Citrus Olive Oil Cake

Most fruits and vegetables have a season, a time when they are picked and rushed to the market to maintain flavor and nutrition but when one talks about citrus it can be very confusing. Citrus ‘season’ really runs all year long with different varieties ripening at different times. During the summer months we have delicious Valencia oranges and Star Ruby Grapefruit, but you’ll find most citrus in season from fall until late spring.

In the market right now you’ll find Navel, Cara Cara and Moro Oranges, delicious Meyer Lemons and my favorite produce guru, Robert Schueller of Melissa’s Produce, recommends the Cocktail Grapefruit, Key Limes and Kishu tangerines! And all of us tangerines freaks know that come March those Ojai Pixie Tangerines start coming our way! The best of the best……

Other than eating juicy, sweet citrus out of hand or in a dish our friends at Temecula Olive Oil crush seasonal citrus fruit, Blood Oranges or Meyer Lemons, at the same time they press their olives. While the Blood Orange Olive Oil is available year round, Meyer Lemon Olive Oil is seasonal usually beginning in early spring. If you see it on their shelves don’t hesitate, this oil sells out every year! I’ve used both Blood Orange and Meyer Lemon Olive Oil in this cake and each one is distinct and fabulous.

For those of you who can’t conceive of using an olive oil in a cake I urge to try this recipe, not only is it easy, it’s delicious. I like serving it with a little chopped citrus on the side or a handful of fresh raspberries.

Click here for the recipe

Clafoutis

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Photo: Merlin Menu

Clafouti

I am all about easy baking and this is about as easy as it gets. This country-French dessert adapts well to almost any fruit and is topped with a batter and baked til bubbly brown. It can be served warm or room temperature.

Batter
1 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
Fruit
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
3 cups fruit, if whole, peel and chop or slice
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Heat the oven to 400°F.

Beat together all the batter ingredients until smooth and frothy. Set aside to rest while preparing remaining ingredients.

Pour melted butter into a 9 or 10” shallow pan, quiche pan or cake pan and sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons of sugar spreading evenly. Place fruit over the sugar and cover with the batter.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until the clafoutis is puffed and brown on top. Dust with confectioners sugar and serve immediately.

Clafoutis will collapse quickly but will still be delicious.

Apple Crisp

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Apple Crisp

Such a quick, easy recipe for a seasonal dessert; can be a great breakfast treat for those with a sweet tooth! Use an apple that is best for baking such as:

Jonathans and Jonagolds, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Melrose, Winesap, Braeburn, Rome Beauty.

Serves: 8
4 cups sliced or diced apples
1 tablespoon flour
½ cup sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
⅓ cup butter
¾ cup oatmeal
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine the first three ingredients and place in a greased 8×8 baking dish.

Combine the remaining ingredients and sprinkle over the top of the apple mixture.

Bake 30 minutes. Serve warm

Photo: All Recipes

Great Pepper Cookbook

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Do you know how to cook with peppers? Would you like to learn more about peppers? When you think about peppers do you automatically think peppers are hot? Depending on where a person grew up you’ve either had experience with peppers or you didn’t, I didn’t. I just found the right book to learn about how to incorporate peppers into my dishes. “The Great Pepper Cookbook: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing and Cooking with Peppers,” from the team at Melissa’s Produce and it is filled with all kinds of great information.

Seasonally inspiring and timed just right for the upcoming summer pepper season the book offers insight into how and when to use fresh or dried peppers or how to exchange the two. What the heck is The Scoville Scale (it determines the heat unit of a pepper) and is loaded with tasty recipes for any palate. From breakfast to dessert and drinks, you can learn to appreciate peppers in a new light.

One of my favorite dishes from the book are the Crab Cake Sandwiches using the flavorful Shishito pepper which is kind of new on the food scene. A sweet and mild small pepper that’s perfect to throw on the grill as a side with steak or chicken also. The book is filled with pictures and information on a large variety of peppers and if you’d like to get your hands on a copy or learn more from the Melissa Team they will be doing a demonstration and book signing this summer at Rancho los Alamitos in Long Beach. Sign up for this event before it sells out and come by to try some of the Melissa Teams tasty recipes. If you miss out on tickets to this event, you can always pick up a book on Melissa’s website, www.melissas.com
For information on the Rancho Los Alamitos event follow this link, http://rancholosalamitos.com/events/2014_pepper_workshop/index.html

Ojai Pixie Tangerines

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There is nothing as sweet and juicy as an Ojai Pixie Tangerine! Unfortunately they are in season for such a short time, you’ll find them available only until the end of April, if you’re lucky!
Sometimes Pixie tangerines can be difficult to find but you can order direct from Melissa’s Produce website (click here).

Here is a great winter salad featuring the best of the Ojai Pixie’s, enjoy during this short season.

Blue Cheese Tangerine-Apple Walnut Salad with
Dried Cranberries

Serves 4
¼ cup pomegranate vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

1 bunch baby spinach leaves
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced into large chunks
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
2 tablespoons toasted walnuts
3 tangerines — peeled and sectioned

For the dressing:
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard and olive oil; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Lightly toss the spinach with enough dressing to coat leaves; place onto individual plates or a platter. Garnish with apples, cranberries, nuts and tangerine sections. Serve extra dressing on the side.