BREAKFAST WITHOUT ORANGE JUICE IS LIKE A DAY WITHOUT SUNSHINE!

   This second week of February has been full of sunshine! What a treat, and how much more pleasant it makes our pre-opening tasks, which are mostly un-lovely and involve shovels, buckets, scrub brushes, brooms, paint rollers hammers and power tools. We're very much looking forward to our March 2 Grand Opening, and to the day before we open when we get our hands on fresh fruits and veggies and really work a transformation in the empty market.

   Our main mission at the market is to focus on the produce of our region, and while there are certainly local crops to enjoy in March, late winter brings the best of the California citrus season to our door. Please don't miss my favorite, the Minneola tangelo. It's that round orange with the funny knob on the top, tastes sweet and zesty, and is only in season for a little while longer. Folks who like a super sweet and super juicy citrus hit should enjoy Honey tangerines now. Squat and round, these little gems are a late winter favorite too.

Honey tangerines

    Navel orange season runs from November to June. Called the "winter orange" in the produce industry, Navels are sweet and seedless, and have a reputation for being a better "eating" orange than the Valencia. Valencias are in season late winter through late fall, have a sweet/tart flavor profile, and are often preferred for juicing. 

   Even though their season is a long one and spans all the seasons, Valencias are called the summer orange. Remember, the produce industry is also the one that brought you the alligator pear (avocado), Pluot (refers to only some varieties of plum-apricot crosses) and the breadfruit (does not contain bread). So maybe the people in this industry should just stick to growing plants and stacking produce, not naming stuff.

Cara Cara : the pink navel

   In both the Navel and Valencia category there are many different varieties, including the Cara Cara which is also called the pink navel (is it really pink? You decide). I like it because it has a bit of sass in the flavor which gives it a little more personality than the more common Washington variety navel, and whatever color you call it, it's pretty inside, and makes beautiful juice, too.

Blood oranges

   Over our Christmas break, I was looking for a festive punch recipe and came upon a concoction called oleo saccharum (which pretty much just means "oil sugar"), made from citrus peels, and after using it in whiskey punch, I found lots of other uses for it: a teaspoon in buttercream frosting, a splash in salad dressing, over steamed Brussels sprouts, and as a secret ingredient in that brunch and bridal shower staple, the mimosa. I'll make it with lemon peels this summer for lemonade.

Minneolas 

   Last century when I was a girl, the Florida Citrus Commission ran a wildly popular ad campaign with the tag  line "Breakfast without orange juice is like a day without sunshine." Can't you just imagine the Mad Men-esque conference room where they came up with that? Pretty sure they were having adult beverages while they brainstormed about orange juice. 

   Over our break, I was able to enjoy champagne and orange juice for breakfast a time or two, which is a pretty slick way to start the day. Mimosas made with Blood orange or Cara Cara  juice are delightful to look at and delicious to consume. Put some sunshine in your morning!

OLEO SACCHARUM

2 cups citrus peel

1 cup granulated sugar

   Using a vegetable peeler, sharp knife or cheese plane (cheese plane worked best for me) remove the peel from the fruit, taking care to leave the white pith on the fruit and not on the peel. Refrigerate and reserve peeled fruits for another use.  Combine peel and sugar in a bowl or jar, stir to mix and let sit at room temperature about 6 hours, occasionally stirring and pressing on the peel with a spoon.

   Strain through a fine mesh strainer, pressing on peel, discard peel*, refrigerate liquid. Makes about 1/3 cup.

   *You could use the peels to make chocolate covered candied orange peel: place peels on paper towel, pat dry. Melt semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwave safe container, dip peels in chocolate, place on wire racks to dry. Store in an airtight container.

BLOOD ORANGE MIMOSA

---Bonus points if you use Blood oranges to make the oleo saccharum. Make the oleo a day ahead, refrigerate the peeled Blood oranges, and bring to room temperature before juicing.

Prepare fresh squeezed juice from Blood oranges. Into Champagne flutes, pour about 2 oz. juice, fill almost to top of flute with chilled Champagne and top with a splash (about 1/4 teaspoon) oleo saccharum. 

Not into alcohol? Substitute flavors from the Dry Soda brand in place of the Champagne. We especially love the Blood Orange, Ginger and Rhubarb flavors. Look for our Dry Soda in the refrigerated beverage section of the market.

CHOOSING AND STORING CITRUS

   + Citrus that feels heavy relative to its size will be juicer.

   + Limes that have patches of yellow on the skin will be sweeter

   +Green on an orange peel doesn't mean the orange is under ripe; it indicates "re-greening," a function of temperature fluctuation during the growing season and is perfectly fine.

   +Dry, leathery skin on citrus fruit means that it's starting to dehydrate.

   +For juicing, keep fruit at room temperature for maximum juice extraction. To prolong freshness, store citrus in the refrigerator, and always refrigerate cut fruit.

   +Some varieties have skin that clings tightly to the fruit; some varieties have skin that feels "puffy" and pulls away from the fruit. Both conditions are normal variations.

LEMON FAQ:  Why do recipes sometimes specify the Meyer variety of lemon?

ANSWER: Meyer lemons are cross between navel oranges and lemons, so they're slightly sweeter than other lemons. You can certainly use "regular" lemons in place of Meyers; the taste difference is probably not something most people would notice in prepared food. 

Fruitfully yours,

Karin


Orange Brownies

When I first came across this recipe I knew it would be delicious. Turns out that assumption was correct despite some temporary fears that a cup of butter was more than my little 9x9 pan needed. These brownies are moist and heavy and super delicious despite having no chocolate. I had to do a bit of research to understand what makes a brownie if one can have a brownie with no chocolate. According to the oxford dictionary a brownie is 'a small square of rich chocolate cake, typically containing nuts'. I guess it is a bit of a stretch to call these brownies as they lack both chocolate and nuts but I'm gonna let it go. Its all about texture and these have the texture of the best brownie you've tasted along with a hint of bright citrus flavor. Even my uncle who is extremely opposed to mixing fruit with baked goods claimed they were the best he'd ever tasted. So you should trust me - they are very good.


Cake Ingredients: 
1.5 cups all purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
4 eggs
2 teaspoons pure orange extract
1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Orange cream cheese frosting :
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons softened butter
1 (1 pound) box confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons orange zest
2 tablespoons orange juice

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9 by 2 inch pan. 

Stir together flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add butter, eggs, orange extract and orange zest. Using a handled electric mixer, beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until light golden brown and set. Remove from oven, allow to cool and pierce entire cake with a fork. Spread the orange cream cheese frosting over completely cooked brownies. Cut into squares. 

Frosting : 

In a large mixing bowl, whip the butter and cream cheese together with a hand-held electric mixer. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until it is all combined and smooth. Beat in the orange zest and juice. Spread over brownies. 

(Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen and cookingchanneltv.com)

Stay sweet,

Alisa