Thursday, May 20, 2010

I LIKE LIME

I had two sips of a Margarita tonight, after running a slice of lime around the rims of two glasses, dipping them into the handy little round plastic box of flaky salt, and setting a jaunty slice side-saddle on each rim.

I'm just not much of a drinker at all, and I set down the glass and wandered off somewhere else to put something on the table or grab the butter or heat something in the microwave. Then, when we finished dinner, there was my glass---no longer a bright, zingy green, courtesy of McCormick's finest, but a deep dull hue after all the ice had melted and left it just sorta muddy.

I DID pick up one of the squeezed halves and give a vigorous rub to the section of counter where Chris had carved the chicken. I'd already sprayed and wiped with the antibacterial stuff, but I thought another citrus wipedown couldn't hurt, and it smelled wonderful.

I've always liked limes, though they've never been as available as lemons. Lime in drinks, in limeade, in desserts and on a quick-seared fish or chicken filet. They are, as my Mammaw used to say, "The Makin'" of guacamole, with all the bright flash of the lime and the salt to jazz up the buttery unctuous green mush.

I love the peel, grated and stirred into a peppy cocktail sauce, vibrant with horseradish and tabasco, or as a gentle punctuation to a cheesecake batter or chess pie, or best of all, Ooey-Gooey Bars.

I have no idea where I was going with this, but I'm gonna go pare off another paper-thin curl of lime peel and rub it all around inside the rim of my tea glass, to inhale and savor as I sip. I'm not fond of any strong acid tang in my tea, and just the fragrance of the oils is perfect for an icy glass. You think you can taste it.

It's all in the perception.


Believe it?


The "limes" above are berries from the tree over the patio, and the pink dish would not cover a penny.

6 comments:

  1. Sometimes I splurge and buy a whole lime or lemon for the house and spend days using it in a dozen different ways. Thin slices to cover a bite of raw salmon, the slenderest of cut peel to stripe a poached egg or to rub on toast before making it into croutons... I truly enjoy the merest thought of sour on my tongue!

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  2. I am just the opposite...I have never liked lime. Lemon is great...especially in iced tea! But, limes...I just dan't get on board with you on that one, my friend! I heard of lots of folks using orange like lemon, though. I think I could handle that!

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  3. I like limes and lemons. But I really love key limes in pie. The real ones that come from the keys. I had it for the first time in graduate school, and I was hooked. A guy from the keys had a party and made about two dozen pies! He got a batch of limes up from friends.

    A friend of ours from Canada who was visiting tried key lime pie and didn't like it at all. I forget how she described it, but we got tickled because the rest of us love it. LOL!

    I could easily become addicted, though, to lemon squares and key lime cooler cookies.

    Better stop now before I make a grocery store run! LOL!

    xo,

    Sheila :-)

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  4. Oh girlie, you are talking to my heart with this post. I am a long time lover of limes. You will always find fresh limes in our home.

    I love them in my ice water, my diet Pepsi and my iced tea. I cook with limes, too.

    Yum! I need a cold drink dressed with lime right now.

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  5. When I saw the photo at top, I thought Chris had bought you a bunch of limes.... I know how you love them.

    Tree berries and tiny kitchen bowl is too funny ;-)

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  6. The very BEST use of limes is coming up soon. Two big wedges in a big, frosty vodka and tonic. The only reason summer was created, in my opinion.

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