Winter Foods Part One - Citrus

To the uninformed , as well as those who don't often frequent their supermarket, winter can seem like a bleak time. There are no fresh fruits or vegetables.If you do want them, then you have to settle on either canned or preserved. Not true.There are plenty of them to enjoy and incorporate into New year's diets.Citrus fruits are popular right now. They're everything a summer fruit is, versatile, good for you and most importantly delicious.

This is the time of the year to get your citrus fix.Oranges are out in abundance right now.The most common is the Washington Navel.This bright globe originated in Brazil and now is grown in Southern California. This is a versatile orange.It is great to turn into  juice  which can be a refreshing beverage along with being the base of a great salad dressing.Any navel orange is a great snack too. It has a nice sweetness without it being too cloying. Another good orange is the blood orange. The flesh is a beautiful shade of ruby.It's grown mostly in Mediterranean climates to achieve that amazing jewel toned flesh.The juice makes for a tasty glaze, especially for salmon. Blood orange juice is also the main ingredient in Italian orange sodas (although you can make your own , using it and club soda). Seville oranges are also in supermarkets right now.They're most famously known for being turned into marmalade(which you can make yourself) and can also be known for twisting the classic lemon merengue pie into an orange one.

Tangerines are also out in force right now. These are wonderful carry along snacks for school or the gym because of their small size.They are  They usually come out around Thanksgiving but are still in stores in February.They should be deep orange in color and spotless. Brown spots are not a good sign, usually meaning an older fruit.They are great paired with chicken in a light salad and their juice makes for a good marinade.Tangerines are surprisingly good  with pork chops as well.A sunny, tropical sauce includes them and flaked coconut drizzled on the meat and then baked.Cole slaw also benefits from the sweet sunniness of tangerine juice..Use both it and the zest for a zingy side salad, perfect for the Super Bowl. Mandarin oranges are really tangerines and , again these are the perfect snack.For a real surprise use tangelos, a hybrid of the tangerine and grapefruit. They have a mild , sweet flavor, perfect for those who love a less intense tasting juice and are super juicy. Try the Mandarins with lamb or as a refreshing sparkler with seltzer.Tangelos  can be used to rub over chicken and even turkey  for an unexpected burst of flavor.

To say there is no fresh fruit to enjoy right now is a lie. Any fruit section in any supermarket right now is bursting with orange  globes of color and flavor. Enjoy them for a healthy and varied diet right now.