A Zest for Life

Have I got some great ways to add a little zest to your cooking--Citrus! Whether it’s a savory dish or dessert, a hit of tart fresh citrus is always welcome. Plus, all of this citrus has the added benefit of a healthy dose of vitamin C-- which we can all use right about now.

When markets across the country are full of kumquats, Cara Cara oranges, tangelos, Satsumas, blood oranges and good old navels, the  color and sweet aroma alone are enough to bring me back to life! So, I’m ready to get creative and make something delicious.

To start, how about a citrus salad topped with a dressing of honey and white balsamic dressing and a sprinkling of fresh spearmint? So good!

I was also thinking about   an asparagus soup with lemon crème fraiche. For a main course, I could wrap some fresh fish, fennel and lemon slices in parchment and pop it in the oven. I love preparing fish “en papillotte”. It’s ridiculously easy and the fish always stays really  flavorful and juicy!

Before I get too hungry thinking about this, I should make one of my new go-to desserts—an  incredibly moist olive oil, blood orange upside-down cake that’s spiked with orange essence that I’ll serve with softly whipped crème fraiche! Or, I could peel a variety of citrus, cut it into chunks, douse it with one of my favorite extra virgin olive oils and some Maldon salt. It may sound strange, but trust me on this one. I’ve had that for the last three nights in a row and I’m crazy about it!

I’m heading out to the farmer’s market right now to get some citrus and make sure I have lots on hand of these power-packed fruits. I think we all need a little bit of “zest” right about now, don’t you?  Give these recipes a try, and please let me know how you like them:

Pucker Up Cocktail
Citrus Salad with Red Onion and Mint
Fish in Parchment with Lemon Capers and Fennel
Blood Orange Cake
Mom’s Lemon Squares
Citrus Coconut Sorbet

Enjoy!