When you live in the sunshine state you come across a lot of citrus—at roadside stands, in neighbors’ yards–but not, it turns out, in big chain grocery stores. For some reason, Florida oranges have been bullied almost off the grocery shelves by their big, thick-skinned, easy peeling, but often flavorless California cousins. I wonder if they were bread with thick skin just so they could survive cross country treks? In fact, our local Publix sells almost exclusively California oranges. This strikes me as entirely ridiculous—Florida citrus is fresher, juicier and generally better than anything we get all the way from California. You do have to invest a bit more effort in peeling, or learn to supreme an orange (well worth it). So I’ve been trying out a variety of recipes for our state fruit. Here are three of this season’s favorites:

Swamper Muffins

These are delicious and hearty. I’m not sure where this recipe came from, but I’ve adapted it slightly. Don’t be put off by the whole orange or the dates—both give the muffins full orange flavor and a moist texture. The date flavor is barely detectable. You can substitute up to half apple sauce for the butter, but this will make any bitter notes in the orange more prominent.

1 1/2 c. flour

¼ c. flax meal or wheat germ

3/4 c. sugar 1 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder 1/2 t. salt

1 whole orange

1/2 c. orange juice

1 egg

1/2 c. melted butter

1/2 c. dates

1. Pre-heat oven to 400. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.

2. Place all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix.

3. Cut orange in six pieces and grind all wet ingredients in a blender, including dates.

4. Mix wet with dry until blended. 5.Place in individual cups in a muffin tin and bake for 20 minutes.

Roasted Beets with Orange Aioli

This is a great recipe from the New York Times. Be sure to allow enough time to dry the orange peel. It doesn’t take long and gives the aioli a very mellow flavor. We added a bit more mustard and served this as a spin on remoulade with some grilled Gulf shrimp the next day.

Asparagus with Orange Butter

A delicious and refreshing way to serve asparagus. I wanted to literally drink this sauce. Green asparagus would work well too. And we didn’t have tarragon, so basil was a good substitute. Be sure to really reduce the orange juice. I didn’t let it reduce quite enough and the sauce, though delicious, was slightly watery.

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