Every morning I join a group of friends for coffee and conversation at a cafe in my neighborhood. We call ourselves the “coffee klatch.” This time of year, one of the key klatchers, Michael Soriano, often comes bearing a bag of Meyer lemons, picked from his tree.
Last year he even did a drive-by in front of my apartment, delivering a bag of those fragrant golden orbs just for me. Such luxury! And free. It felt like a heist.
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Here in Los Angeles, this wintertime hand-off is not uncommon. Those with citrus trees — especially Meyer lemon and classic Eureka lemon trees — often end up with a bounty that they couldn’t possibly eat on their own. And those without trees, well, we’re happy to help. We take the lemons and explore new and old and inspired ways to use them.
A few fun facts: All citrus originated in Asia. There are only three ancestral citrus varieties: the citron (a thick-skinned lumpy lemon-like thing, with lots of pith and very little juice); the pomelo (an ascendant of the grapefruit); and mandarins (we know what those are).
The rest of the citrus world as we know it derived from hybridizing those three in different combinations. Eureka (what we might call “regular” lemons) are a cross between a citron and a bitter orange, developed right here in Los Angeles nearly 200 years ago.
Tart and acidic, they’re great for juicing and baking, which explains why it’s the most popular lemon variety on the planet.
Meyer lemons are a hybrid of a Eureka lemon and mandarin. With a smooth, thin, deep-yellow peel and sweet juice, they’re the darling of lemon-loving chefs and bakers.
(To learn more about lemons, check out former Food editor Amy Scattergood’s 100 Things To Do with a Meyer Lemon, including making Marcus Samuelsson’s Quick Preserved Meyer Lemons. Or read Russ Parsons, also a former Food editor, wax on about citrus featuring Lazy Mary’s Lemon Tart).
If someone hands you a bag of lemons, of course you’re going to make lemonade, and there are seemingly infinite ways to make it more interesting: There’s Tarragon Lemonade, Cucumber Mint Lemonade, Pomegranate Lemonade and Sparkling Chile Lemonade. And what could be better for an 80-degree winter day than this Coco Limonada?
But when the SoCal temperatures plummet into, say, the mid-60s, you’ll want to crank up the oven and get baking. Valerie Gordon’s Pistachio Lemon Olive Oil Cake topped with a sweet, tart lemon glaze is irresistible. And you can never go wrong with classic Lemon Poppy Seed Cakes.
I’ve never made Lemon Cornbread Muffins from Willa Jean’s in New Orleans, but I will now. And who doesn’t love a classic glazed lemon Bundt cake — especially one with a name like the East 62nd Street Lemon Cake. If you decide to try Meyer Lemon Lavender Shortbread, get back to me and let me know how they turn out.
If your goal is to use lots of lemons — fast — and to stock a larder, Preserved Lemons (the rind is used in savory dishes such as tagine, and in sauces and vinaigrettes); Chile-Lemon Simple Syrup (lemon margaritas, anyone?), luscious Lemon Curd; and Indian Sour Lemon Pickle will help you make use of a bag of lemons with little effort.
When Adam Leonti, chef of Alba in Hollywood, demonstrated his Spaghetti al Limone recipe for Food’s “Chef That!” series, he called it a “date-night pasta” because it’s an inexpensive way to impress.
Alba chef Adam Leonti’s spaghetti al limone prepared in the L.A. Times Test Kitchen.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
I’m a big fan of the juxtaposition of creamy lemony things. Lemon ice cream, for instance, which you rarely see, or this Tangy Frozen Lemon Yogurt. Creamy Labneh Lemon Bars are like crustless, elegant cheesecake squares. Lemon Chiffon Pie, an ethereal blast from the past, was a childhood favorite both to bake and to eat.
Whatever you decide to make with those fragrant, golden globes, honor them. Treasure them. They are among L.A.’s brightest stars.
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Carmamelized Lemon and Feta Turkey Meatballs 
(Ben Mims/Los Angeles Times)
Although these meatballs aren’t from Greece, on a cold California winter’s day, you might imagine yourself on sunny Santorini, enjoying these refreshing turkey meatballs with tzatziki on a shaded patio, surrounded by lime-washed buildings, blue seas and sprays of colorful bougainvillea. Caramelizing lemon — by grilling, searing or sauteéing — is done in many Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines. Caramelizing mellows out the tart, acidic quality of the fruit and adds a rich, umami-like flavor to these meatballs. Spoon what’s left into a pasta dish, or add fresh lemon and olive oil to turn it into a vinaigrette or a seafood condiment.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 1 hour. Serves 4.
Shaker Lemon Pie
“No waste” cooking has taken off in recent years, but the Shaker people of Ohio have been at it for centuries, as evidenced by their most famous recipe, Lemon Shaker Pie. The filling utilizes whole lemons (except the seeds), sliced thin and macerated in sugar for several hours (or overnight) to soften and sweeten the peel, and then combined with a custard filling. The result is a sweet tart and extremely lemony double-crusted pie that is for lemon lovers only. If you use Meyer lemons in this recipe, you can skip the macerating step as the skins are already tender and sweet (ish), although it certainly won’t hurt.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 1 hour 35 minutes. Serve 8 to 10.
Lemon Buttermilk Sheet Cake 
(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)
If you grew up in the 1970s, you may have been fortunate enough to have had a mother like mine who made lemon poke cake. There are many versions; hers included yellow cake, lemon pudding mix, and lemon Jell-o. The sheet cake is poked with the handle end of a wooden spoon, creating big holes into which the lemon Jell-o (the glaze) was poured. Never mind that we lived in San Diego and had lemon trees peppered between our 13 avocado trees in our backyard. Never mind that there wasn’t an actual lemon to be found in this cake. It. Was. Divine! This sheet cake is the “fancy” or homemade version of the same. It can only hope to be as good.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes; Serves 12 to 16.