It's still the season for braises, stews and long-simmered pots of comfort food, but as winter hangs on I've been sending my dishes to finishing school near sunnier shores, allowing them to rub elbows with all types of plump, juicy citrus -- the optimists of winter fruit. A few of my favorites include Satsuma, blood orange, Meyer lemon and honey tangelo.
I love these agrumes, in general, for their kick-in-the-mouth wake-up call, but also for their versatility. Grated zest brightens up cakes, pies, even soft scrambled eggs. Try grapefruit with smoked salmon and avocado, or use it to make a marmalade with a one, two sweet-tang punch. Potted lemons in salt (preserved lemons) shine in a Moroccan chicken tagine. Or try your hand at limoncello: sweet, liquid Italian sunshine in a bottle. Black beans and beef stews get a bright kick from a squeeze of fresh orange just before serving, or replace vinegar with juice and zest for a tangy vinaigrette. And a swirl of some fresh-squeezed blood orange or clementine in chilled vodka makes for a simple and refreshing cocktail.
As for storing, it's tempting to keep citrus out on the counter — for their serotonin-inducing colors and heady fragrance — but they keep best (free of plastic wrapping) in the produce drawer of the refrigerator.
Whether you use the whole fruit or the juice and zest, as I have in this yogurt and almond cake recipe, experimenting with citrus is an armchair traveler's trick to turning your kitchen island into a sunny winter haven.
Kim Sunée is the bestselling author of "Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for Home" and "A Mouthful of Stars." For more food and travel, visit kimsunee.com and instagram/kimsunee.
Almond yogurt pound cake with citrus glaze
Experiment with a combination of orange, grapefruit, lemon, or lime. Look for almond paste in a can or tube in the baking section of the supermarket. You'll need about three oranges (or other citrus); grate the zest and then juice them and keep in separate bowls if you want some of the zest for garnish.
Unsalted butter or cooking spray, for greasing pan
5 ounces almond paste
1 1/3 cups sugar
4 ounces (1/2 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream)
4 large eggs
Grated zest and juice of 3 oranges (or grapefruit, lemon or lime), divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Citrus glaze (recipe follows)
Optional Garnishes: About 1 tablespoon toasted almond slices or a few thin slices citrus and zest.
Citrus glaze:
About 1/3 cup fresh squeezed juice of orange, lemon, grapefruit, or lime
About 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease with butter or cooking spray a (5- by 9- by 3-inch) loaf pan. Line with parchment paper and grease the parchment.
2. Using a stand mixer, beat almond paste for about 30 seconds and then, with mixer on low speed, slowly add sugar to almond paste; increase speed until paste and sugar are well combined. Add butter and beat, on medium-high, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
3. Add yogurt, eggs (one at a time), vanilla, about 1 tablespoon grated zest and 1 tablespoon fresh juice; mix just until combined. Turn off mixer. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add 1/2 of flour mixture to almond paste mixture and blend on medium. Add remaining half flour mixture and blend until well incorporated. Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes (check cake after about 52 minutes since ovens vary), until the top is golden brown and a tester (toothpick or tip of sharp knife) inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cake rest in pan about 5 minutes; unmold, remove parchment and place on a cooling rack.
4. For citrus glaze: While cake is warm, poke a few holes over top of it, using a toothpick or chopstick. Whisk together juice and confectioner's sugar until well blended, adding more juice (if too thick) or sugar (if too thin). Drizzle glaze over warm cake and top with more zest, almond slices and/or thinly sliced citrus.
More ways to infuse sunshine into your winter dishes:
Smoked salmon salad with citrus and avocado
Chicken, olive and lemon tagine