10 ways to cook with lemon

1. If you love the taste of lemon in pastas, risottos and sauces, invest in a zester. It will remove the zest in fine, palatable strips.

2. For a lightly flavoured pasta, combine the grated zest and juice of one lemon with four tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, a red chilli (seeded and finely chopped), and one finely chopped garlic clove. Toss the flavoured oil through the cooked pasta and serve with a handful of roughly chopped parsley, rocket leaves and grated parmesan.

3. To make homemade lemonade, put one cup of sugar into a small saucepan with half a cup of water. Bring to the boil over a high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes. Remove from the heat, allow to cool, then add the juice of two lemons. Serve your lemonade, diluted to taste, with chilled sparkling mineral water. Recipe for old-fashioned lemonade

4. Freeze and store lemon juice in ice cube trays for those moments when you find you need just a hint of citrus.

5. Drizzle lemon juice over pan-fried veal, barbecued lamb or roast chicken, or marinate chicken pieces in lemon juice, olive oil and some dried chilli flakes and oregano just prior to grilling on the barbecue.