There are a lot of things you can make besides lemonade!

For a printable version of each recipe please click on the name of the recipe.

Here's one of the best meals you can make with a lemon!
It's my version of TABBOULEH, and it is a balanced meal:

1 cup bulgar wheat
1 cup boiling water
1 tsp. Salt
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
        (about 1 lemon)
1 tsp. Crushed garlic
2 Tbsp. Chopped fresh mint (or 2 t. dried)

Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup finely chopped parsley, packed firmly
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1/4 cup Greek black olives,
          sliced or diced

This will grow a lot as you add things, so start with at least a medium-large bowl:
Put salt and bulgar wheat in bowl, add boiling water, cover and let sit for 30 minutes.  Then add the rest of the ingredients in column one.   Cover and chill for an hour or so.  Add all of the ingredients in column two except the Feta cheese.   (Add them in the order given.)  SERVE ON A NICE BIG BED OF ROMAINE LETTUCE AND TOP WITH CRUMBLED FETA CHEESE.

And here's a nice LEMON ICE

dessert to top off your Tabbouleh meal:  It's from my friend Marilyn who says it's from her OLD Boston Cooking School cook book:
Put 4 cups water and 2 cups sugar in pan and boil 5 minutes.  Add 3/4 cup lemon juice.  Freeze in ice cube trays.  Just before serving pop ice cubes into food processor or blender and "smoosh" them (but don't let them melt).

CELERY AND POTATOES

Celery seems to be an underutilized veggie in the USA, while potatoes are a staple of life.  Combining these two and adding lemon juice makes one of the best side dishes I know.  Here it is:     Clean and thoroughly de-string a large bunch of celery.   This takes some time but is worth the work.  Cut celery in 4" pieces and place in a tight single layer in a large (Corningware) flame proof casserole.  Drizzle with 1 1/2 Tbsp. Olive oil and add 1/2 cup water.  Cover and simmer 10 minutes.  Sprinkle celery with 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice.  Cut red potatoes in 1/2" slices to form a tight layer on top. Add salt and fresh ground pepper.  Cover and put in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Stir celery & potatoes to mix, recover and bake 20 to 25 minutes.  You may have to add a little water to keep the veggies from going dry and burning.  Serves about 4.

EGGPLANT is one of the most misunderstood vegetables ever.  Most folks don't like it because they simply haven't ever had it prepared properly.   Here is an appetizer that I serve to folks who think they hate eggplant:  They lap it up!!!!!  It's my version of

BABA GHANOUSH

(and of course it contains fresh lemon juice).

1 1/2 lbs. eggplant (one large or 2 small)
3 Tbsp. Tahini (sesame) paste
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. very finely chopped garlic

1/2 cup chopped green onions
3/4 cup finely chopped fresh tomatoes
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Make  3 or 4 slits in eggplant and  bake on non-stick pan in 450 degree oven for 45 - 55 min., turning it over once.   Let cool just till you can handle it.  Hold over sink and peel carefully, letting bitter juices run into sink.  Squeeze gently if necessary.  Put pulp in food processor, along with Tahini, garlic, and lemon juice.   Transfer to medium bowl.
   Add rest of ingredients.  Stir well.  Taste for flavor and add lemon juice, salt, and/or pepper as necessary.  Chill at least two hours.  Serve with wedges of pita bread.   This is also good on crackers if you can't find any nice fresh pita.  Actually, this would be good on an old shoe!  It's just plain good!

LEMON MUSHROOMS

A beautiful combination of ingredients
that makes a great appetizer OR salad

1 lb. Fresh mushrooms (sliced if for salad, cut in half if for appetizer); 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil; 1 lemon; 2 Tbsp. Water; 1 1/2 tsp. Kikkoman Soy sauce; 1/4 tsp. Salt; 1/4 tsp. Sugar; 1/4 tsp. Sage (if you don't have whole sage to crumble yourself use oregano.  DO NOT USE powdered sage, please).
   Cut 6 thin slices of lemon and reserve.  Squeeze rest of lemon for 1 Tbsp. Juice.
   Cook mushrooms briefly in hot oil until coated.  Stir in rest of ingredients including lemon juice.  Bring to boil then simmer for 3 minutes.   Cool.  For salad serve over bibb lettuce.  For appetizer serve with toothpicks.

LEMON CHICKEN

Lemon juice and chicken go naturally together!  Here's an oriental style recipe that is a far cry from the horribly sweet dish of the same name that some "Chinese" restaurants offer.   I adapted it from The New New York Times Cookbook which, although published over 30 years ago, is still a great cookbook!

1 1/2 Tbsp. fermented black beans,
   crushed & soaked in 1 Tbsp. Water
1 tsp. finely minced garlic
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tsp. sugar
dash cayenne pepper

2 skinned, boneless chicken breasts cut
  in 1/2" wide strips
2 Tbsp. dry sherry or saki
2 Tbsp. Kikkoman soy sauce
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. peanut or canola oil

Marinate chicken in wine, soy sauce & cornstarch for 20 minutes.  Stir fry them quickly in half the hot peanut oil.  Remove from pan.   Add the other tbsp. Oil and the garlic & stir fry for 1 minute, being careful not to brown it.  Add sauce ingredients from second column and bring to boil.  Add chicken and cook over medium heat until thickened.  Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. Sesame oil and serve over rice.

SO -- if life doesn't hand you a lemon -- go out and buy some -- and keep those fresh lemons handy, because they make all your veggies sweeter, make your soup tastier, and give you an extra "squirt" of Vitamin C !