Citrus: Blood Oranges, Grapefruit, Mandarins, Naval Oranges, etc.
- Make a salad of arugula, your favorite citrus segment, toasted almonds, and a nice fruity vinaigrette. Add a nutty cheese or queso fresco.
- Make a blood orange salad with olives, red onions, cumin, coriander, sherry vinegar, olive oil and a sprinkling of cilantro.
- Make a salad of grapefruit, avocado, mixed greens and citrus vinaigrette.
- Make a tart with pastry cream and crystallized ginger as base for Mandarin segments. Seal with a citrus glaze.
- Make a lemon curd from Meyer lemons. They’re sweeter and their zest more flavorful. Use the curd atop ice cream or to make lemon bars.
- Preserve Meyer lemons now and use them all year in tagines and Mediterranean dishes. It’s easier than you think. See this step-by-step video.
- Give the kids Mandarins. They’re easy to peel AND seedless. Satsumas are normally the best and sweetest. For easiest peeling, choose fruit that feels almost over ripe, where the skin feels like it’s separating from the fruit.
- Juice honey tangerines and blood oranges, and use the latter as a garnish.
Mushrooms
How to choose the freshest mushrooms:
Chantrelles should be firm and dry with no soggy spots (use a brush to clean).
Cap mushrooms, such as Cremini or White, and Shiitakes should be completely closed around the stem under the cap and not soggy.
- Make Mushroom Barley Soup: sauté sliced mushrooms, leeks, onions and garlic, then reduce with sherry. Add cream and veggie stock, fresh barley and thyme.
- Sauté mixed mushrooms with shallots and garlic and a splash of vermouth. Add cream, reduce, then poor over gnocchi. Stir in baby spinach at the end and top with reggiano.
- Mushrooms are also great in a simple brothy soup with your favorite veggies.
Kale
Learn how to de-rib kale here.
- Make kale chips. De-rib and tear into pieces, then toss in olive oil and salt. Roast on a sheet pan at 325 degrees until moisture is gone. Move around frequently and don’t let the kale turn color. Store single servings in super air-tight containers (exposure to any moisture and they go stale). You can make these healthy chips with any of your favorite seasonings: truffle salt, cayenne, pimenton, sumac.
- Kale holds up beautifully in sautés. Mix with whole grain pasta (try The Pasta Shop’s fresh whole grain rigatoni made with Community Grains flour), reggiano and your favorite extra virgin olive oil.
- Try a sweet take on kale with a sauté of raisins and pine nuts.
- Juice it! It might not look too appetizing in a glass, but just a few added ingredients, like apple, ginger and coconut water, and you have yourself a tasty whomp of health for on-the-go.
- Try this superfood one pot kale and quinoa pilaf recipe from food52.
