Sunshine sweet
Delightful citrus fruit brightens a winter day When you’re trying to eat seasonally, winter can be a bit warty, gnarly, root-filled and bitter.
But it doesn’t have to be. Citrus fruits are a surefire way to brighten up any winter menu. In hues of orange, yellow, green and all shades in between, these sweet-tart fruits are equally suited for sweet and savory dishes. And with the temperate climate and long growing seasons in Florida, Texas and California, there’s almost always U.S. grown fruit available.
SELECTION AND STORAGE
Most citrus fruits will stay fresh up to three weeks refrigerated or one week at room temperature.
Oranges, grapefruits and tangerines: Look for fruit that feels heavy without any soft spots. Grapefruit should feel slightly springy when pressed.
Lemons: Look for heavy fruit that is bright yellow with no tinge of green.
Limes: Avoid limes that are hard, shriveled or have brown spots.
Kumquats: Look for shiny fruits with good orange color; avoid fruit with blemishes or soft spots.
A CITRUS GLOSSARY
Blood orange: This sweet-tart orange has bright, deep red or red-streaked flesh. This orange is originally from Sicily and is less acidic than other varieties.
Clementine: This thinskinned, tangy-sweet member of the mandarin orange family — a cross between the Mediterranean mandarin and sour orange — originated in Algeria. The fruit peels easily and is usually seedless, but sometimes contains large seeds. A popular (and heavily advertised) variety of the kidfriendly fruits are Cuties.
Key lime: These small, round limes are native to Florida. They are super tart, smaller and more yellow than Persian (regular) limes.
Kumquat: In stark contrast to other citrus fruits, this tiny, oblong fruit has an edible rind that is sweet and tart, dry flesh. The kumquat is usually served candied, pickled or cooked.
Meyer lemon: This fruit is sweeter and more aromatic than regular lemons. It originated in China and is believed to be a cross between lemon and orange.
Navel orange: The most popular eating orange in the world, the bright orange skin is easy to peel and the fruit’s juicy, sweet segments separate easily.
Pith: The white portion of citrus peel. It is bitter and should be avoided.
Pummelo: Native to Malaysia, this fruit is an ancestor to the grapefruit. It is more aromatic and sweeter than a grapefruit but can be used just like it.
Ruby Red grapefruit: Also called pink or red, this sweet grapefruit has pink-blushed skin with deep pink or red flesh and a sweettart flavor. Frequently, deeper colored flesh indicates sweeter flavor.
Sevilleorange: This slightly tart, dry-fleshed orange is most often used in marmalade. The skin is yellowish-orange with a robust aroma.
Supremes: Citrus fruit segments that have been cut to be free of membrane, pith and peel.
Tangerine: A subclass of mandarin oranges, these sweet fruits peel easily and are less acidic than other citrus fruits. It is believed tangerines got their name when they were introduced to Europe via Tangier.
Ugli fruit: Also called Uniq fruit, this strange looking citrus is native to Jamaica and believed to be a tangerine-grapefruit hybrid. The thick, wrinkly, mottled yellow and green rind loosely encompasses the fruit. The flavor is similar to grapefruit with hints of orange.
Valencia orange: A favorite for juicing, these juicy, sweet, deep-orange-colored oranges have smooth, thin skin and are usually seedless.
Zest: The colored portion of citrus peel. The zest is rich with flavorful essential oils.
Lazy Mary’s Lemon Tart
1 (9-inch) unbaked tart shell or
pie crust 1 large Meyer lemon (about 6 ounces), cut into 8 pieces and seeded (see note) 11⁄ 2 cups superfine sugar
1⁄2 cup butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 eggs
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange pastry in a 9-inch tart pan or pie plate. Prick the bottom of the tart shell lightly with a fork, line it with parchment paper or aluminum foil and fill it with pie weights (you can use dried beans and save them to use as weights the next time you bake). Place the tart shell on a baking sheet and bake until the rim of the tart is dried and set, about 15 minutes (time may vary depending on the dough or brand). Remove the weights and the aluminum foil, and return the tart shell to the oven to bake until the crust is set but not completely baked through, about 10 more minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a blender, puree the lemon, sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. This makes about 3 cups of filling. Pour the filling into the pre-baked tart shell until the filling almost reaches the top of the rim of the crust; you may not use all of the filling.
Place the tart in the oven and bake until puffed and golden and the filling jiggles only slightly when tapped, about 40 minutes. The filling will brown around the edges but should not be overly brown in the center; if it begins to brown too quickly, cover the top lightly with aluminum foil and continue cooking. Remove and cool on a rack. Makes 8 servings. Note: Regular lemons can be substituted. Recipe adapted from The
Food52 Cookbook by Amanda Hesser, Merrill Stubbs and the Food 52 community
Tangelo Pudding
1 tablespoon finely grated tangelo zest (from 2 to 3 tangelos)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch Salt
2 cups freshly squeezed tangelo juice (from 10 to 12 tangelos) 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon orange flower water (see note)
1 1⁄2 teaspoons honey
In a small bowl using a fork or spoon, smash the tangelo zest with the sugar to moisten the sugar with the fruit’s aromatic oils. Transfer the mixture to a 1-quart heavy-bottom saucepan along with the cornstarch and a tiny pinch of salt. Whisk in just enough of the tangelo juice to make a smooth slurry, then add the remaining juice and whisk to smooth.
Place the pan over medium heat and gently bring the mixture to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently, until the juice has thickened, just a few minutes. Cook for 1 minute more, then remove from heat and whisk in the butter, orange flower water and honey. This makes a generous 2 cups of pudding.
Divide the pudding among juice glasses or Champagne glasses and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. Makes 4 servings. Note: Orange flower water is available in specialty stores.
Adapted from Deborah Madison’s
Seasonal Fruit Desserts This pound cake is equally good made with regular lemons.
Meyer Lemon Pound
Cake
2 Meyer lemons, thinly sliced
1⁄2 cup honey
1⁄4 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
1 3⁄4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter
4 eggs PLUS
2 yolks Zest and juice from 3 Meyer lemons
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
Glaze: Lemon juice Confectioners’ sugar
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
Place sliced lemons in a pan; cover with honey, water and cinnamon stick. Bring to boil; cook 2 minutes. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer, cream sugar and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 minutes, stopping midway to scrape down sides.
On low speed, add the whole eggs, one at a time. Add yolks and integrate on slow speed. Add lemon zest and juice, then the vanilla.
Add the flour, baking powder and salt. The moment all of the flour is integrated, stop. Do not over-mix the batter.
Pour half the batter into your loaf pan. Drain the sliced lemons (use the leftover syrup to sweeten hot tea). Gently place sliced lemons on top in a single layer; top with remaining batter. Bake 55-70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center pulls out cleanly. Cool in pan 15 minutes, then unmold.
Mix just enough lemon juice into the confectioners’ sugar to make a glaze. Slice cake, drizzle with glaze and serve.
Makes 1 loaf cake. Recipe adapted from San Jose
Mercury News