In My Kitchen I have lemons galore, swollen and juicy from the abundant Spring rains. This means more lemon cakes, lemon delicious pudding and perhaps some lemon cordial for the hot days ahead. Those balmy days are still a way off, days of Gin and Lemonade under a shady verandah, an appealing phantom. Spring is slow in arriving: it has been wet and cold to date as La Niña has made her presence felt throughout this State: our trickle of a creek is now a raging torrent.
Mum’s old lemon tree provides bags full for all those who ask. Her adult children and grandchildren are the main beneficiaries as well as her gardener and her Turkish neighbours who use lemons in so many exciting ways. The enticing aroma of charcoal barbecued meats doused in lemon juice wafts over her fence in summer. Visitors to the tree are asked to fetch the higher lemons and ones at the rear of the tree, leaving the easy ones for Mum ( who is 93) to gather. The tree is protected by fences and shrubbery, the soil is kept bare to the drip line and it is well watered in summer. Sometimes it needs a prune, giving it new lease of life for a few years but on the whole, the tree thrives on neglect.
These lovely green Depression glass items live in a special cabinet and came out for the lemon shoot. They are only visiting my kitchen.
Lemons go so well in cakes with almond meal. I keep one kilo packets of almond meal in the freezer as it is far more economical to buy it in large quantities; I get nervous when it runs low. Most of my cake recipes are almond based and I have just made another version of a lemon and almond meal cake which is deeply lemony. Recipe coming soon.
This cute Art Deco hand painted honey pot turned up in a nearby op shop for $2. Made by Old Tupton Ware, it will be filled with thick dark honey from my friends’ hive. Or maybe it should stay safely on the dresser!
The garden weeds are ‘long, lovely and lush’, so easy to pull given this wet season. I invested in these rubber gloves, as I seem to be rushing from garden to kitchen and returning with fingernails full of compost. Twelve pairs of tough garden gloves for twelve dollars from Alibaba online, these will sit by the back kitchen door.
I have always been partial to kookaburra antiques. This little brass bell turned up in a country op shop on one of our travels around Victoria. Ding, ding. Garçon, the drinks.
I also have a penchant for old serving spoons, especially it they are nicely engraved and a little beaten up. Do I find them or do they find me?
The school holidays usually bring a few spoon lickers to to my kitchen. Daisy is happy with bowls, knives and scrapers too. She is the best kitchen hand I’ve ever had.
I am thrilled to know that Liz from Good Things is now hosting the monthly series In My Kitchen. By following this link, you can visit other world kitchens for October, or if you feel inspired, write a post yourself.
ALMOST ITALIAN 
Lemons are a staple in our house. Greek food without lemons is like a day without sunshine.
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A great expression too. You are making me feel hungry imagining some lemony Greek food.
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You had me drooling at the thought of chargrilled meats with lemon. Yum.
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Both you and Lizzy have gotten in early on IMK……..are you going to make some limoncello as well? Good tip on freezing almond meal, I was actually wondering that this morning if I could freeze it. I found a (just) expired half bag in the fridge, which I gave to the chooks.
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Lizzie is the host now so I guess that explains her being so early. Mine is early because it’s raining yet again and I am locked up inside going nuts. I want to garden and sit in the sun.
Lucky chooks. Yes almond meal keeps well in freezer.
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You’ll have to pretend you’re in Sydney. 25-27 forecast for all next week! We are planting an Early Pearly hedge this weekend so that will keep us busy.
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Your crockery and cutlery is so lovely!
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Thanks Yvonne. I can’t resist old junk.
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That’s far from junk!
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I know- I love it. The more modern the world turns, the more chance I have to add to my collection.
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Your kitchen always looks so interesting. I’m curious that Mum’s lemons are in their prime of ripeness while ours are finished for the season! What a difference. Love that little honey pot, too. Good tip on freezing the almond meal. Weeding has been easy here the last week or so. Usually it is very hard work. Thank you Francesca.
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The rain this season is amazing. While the weeds are easy to pull, I am way behind on my Spring planting and seeding. Our vegetable patch looks like a pond and the ducks are having a field day.
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I have lemon envy! I go out to the garden most days now to inspect the small green lemons on our trees, trying to gauge just how much longer I have to wait. Too long is inevitably the answer. Absolutely love that honey pot. It should be used. So glad IMK is off to a good start this month.
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I will use it then- I just needed some encouragement Deb. My mother’s lemons are in season every month of the year and always covered in lemons. Her backyard is large , suburban and protected from winds. My lemons struggle here as we don’t have enough protection and the rabbits get in in winter and enjoy ring barking them. At our old place, we had so many productive citrus trees of all kinds it makes me sad to think of them.
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Love this post Francesca. look forward to the Lemon Cake recipe.
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I made it for the Grand Final tomorrow- ( football ) and have snuck a piece from the corner. When it’s sliced tomorrow, I will take some pics as I am really not into following football at all. It tastes superb.
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I’m not a football follower but it would be great to see the Bulldogs win. You are making my mouth water just talking about the cake.
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My mum was born in Footscray so you can imagine how important the day is for her. She says she has to turn off the TV and hide when things get too exciting. we are all heading around there with lunch and making her stay in the room. ‘Go the dogs’.
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Go Doggies!
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Encouraged by your kind comment, I’ve now posted it. Cheers.
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The spoons definitely found you! We too have a lot of lemons this year but they are not ripe yet, we have to wait another few weeks, but the wait will be worth it!
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Ah yes, what would we do without lemons, I just can’t imagine.
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My lemon trees (2) are still growing and quite tiny. We have had an odd lemon or two and I think any on them are all green – I’ll have to check. It’s a crime that we didn’t plant a lemon tree the day we arrived here – 21 years ago. Louise, my neice, has hundreds of lemons on her tree. She lives in Deer Park and is so lucky. May have to pinch some lemons off you Francesca or drive over to Louise’s place. Terry is headed for the Grand Final match tomorrow but alas, he is barracking for Sydney. Boo!!
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Boo to the Sydney swans. Have a fun day Terry but boo anyway. Strangely enough, our limes are doing really well here but not the lemons. At our old house, we had so many lemons, grapefruit, and limes it was embarrassing. Here we have a different climate and not enough protecting infrastructure. Yes, grab a bag full from Mum’s- I use at least one a day on savoury food and then there are the cakes!
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I may check her tree out tomorrow and call in to see her. Terry will be gone so it will be lonely around here. I have to drop him off at Victoria Street so he can walk to the ground.
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Golly, you are quick off the mark. Good work! What a beautiful honey pot, I love quirky little things of quality like that. Not much point in hiding these beautiful things away, use and enjoy them I say. I have mums old green glass juicer, poor old things has worn smooth so not too good at extracting anymore but the colour is glorious. I’m sure the spoons find you because I’m always looking but not finding such treasure. We had our first G&T on that stunning afternoon last week, very nice too!
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The honey pot’s coming out then-you’re right. No use just loitering on the dresser. The colour in that green glassware is amazing. My daughter has a glass cabinet full , which I contribute to- but kept these two pieces. I’m glad you remember a stunning afternoon. You can count them on one hand!
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Lovely post, Francesca, and thank you for the link and shout out. I got in early because I’m travelling at present. I LOVE your lemons (nothing like home grown), and that green glass! Nice.
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Thanks Liz. Ah yes, I remember reading that your about to travel. Have a good trip.
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You’re quick off the mark this month Francesca. I’m a big lemon fan and look forward to your cake recipe. My potted tree is blooming so fingers crossed. I love battered silver ware too and have a collection of frivolous stuff, butter knives, cake forks and variously shaped small spoons some inherited some bought.
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Not frivolous, butter knives are lovely things. So are small spoons. Are you also partial to tiny salt spoons? I have one hand made salt spoon with a little gemstone in the handle. Swoon.
Yes I am early this month- hopefully this rain will stop soon and I can tear myself away from indoor activities!
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I have a couple of tiny mustard spoons, one glass, one pewter, or maybe they’re salt spoons…
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Yes, probably mustard spoons… glass, very nice.
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I love the kookaburra bell. I would have bought that too.
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It’s a cute little thing. Love a touch of old Australiana.
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Reading your IMK posts give me such joy, I always look foward to them and as usual you don’t disappoint. You could probably guess my view about the lovely old bits n’ pieces, enjoy & use them. They are wonderful finds.
Similarly, I need lemons, so I have to sort out a lemon tree when I get home. I left one I had grown from seed in a pot. If it lives still it will go into a tub or the ground. The neighbours have a bountiful lemon tree but its fruits’ flavour is too aspriny for me, the MiL has one which is neglected but maybe with more time we can fix. There’s heaps of bush lemons around us which I love but they are seasonal. Thank you for the freezer info re almond meal as I have to replenish the pantry and bulk would be better for the budget.
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And I love the way you write Dale. I am guessing that you are back home now and faced with a few jobs and catching up with things. It takes a while after a long trip like yours. with regard to the lemon, I would put it in the ground. It will have a better life. In the meantime, go and feed your MIL’s tree and get the GO to urinate on it- works wonders.
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Thank you, I’m hoping when we get home I can manage to write blog posts… or something ♡ We’re on the road still, in Portland tonight then ??? but destination Melbourne on Wednesday for a short visit with my sister. Leaving Friday. Once I know what her plans for Thursday are/aren’t I may be in touch.
Noted re the lemon tree 🚽
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I am envious of your honey pot! How beautiful.
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Thanks- it was a good little find.
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This post really struck a chord. I enjoy antiques–the depression glass, the art deco honey pot, and I even have a 93 year old antique mother-in-law living around the corner. Sweet that her guests pick the lemons she can’t reach.
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Thanks Naomi. We have so much in common, that’s nice.
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Love the honey pot Francesca. I have a lemon tree but it takes ages for them to turn from green to yellow. Is that the norm with lemon trees? Spoon lickers and little helpers are very important in kitchens 🙂
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Thanks Moya. It’s all about the amount of sun the lemons get for ripening. I Imagine we get a lot more sun here. Yes, I love my spoon licking helpers= they seem to make a kitchen more homely.
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You’ve shared many wonderful items in this post, Francesca, but you saved the best for last. The photo of Daisy and the icing-tipped knife is smile-inducing for both its darling subject and the nostalgia it evokes.
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So nice of you to mention that John. I always feel a little ‘sus’ putting Daisy in a few of my posts but she has been there since my first blog, nearly 3 years ago. She is truly an asset in the kitchen and grabs her little stool as soon as she sees me making something.
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Loving that gorgeous honey pot and beautiful cutlery you found Francesca. I’m a bit envious 🙂 Looking forward to seeing your lemon & almond cake – yumm! Those garden gloves are fantastic, I’ll be keeping those in mind for one day when we get a veggie patch. Lovely seeing you again for IMK, I’ve missed everyone xx
https://missfoodfairy.com/2016/10/05/in-my-kitchen-october-2016/
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Thanks Missy. Its good to have IMK back up and running for sure.
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What a haul you have there. Though I try to resist in op shops (try), how could anyone say no to that honey pot (how could anyone give it away?) or those spoons? It’s very are to see any vintage ware with an Australiana theme so you are lucky to have that little kookaburra too. 1kg bags of almond meal will never go astray. As I said, a lovely haul.
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I always wonder about people who give away these treasures too, but then, one woman’ junk is another one’s treasure so I get to score which is only fitting after losing everything I owned in the bushfire of 2009. These spoons seem to find me and I can’t resist them. Kooka stuff finds me too.
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Francesca, I love the “stories” behind your photos… always a treat to read and see. Thank you. I hope everybody makes lemon picking easier on your Mum — 93?! Yay! I, too, keep gloves by my back door (not quite the basket-full you acquired recently) because I’m mindful of my “piano playing” hands. They’re a mess most days, lol! Then again, dirty fingernails are a sign of productivity in a good way. 🙂 The earth was meant to be felt, dug, and SAVORED by such as you. You relay it’s bounteous depths and heights beautifully, in words, thoughts, & photos, xo.
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Those small honey pot was a fabulous find. How lovely to have friends with hives! I’m just thinking though, is there ever really a bad time for gin and lemonade? Your spoons remind me that I inherited some lovely silver tea spoons… I have a terrible habit of saving things *for good* but perhaps I should just use them and enjoy them.
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Time to use them Lisa, otherwise they just hide in a cupboard doing nothing.
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Love your collection of serving spoons! Lemon cake are the best – looking forward to your recipe.
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Have posted it and eaten it too. Thanks Marcellina.
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Sooo many good things in your kitchen. Yes I can’t live without lemons. I always have them in the fridge. If I am lucky they are from neighbours and friends’ trees. Love the spoons and the bell. And tat green glass! I remember the old days when everyone had it and you could buy it for a few cents in the op shops.
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The good old days when you could score lovely things in the op shops- now anything half decent has been snapped up by a dealer before it makes the shelves. Thanks for dropping by Sherry.
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They are parasites going from op shop to op shop paying almost nothing for some beautiful item then selling it for a fortune. The slow old days were better than these fast-paced, no time, days of dog eat dog and plunder.
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