Citrus is Here!

We are thrilled to be offering some beautiful, organic citrus from California. Filled with vitamin c, color and flavor, these beauties are guaranteed to liven up your meals! 

Here are a few of my favorite citrus recipes: 

Citrus Fennel Salad: 

Serves two 

You will need: 

1 orange

1 blood orange

1 bulb fennel 

½ shallot, peeled and sliced into thin half moons 

2 Tbsp pitted, chopped olives (I like oil cured black olives best but kalamata are also great)

1 pinch Aleppo or red chili flake

1 Tbsp good olive oil 

Flakey sea salt to finish 

Remove the rinds from the citrus and cut them into rounds like so:

Slice the fennel bulb as thin as you can and submerge the sliced fennel and onion in ice water, this will make them curly and crisp, it also takes the bite out of the shallot and makes it sweeter.  On a large flat plate, arrange your citrus slices. Strain the fennel and shallot and toss them lightly in oil and salt. Plate them on top of the citrus and place the olives on top of them. Finish with a nice drizzle of good oil and sprinkle of sea salt and chili flakes. This simple salad is an amazing first course and can be made into a satisfying lunch with some canned tuna, smoked or grilled salmon or swordfish. 

I learned this technique at the Fatted Calf in San Francisco. I always have a jar of preserved lemons in my fridge and add them to salad dressings, marinades, braised meat dishes, sourdough bread and more. They have become a pantry staple and they are so easy to make. 

You will need:

1 lb ripe Meyer Lemons

1 cup kosher sea salt

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 Tbsp whole peppercorns or coriander seeds (whichever you prefer)

 1 quart size wide mouth mason jar

Quarter the lemons leaving the base intact so they hold together, remove any visible seeds. Work over a metal bowl and salt the inside of the lemon heavily, place the lemon into your clean mason jar and sprinkle more salt, a bit of coriander or peppercorn and a small piece of rosemary on top of it. Press the lemon down into the jar so some of the juices start to emerge. Continue this process with all of the lemons until you jar is full. The lemons should be submerged in salt and lemon juice (this is a terrible thing to make if you have any cuts on your hands!). Leave the lemons out in a cool place in your kitchen for two weeks. They are done when the rinds of the lemons are soft and easily fall apart when pinched between to fingers. 

As soon as your lemons are done you can store them in the fridge and they will keep for up to a year! The easiest way to start using them is to chop the rind up and mix it with butter and fresh herbs to go on top of steak, fresh fish or grilled chicken! Enjoy!