Meyer lemon Cardamom Ice Cream is a sweet way to enjoy the distinctive citrus fruit, which is a cross between a lemon and sweet orange.

If Cezanne had lived not in France but in Southern California, his works would have overflowed with Meyer lemons. Plump, smooth-skinned, colored an unmistakable dark yellow – canary yellow, the color of egg yolks or the sun at noon – they’re sweeter than other lemons, with an intoxicating aroma that has hints of honey and thyme.

A cross between a lemon and a sweet orange, imported to the U.S. from China 100 years ago by the man whose name they bear, the Meyer lemon is a furiously addictive fruit.

With sweeter juice, a thinner peel, less acid and a more floral scent (and taste) than other lemon varieties, Meyers are as much fun to cook with as they would be to paint.

High on the list are a few fantastic recipes. Slide slices of Meyer lemons under the skin of a pair of Cornish game hens, strew the roasting pan with more, then toss in some fennel and olives. Or try chef Marcus Samuelsson’s method of quick-preserving citrus peels and use the result – tart and salty and utterly lemony – in a fantastically colorful dish of spicy “piri piri” shrimp and black rice. On the sweet side, make a Meyer lemon ice cream, loading the custard with peel as well as juice – and a hint of cardamom, the spicy notes bringing out the floral depth of the Meyer’s flavor. (This recipe is inspired by longtime Chez Panisse pastry chef Lindsey Shere, one of the first to put Meyer lemons on the culinary map.)

Meyer lemon cardamom ice cream

5 Meyer lemons

1 tablespoon cardamom pods, crushed

1 cup half-and-half

1 cup sugar

1/2 vanilla bean

6 large egg yolks

3 cups whipping cream

Peel 1 lemon with a vegetable peeler, taking care not to cut into the bitter white pith. Place the peel in a nonreactive medium saucepan with the crushed cardamom, half-and-half and sugar. Scrape the vanilla pod seeds into the pan and drop in the pod. Heat over high heat to just under a boil. Remove from the heat, and allow to steep for 10 to 15 minutes.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks, and then pour in some of the hot half-and-half mixture, stirring constantly. Pour the mixture back into the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it coats the back of a wooden spoon, 4 to 5 minutes.

Pour the mixture through a strainer into a bowl. Finely grate the zest of 2 lemons and add it to the mixture. Allow to stand for 10 minutes.

Add the cream to the mixture. Juice all 5 lemons and add the juice (you should have about three-quarters cup) to the cream mixture. Chill thoroughly.

Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (Makes 1 quart.) Serves 8.

Quick-preserved Meyer lemons

6 Meyer lemons

1/4 cup kosher salt

1/4 cup sugar

Using a vegetable peeler, peel the lemons, trying to keep away from the white pith. (If necessary, scrape any pith away from the peels with a small knife.) Squeeze the juice from the peeled lemons into a bowl and reserve: You should have about 1 cup. Add water to bring the liquid up to 2 cups; set aside to reserve.

Place the peel and 2 cups of water in a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Drain. Repeat this procedure once more. Return the drained peel to the pan, add the reserved juice, salt and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Makes about three-eighths cup.

Shrimp piri piri

1 cup black rice (Forbidden rice)

4 red jalapeno chiles, seeded, ribs removed and chopped

2 green jalapeno chiles, seeded, ribs removed and chopped

2 serrano chiles, seeded, ribs removed and chopped

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus additional for garnish

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

Juice of 1 Meyer lemon

1 recipe quick-preserved Meyer lemon peel, julienned, divided

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 pound medium shrimp, tail-on, peeled and deveined

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Additional chopped cilantro for garnish

In a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, cook the black rice according to the package instructions (about 30 minutes) and reserve. In a food processor, combine the chiles, garlic, cilantro, parsley, lemon juice and one-eighth cup of the preserved lemon peel and process until the mixture is a coarse paste. Add one-half cup olive oil in a slow stream and reserve. (Makes 1 cup.)

In a large bowl, toss the shrimp in the sauce and allow to marinate, covered and refrigerated, for 30 minutes.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until it shimmers, then add the marinated shrimp. Toss for 3 to 4 minutes until the shrimp is opaque, taking care not to overcook. Season with kosher salt.

Serve the shrimp over the black rice, garnished with the remaining preserved lemon and a little chopped cilantro.

Servings: 4.

Note: This recipe is an adaptation and combining of two recipes from Marcus Samuelsson’s “The Soul of a New Cuisine.” Piri piri is an African dish named for a hot chile pepper. We substitute jalapenos. Black (Forbidden) rice is available at selected supermarkets and food specialty stores.

Roasted Cornish game hens with Meyer lemons

2 Cornish game hens, about 1 3/4 to 2 pounds each, washed and dried

4 Meyer lemons, divided

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed and sliced thinly crosswise

3/4 cup Nicoise olives

3/4 cup Picholine olives

8 garlic cloves, peeled and halved

2 tablespoons olive oil

Black pepper

About an hour ahead, remove the Cornish game hens from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature.

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Slice 2 of the lemons paper thin with a knife or a mandoline. With your fingers, carefully loosen the skin from the meat on the breast side of the hens. Insert 5 or 6 lemon slices underneath the skin of each hen. Put any unused slices and the ends of the lemons into the cavities, and rub the salt equally over the 2 hens.

Cut the remaining 2 lemons into 8 wedges and scatter them in the bottom of a shallow baking pan with the fennel, olives and garlic. Place the hens on top of the fruit and vegetables. Pour the olive oil over the 2 birds, then season with a few grinds of black pepper.

Roast the hens in the oven for 30 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 degrees and roast for about 20 minutes longer, or until the meat is firm, the skin is golden and the juices run clear (a thermometer placed into the thickest part of the bird will register 165 degrees); the vegetables and fruit will have started to caramelize.

Let the hens rest 15 minutes, then serve them with the roasted lemons, olives and fennel.

Servings: 2.