Looking for new ways to season your food? Try lemon juice and lemon zest.

Lemon zest is the yellow part of the peel and it's loaded with aromatic oils. Use a zester to scrape away the peel, leaving the bitter white pith behind. There are many ways to use it:

• Add lemon zest to pepper when seasoning meats, fish, poultry and vegetables.
• Lemon zest and juice added to fruit pies, tarts, and crisps intensify the fruit flavor.
• Fresh salad greens benefit from a simple dressing of lemon juice and herbs.
• Many vegetables become a whole new taste treat with a sprinkle of lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice.

When buying lemons, choose those that feel heavy, with smooth, unblemished skins and no green areas. Lemons will keep at room temperature for two weeks, up to six weeks in the refrigerator. Keeping them at room temperature makes them juicier.

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