EDMOND —
I was born and raised in South Florida and often tell people that I have orange juice running through my veins. Two things hands-down I know instinctively are oranges and grapefruit.
In fact my Papa had one tree that he grafted that produced lemons, limes and oranges. I can remember as a kid playing in the orange groves in Arcadia, Fla., and not thinking twice about pulling an orange off a tree and eating it. So much so my stomach would start to hurt.
Oranges and grapefruit are a winter crop and what most citrus farmers count on is the evenings being cold enough to form frost, but not to freeze the citrus. It’s the cool nights and the sunny warm days that make the insides sweet and delicious.
Oranges are originally from south Asia and can be sweet, such as my favorite, the Honeybell, to bitter, such as a blood orange. The most common are the sweet oranges and are used in everything from marmalades and juices to salads. In my opinion the bitter oranges are not given enough credit. They are perfect for marinades and are great when cooked down into chutneys and sauces to enhance the flavor of most dishes.
Grapefruits were derived from a type of orange and were first grown in Jamaica. At first they were grown as an ornamental tree and the fruit was never eaten. It wasn’t until the 19th century that the grapefruit made it to the United States and began being grown to be eaten. My favorite grapefruit are the pink grapefruit and have to be “Indian River,” which are grown on the east coast of Florida in Indian River County.
Easy to store, they come in their own wrapper, and make the perfect snack. Oranges and grapefruit are at their prime right now and should be in your cart every time you’re at the store. As for variety they are endless, and they each offer a different flavor and texture.
Oranges and grapefruit are perfect when eaten by themselves, but when used in cooking can add the perfect amount of sweet or bitter to make the flavor combination explode. Not to mention that fruit this good is packed with nutrients, making this a win-win for everyone.
Cook smart ...
CHEF DAVE FOUTS is an Edmond resident and a nationally known speaker in the bariatric weight-loss industry. He also is the author of four cookbooks.
Grapefruit and Oranges Fennel Mint Salad
Servings: 6
Serving size: 1/4 cup
Ingredients:
1 large orange, peeled and ends trimmed
1 grapefruit, peeled and ends trimmed
1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
Directions:
Using a paring knife, cut along the membrane of an orange on both sides of each segment. Free the segments and let them fall into a medium bowl.
Repeat with the grapefruit.
Squeeze the membranes over the bowl to extract as much juice as possible, reserving the juices in the bottom of the bowl.
Place the fruit segments and fennel in a salad bowl.
In a blender, blend together the oil, mint and 3 tablespoons of the reserved juice until smooth.
Season with salt and pepper.
Pour over the fruit and fennel. Add the chopped walnuts and toss until all the ingredients are coated.
Serve.
Citrus Chicken Sauté
Serving: 4
Serving Size: 1 each
Ingredients:
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind
2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
4 4-ounce boneless chicken breast pounded thin
Directions:
Combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
Pour marinade juice mixture into a large resealable plastic bag.
Add chicken to bag. Seal; let marinade for 20 minutes.
Coat pan with cooking spray and heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Remove chicken from bag.
Add chicken to heated pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done.
Features
Related Photos
-
Honeybell is a bell-shaped tangelo from Florida that is a cross between a tangerine and a grapefruit. Easy to peel and super, super sweet and juicy. SUSAN TUSA | MCT NEWS SERVICE
-
Citrus fruits to shop for include Cara Cara, from bottom clockwise, minneola, blood orange and white grapefruit. SUSAN TUSA | MCT NEWS SERVICE
-
The darling clementine is also called a Christmas orange. SUSAN TUSA | MCT NEWS SERVICE
-
Now is peak time for oranges, and most stores are loaded with them, including blood oranges. SUSAN TUSA | MCT NEWS SERVICE
Discussion
This is the season for citrus
- Features
-
-
Operating on feelings can be catastrophic
How they raise their kids is a touchy subject for lots of parents.
-
Take care with puppy vaccinations
Q: My son recently bought a 3-month-old mixed Rottweiler-German Shepherd pup from a dog breeder near Tecumseh. He was assured by the breeder that the pup had received a 5 in 1 vaccination two weeks earlier, but the pup got sick about a week after he took it home.
-
Edmond Beautiful plans Spring Garden Tour
Edmond Beautiful Inc. will have a Spring Garden Tour of the 2011 “Yard of the Week” winners May 26-27. The “Yard of the Week” program recognizes yards and gardens during the summer months for outstanding flowers and landscaping.
-
Sometimes it’s easy to let go of the familiar
Remember the clack-clack of the lawn mower you used to push over your yard every week or so before someone finally figured out how to attach a gas engine to the contraption?
-
‘Attachment parenting’ fad benefits only guru
The cover story in last week’s (May 21, 2012) Time Magazine is all about “why attachment parenting drives some mothers to extremes — and how Dr. Bill Sears became their guru.” That is the article’s subtitle. All I can say, somewhat hopefully, is “at last.”
-
Protect pets from poisons in the yard, garden
After an unseasonably warm winter, many gardens and yards around the country are growing and blossoming well ahead of schedule
-
Norman church keeps up hourly adoration
For nearly 10 years, someone has been present every hour of the day, every day of the year inside the chapel less than a block north of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.
-
Protecting pets from poisons in the yard, garden
After an unseasonably warm winter, many gardens and yards around the country are growing and blossoming well ahead of schedule. Outdoor enthusiasts who are also pet owners are delighted with the early onset of spring, enjoying their outdoor living spaces while watching their pets run and play.
-
Norman church keeps up hourly adoration
For nearly 10 years, someone has been present every hour of the day, every day of the year inside the chapel less than a block north of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.
Deacon Jeff Willard said when the “Perpetual Adoration” program was started at St. Joseph’s, he thought it might last six months at best. -
Fatherhood illuminates relationship to God
Like most men, when I got married I didn’t know what I was signing up for. I didn’t expect it to change me much. In fact, it wasn’t until we had children that I realized how different I had become. I didn’t sign up to have squalling infants keep me up for hours night after night. I sure didn’t sign up for diaper duty. And the one thing I definitely wasn’t expecting was that these little sewage-secreting noise machines would have cables jacked straight into my heart. What they wanted, I wanted them to have. It wasn’t even a choice.
- More Features Headlines
-
Operating on feelings can be catastrophic
