Green and fresh

Enjoy these delicious lime recipes while the lime season lasts!

By NERIA BARR
Lime tartlets 370 (photo credit: Boaz Lavi)
Lime tartlets 370
(photo credit: Boaz Lavi)
Green and fine, limes have a very short season, especially in Israel, where we can get them in the middle of the summer. A member of the citrus family, the lime is small and gentle, has no pits and is perfect for adding perfume to savory and sweet dishes, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. The Tekoa Farm markets the fresh fruit in Israel, and although you really need no special recipe to enjoy it, they offer a few ideas for classic dishes that benefit from using lime rather than lemon.
FISH IN LIME AND THYME Makes 2 main dishes or 4 appetizers
✔ 4 fish fillets ✔ 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved ✔ 4 zucchini, skin on, washed
For the dressing: ✔ ¼ cup lime juice ✔ ¼ cup olive oil
✔ 4 tsp. fresh thyme leaves ✔ Salt and pepper ✔ 5 Tbsp. basil leaves, chopped ✔ 5 Tbsp. parsley leaves, chopped
Heat oven to 190º and line a baking pan with aluminum foil.
Mix the dressing ingredients together.
Julienne the zucchini into 3-4 cm. sticks. Place the zucchini and the tomatoes in the lined baking pan, pour half the dressing over the vegetables, mix to coat all the pieces and bake for 25 minutes until the vegetables are seared.
Remove the pan from the oven and raise the temperature to 220º. Move the vegetables to one side of the pan and place the fish fillets on the other side. Drizzle 1 Tbsp. of the dressing on each fillet and return the pan to the oven for 10 minutes until the fish turns white.
Place 1 or 2 fillets on each plate and add vegetables on the side. Drizzle the remaining dressing on each plate before serving.
LIME TARTLETS Makes 10
For the pastry: ✔ 180 gr. sugar ✔ 150 gr. butter, at room temperature ✔ Pinch salt ✔ 2 eggs ✔ 280 gr. flour
For the lime custard:✔ 250 ml. fresh lime juice ✔ 250 ml. water ✔ 100 gr. butter ✔ 300 gr. sugar ✔ 5 eggs ✔ 50 gr. corn starch ✔ 1 lime
To prepare pastry: Process sugar, salt and butter in a food processor, using the metal blade until crumbly. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing in between. Add the flour and mix until coarse crumbs form. Remove from the food processor bowl, shape into a large ball and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about 1 hour.
Remove from refrigerator and roll out into a 5 mm. thick leaf. Using a cookie cutter, cut out rounds and line an oiled tartlet baking form with the pastry rounds. Prick the pastry with a fork in several places, cover with aluminum foil and place a few dry beans on each to weigh the pastry down while baking. Return to the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Heat oven to 180° and bake the tartlets for 20 minutes.
Remove the beans and foil and continue baking until browned nicely. Remove from oven and keep in a dry place.
To prepare the lime custard: Bring the lime juice, water and 150 gr. sugar to a boil and lower heat. Add butter. Mix the cornstarch with the remaining sugar. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Add the cornstarch mixture into the eggs. To even temperatures, add 5 Tbsp. of the hot lime syrup into the eggs, beating constantly. Gradually add the egg mixture into the hot syrup, constantly mixing so that no lumps are formed. When the mixture thickens, remove from heat and let cool. Fill each tartlet with the cooled lime custard and garnish with a thin slice of lime.
LIME CAIPIRINHA Makes 4 cocktails
Caipirinha is the national cocktail of Brazil.
✔ 2 large limes ✔ 8 Tbsp. brown or palm sugar ✔ 2 leaves lemongrass, cut lengthwise (optional) ✔ 200 ml. cachaca (Brazilian alcohol made from fermented sugar cane) ✔ Crushed ice, enough for 4 glasses ✔ 4 frozen low-ball glasses
Cut lime at the ends, halve and remove the pulp. Slice the pulp. Place in a bowl, add to lemongrass and sugar. Using a mortar, crush the lime and lemongrass very carefully, releasing the flavors. Place the crushed lime and sugar mixture in a shaker, add enough crushed ice to fill 4 low-ball glasses, pour 160 ml. cachaca and shake well. Divide between the glasses and garnish with thin slices of lime.
You may replace the cachaca with vodka.
The cocktail will then be called caipiroska.
Limes are available at most supermarkets, Mahaneh Yehuda, Carmel and the Port markets. NIS 11 to NIS 12 for a 400 gr. package.
Recipes and photos courtesy of Tekoa Farm.