible health benefits of lemon and you’ll be puckering with pleasure.

Fresh lemon juice bears some surprising benefits, and starting your day with it not only tastes good but also jump starts digestion, detoxifies, and keeps you free of sickness. Don’t miss out on the incredible health benefits of lemon–the best way to start is in the morning!

Lemons are associated with a sour cringe, but delicious recipes. The little citrus fruits offer some serious health benefits, the most important being alkalizing properties. Lemons may be acidic, but ones ingested, they are one of the most alkalizing foods for the body. A high alkaline diet helps to strike a better acid-base ratio in the body that, thanks to the standard American diet, is often teetering towards acidic.

Traditionally, the benefits of lemon juice has been used in Ayurvedic medicine to stimulate digestion and clear toxins that were accumulated in the digestive tract overnight. Citrus flavonols are what are responsible for this effect, as they act as a digestive tonic. Moreover, lemon juice is believed to improve the stomach’s hydrochloric acid strength, which contributes to a more effective breaking down of food. Lemons have also shown the ability to decrease the risk for peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer.

Lemons are also a great way to avoid the common cold and boost overall immunity. They are high in ascorbic acid (vitamin C), which plays an important role in immune defense. Their vitamin C content effectively helps to increase antibody activity and resist infection. In one study, lemon citrus extract was linked to the inhibition of human breast cancer cell proliferation.

Vitamin C is a panacea of sorts, helping with the development of bones, cartilage, teeth, and gums as well as contributing to wound healing, fat and protein metabolization, and tissue formation. Vitamin C is an effective healer and is found in abundance in lemons.

And while you can reap a lot of benefits in terms of illness prevention an overall health, there are some beauty takeaways from lemons as well. Lemons are packed with antioxidants, which combats free radical damage and thus signs of aging of the skin. Paired with its detoxifying capabilities and high alkalinity, lemons can do wonder for your skin, keeping it clear, young, and taut. Apply fresh lemon juice directly to the skin for a pore tightening and deep cleansing.

While you can sneak lemon juice into your salads, soups, and as a spritz over meat-based dishes, the most potent way to benefit is to squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a warm cup of water every morning. Sip it slowly as you prepare for the day. On an empty stomach, this ritual is most effective and will do your body only the best of deeds!

Image: Desegura89

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20 Unusual Uses for Lemon Juice

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Who needs a small bag when you’ve got a pantry?

The most potent and effective remedies are often the natural ones already hanging out in the pantry. Aside from the remedy-specific nature of the following 10 homemade teas, one of the most exciting thing about them is that they don’t require a tea bag! Your spice cabinet, fresh ginger root, some green herbs, a few fruits and vegetables, and honey are all that stand between you and an elixir to treating a pesky ailment – 10 of them, to be more exact.

To put together the following recipes, make sure to mix them until evenly combined and let the teas involving herbs or fruit to steep for several minutes before drinking. Sweeten as you see fit and enjoy!

Morning Liver Tonic

When you wake up in the morning, you’re body is in a very special place. The reason we are usually instructed to take supplements in the morning is because our stomachs are empty and there is little to interfere with said supplements’ potency. This morning tea pulls you out on the right side of the bed, giving a morning cleansing body flush. The lemon juice is highly alkaline and turmeric is known for its detoxifying properties.

Turmeric dates back 2,500 years in India, where it is commonly used in Ayurvedic and Unani medicine. Turmeric packs a lot of health benefits, but for our purposes it should be regarded as a liver cleanser, antiseptic and antibacterial agent. But it doesn’t hurt that the spice lowers the risk of cancer, is anti-inflammatory and helps to lose weight. Turmeric additionally treats Alzheimer’s, depression and arthritis.

You can sweeten with honey to balance the earthiness of the tea.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Deep Sleep Tea

Wind down at the end of the day with a tea that promotes a deep, comfortable sleep. Chamomile is a great stress reliever and has a calming effect on the body. It has been used for thousands of years to help people around the world get some shut eye, and a Japanese study put some legitimacy behind this widespread observation when it noticed that rats fed chamomile fell asleep just as quickly as those given a tranquilizer. Ginger is anti-inflammatory and helps to clear mucous from your passageways, allowing for more effective breathing and hence a more pleasant sleep.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• Dried chamomile flowers to fill one sachet
• 1/2-inch nob of fresh ginger, crushed

Detox Elixir

Holding a bit more weight than you’d like? Cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and lemon join forces to rev up your metabolism and get your body back in shape. Cayenne pepper warms the body, speeding metabolism and burning more calories. Cinnamon reduces blood sugar and LDL (bad) cholesterol as well as boosts metabolism and increases insulin levels. Lemon packs some flavor and added cleansing power.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 2 dashes cayenne pepper
• 1 cinnamon stick (or 2 dashes cinnamon powder)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Immune Booster Tea

Oranges are packed with vitamin C, a known antioxidant that may help protect your body from cell damage and boost resilience from disease and illness. Cinnamon and honey both have antiseptic, antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties, which means they are effective in warding off infections. Mint not only brings a fresh aroma, but it’s a leafy green that carries with it antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that keep you healthy.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• Juice of 1/2 orange
• 1 cinnamon stick (or 2 dashes cinnamon powder)
• 1 teaspoon high-quality (raw) honey
• 4-5 mint leaves, muddled

Beautiful Skin Tea

This may seem like an unlikely concoction, but it’s actually quite delightful! Carrot juice is packed with beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, an essential part of skin health. Sage inhibits the growth of bacteria and has anti-inflammatory properties. Cayenne contains vitamins A and C, which help to absorb free radicals that break down your skin’s collagen.

Warm this recipe, without bringing it to a simmer. You want to retain the carrot juice’s potency.  Let the leaves sit in the juice for a bit before drinking so that their flavors become infused into the tea.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces warmed carrot juice
• 2 sage leaves
• Dash of cayenne

Brain Power Formula

Blueberries contain anthocyanins and flavanols, which are able to cross the blood-brain barrier. These antioxidants rid the brain of free radicals, which can otherwise lead to oxidation, memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease. Ginger is commonly used to stave off migraines and basil naturally reduces tension and fatigue in the brain and mind.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 1/2-inch nob fresh ginger, crushed
• 1 tablespoon fresh blueberries, muddled
• 3-4 leaves fresh basil, muddled

Regularity Tonic

This tonic is geared towards those of you with difficulty digesting. The taste of this tea is very comforting and earthy. The pear and apple slices bring pectin to the mix, and pectin acts as soluble dietary fiber in humans. It helps promote healthy digestion, prevents diarrhea and constipation, and reduces the risk of colon and gastrointestinal tract cancers. Purple grapes contain quercetin, a plant pigment that contributes to healthy digestion, while cinnamon warms and stimulates metabolism.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 2 small slices of pear
• 2 small slices of apple
• 4-5 purple grapes, muddled
• Dash of cinnamon

Lady’s Tonic

For that time of month, this raspberry ginger tonic is just what the doctor ordered. Raspberries are a uterine tonic, relaxing and toning the uterine muscles as needed. The fruit is also beneficial during pregnancy, easing morning sickness, stabilizing digestion, and soothing the pelvic area. According to a 2009 study, women who take a dosage of ginger for three days from day one of their period witnesses the same pain relief as those who treated their menstrual cramps with ibuprofen.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 6-8 raspberries, muddled
• 1/4-inch fresh ginger

Aches and Pains Relieving Tea

Feeling sore as the Winter nears? Be ready to combat the worsening of your symptoms with a tea that cleanses your joints and puts them at ease. Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, a compound that makes cayenne spicy. It lowers the levels of a chemical that relays pain signals to your brain. Fresh ginger and cardamom have both long been used in Ayurvedic medicine to reduce joint pain and inflammation.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• Dash of cayenne
• 4-5 cardamom pods, crushed
• 1/2-inch fresh ginger, muddled

Nausea-Be-Gone Tonic

This recipe uses the soothing and potent effects of basil and honey to rid you of stomach pains, nausea, and vomiting symptoms. It is refreshing just as much as it is energizing, which will help to reverse your symptoms and keep you alert and feeling good.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 3-4 basil leaves, muddled
• 1 teaspoon of high-quality (raw) honey

Images: Aylin Erman, Steven Jackson, Leszet Lezsczynski, Cthoyes, Jennuine Captures, CLC Photography, Simply Bike, Clyde Robinson, Kodamakitty, Michael Newman, Cinnamon Cooper

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

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When life gives you lemons, use them to clean your house.

Juicy, aromatic and highly acidic, lemons bring out the flavor in sweet and savory foods but they nearly always play a supporting role in the kitchen. Stop relegating them to the rim of your glass and give these winter citrus fruits their due – because they’re serious cleaning and freshening powerhouses. These 20 unusual uses for lemon juice will make your home look and smell fresh, brighten your laundry, and improve your hair, nails and skin.

Quick tip: roll a fresh lemon under your palm on the countertop to soften it up for easier juicing.

Fingernail Brightener

Nails looking dull and yellowed after a long period covered in dark polish? Just squeeze a lemon into a small dish, clean your nails and soak them in the lemon juice for a minute or two. Some women claim that this treatment will also make nails stronger, particularly when adding a tablespoon or so of olive oil to the dish.

Food Preservative

Keep cut fruit and vegetables like apples, pears, avocados and potatoes from turning brown by squeezing on a little bit of lemon juice. You can also perk up droopy lettuce by soaking it for an hour in a bowl of cold water and the juice of one lemon.

Emergency Deodorant

Caught smelling less-than-fresh, with no deodorant around to save the day? Cut a lemon in half (or snag a wedge from your drinking glass) and rub it under your arms. The citric acid in lemon juice will reportedly kill odor-causing bacteria. In fact, you could use this trick to ditch conventional deodorants altogether.

Odor Destroyer

Even garlic, fish, mothballs and that disgusting gunk in your garbage disposal can’t stand up to lemon juice’s odor-eliminating power. Use a cut lemon or fresh-squeezed lemon juice to remove bad smells from your refrigerator, cutting board, microwave or practically any other surface. You can even add it to the cooking water of stinky foods like cabbage, or just simmer lemon peel in water on the stovetop as a natural air freshener.

Insect Deterrent

Many insects are highly sensitive to smell, including spiders, ants, fleas and typically so-hardy-they’re-almost-alien cockroaches. Squirt lemon juice in windowsills, the thresholds of doors, along baseboards and into any cracks where insects might get into the house. Add lemon juice to your floor wash for even more insect-repelling action.

Lighten Age Spots and Freckles

There’s some debate as to whether this actually works, but if you’re desperate to reduce the appearance of freckles or dreaded age spots, lemon juice might be worth a try. Apply lemon juice with a cotton ball once per day and over time – we’re talking months – they may lighten a little bit.

Glass Cleaner

Lemon juice will make hard water stains, debris and other marks on glass disappear. Use straight lemon juice on a sponge for tough jobs, or dilute a few tablespoons in a cup of water and spray it on. Wipe it off with newspaper for totally transparent windows (that might just kill a bird or two.)

Stain Remover

Sweat, mildew, berries, wine, oil – pretty much any substance that leaves a stain on fabric can be removed with good old lemon juice. Durable fabrics can be rubbed with a paste of lemon juice and salt while more delicate fabrics might require a gentler touch, saturating the stain with lemon juice and then washing it out.

Sore Throat Soother

Gargle with a teaspoon of lemon juice in 1/8 cup of warm water to help shrink swollen throat tissue and kill bacteria. Frequent cups of hot tea made with a tablespoon of honey and a tablespoon of lemon juice will also do the trick.

Toilet Cleaner

When mixed with household borax (not the insecticide kind), lemon juice can remove even those stubborn rust stains from the toilet bowl. Make a paste of borax and lemon juice and apply it to the stain with a scrub brush or sponge. Let it sit for up to two hours, then scrub away.

Metabolism Booster

Does lemon juice really boost metabolism? Some of the claims raise red flags as being a bit too enthusiastic, and most of these lemon-based “metabolism boosters” are recommended as food replacements in starvation diets. But hey, adding a little lemon juice to your water every day will make it taste better, and drinking more water can definitely help you lose weight. So, there’s that!

Dandruff Treatment

Lemon juice may not cure dandruff or prevent it from occurring in the first place, but it can remove flakes that are already present so you don’t have to worry about them making an appearance on your clothing. Massage lemon juice into your scalp, leave it on for ten minutes and shampoo as usual.

Metal Polish

Slice a lemon in half, dip it in salt and rub it onto metal surfaces like stainless steel ranges and copper pots to eliminate grime and make them gleam.

Rice De-Sticker

A few drops of lemon juice added to simmering rice will keep it from sticking to the pot, making clean-up a lot easier.

Hair Highlighter

You can achieve natural-looking highlights at home with nothing more than a little lemon juice, a sunny day and something to occupy your hands for an hour or two. Either apply it directly to the strands you want to highlight or get an overall lightening effect by spraying on a diluted mixture of 1/2 cup lemon juice to 1/2 cup of water. The intensity of the lightening will vary depending on your hair type and texture.

Laundry Brightener

Just as it removes stains, lemon juice can act as a natural, non-toxic alternative to bleach. Add a quarter cup of juice to the washing machine to brighten whites. Lemon juice’s stain-removing power is further heightened by hanging the treated laundry up to dry in the sun.

Heartburn Relief

The efficacy of this trick depends on whether your heartburn is caused by too much acid in your stomach, or not enough. If it’s the latter, drinking a little lemon juice in water can quickly relieve discomfort.

Facial Treatment

Applied with a cotton ball, a little lemon juice acts as an astringent, eliminating oil and tightening pores for a smoother look. Mix salt and lemon juice into a paste for an all-natural exfoliant.

Itchy Skin Soother

Apply full-strength lemon juice to unbearably itchy skin rashes like poison ivy to soothe them and keep them from spreading.

Hangover Help

The next time you’re groaning in pain the morning after enjoying just a tad too much alcohol, try drinking a little lemon juice squeezed into warm water or tea. Not only does it help you re-hydrate, but the lemon juice can reportedly help balance the pH levels in your body and replace the vitamin C lost in the binge.

ALSO CHECK OUT:

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Photos: neil conway, ninetwoseven, corbin_dana,  conanil

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Money doesn’t grow on trees, but the excess fruit from a neighbor’s yard can make your diet richer and it won’t cost a dime. Shouldn’t we share the wealth?

That’s the thinking of Neighborhood Fruit, created by San Francisco urban farmers to reduce the tragic waste of fruit, which is forbidden in their vision of sustainability. Their website lets subscribers find and share fruit locally both in backyards and on public lands.

Since planting the seed in June, they’ve attracted between 3,000 and 5,000 visitors a month and located a total of 10,000 trees nationwide and growing.

Much of the fruit the nation consumes is grown in water-intensive orchards far from our homes and shipped at the high cost of fuel. Instead, co-founder Kaytea Petro sees a future where the bulk of seasonal backyard fruit is utilized and shared between neighbors for snacking, baking, putting up organic preserves, even setting up a lemonade stand – any good uses you might have for the bounty.

“I first thought of the idea when I lived on Bernal Hill and my neighbor had an apple tree with a lot of excess fruit that she would never share,” says Petro, who decided to refine the fruit network notion for her graduate thesis at the Presidio School of Management, where she received an MBA in sustainable business.

“We’re a nationwide tool that helps people connect locally,” says Petro. “The typical user is someone with a plum tree who knows what a pain it is when the fruit comes in because it all comes in at once. Those seeking the fruit are into making pies and jams or to show their city kids where food comes from.”

The mechanics of connecting are simple. I register my lemons and oranges and when the fruit arrives, I put out the word on the site. “Come and get it!” I decide if I want to pick it myself or have interested takers come over with their bushels to help pick what they want.

It seems to be attracting those who don’t want to go through the red tape of becoming a registered producer who sells at the farmers’ market, the only way to sell fruit legally.

“It can be a lot of paperwork,” observes Petro, who adds that 25% of her users are people with fruit trees. And for obvious reasons, those with trees in L.A., Miami and Austin see more of a year-round yield than those in Boston and Seattle.

In addition to making connections, Petro and co-founder, Oriana Sarac, manage a monthly newsletter, The Grapevine, featuring the voices of gardeners, bee keepers and other experts in the field, as well as a blog for sharing timely articles, recipes and success stories.

They call their neighbor fruit sharing network Fruitfillment. Anyone who believes in this vision for making use of our abundance knows the ripe concept is fulfilling a mission, indeed.

Images: DieselDemon, Seph Swain, Neighborhood Fruit

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