Seasonal pantry: Winter brings citrus flavors

One of the pleasures of winter is citrus, in all its diverse glory. If your Christmas stocking didn't include tangerines, a holiday tradition, you can find them at our farmers markets, farm stands, and supermarkets.

Cara Cara oranges appeared a few weeks ago. This pink-flesh fruit is arguably the most delicious of all varieties of oranges, with a sweet, smooth flavor and enticing aromas. It is best as an eating orange, enjoyed simply, or peeled and cut into rounds for a simple winter salad dressed with olive oil, black pepper and a bit of salt.

Tangerines are at their peak, and you'll find several varieties at farmers markets, where you'll also find pomelos, grapefruit, Valencia oranges, Meyer lemons, Eureka lemons, limes, and the occasional Buddha Hand, as strange a looking fruit as you'll ever see that is used, primarily, in liqueurs, perfumes and medicines.

Although citrus is not a major commercial crop in the North Bay, there are a lot of citrus trees, many of them unharvested. To find them, sometimes all you need to do is look up as you are strolling through, say, the SRJC neighborhood or downtown Healdsburg. Sometimes you even see a box full of beautiful fruit on the edge of a driveway, with a sign announcing “Free!”

When you have an abundance of citrus, there are a number of ways to preserve it to use later. Lemons can be juiced, frozen in ice cube trays and then packed into freezer bags. They also can be frozen whole and grated into slaws, soups, stews and risottos. Lemons can be preserved, a popular method of preservation throughout the Middle East.

All but the smallest and most oddly shaped citrus can be juiced, of course, but other citrus juices are best enjoyed right away.

For recipes using preserved lemons and other citrus, visit “Eat This Now” at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.

___

Not all recipes for preserving lemons include soaking the lemons first, as this one does, a process that softens the skins and leaches out some of their pectin. If your lemons are thin-skinned, you can skip this step. On the other hand, if they are thick skinned and quite hard, you'll want to soak them for at least a day. The firmest lemons can benefit from a week of soaking, with the brine changed daily. This recipe is really more of a formula and can be increased to accommodate however many lemons you have on hand.

Michele's Preserved Lemons

Makes 1 quart

12-16 lemons, any variety, preferably organic

1 cup kosher salt

3 tablespoons sugar

Wash the lemons in cool water, and set them on a tea towel.

Put 8 to 12 lemons into a large crock or bowl, and set the others aside. Fill a quart jar or measuring cup, add a tablespoon of salt and pour it over the lemons; if the brine doesn't cover them completely, make another batch and pour it into the bowl. Cover, and set aside for a day.

Drain the lemons, set them on a tea towel, and pat them dry. Cut each one into lengthwise wedges, cutting smaller ones into six pieces and larger ones into 8.

Put the lemon wedges into a dry bowl, add 3/4 cup of the salt and all of the sugar, and toss gently but thoroughly. Pack the lemons into a quart jar.

Squeeze the juice from the reserved lemons, and add it to the jar with the lemon wedges. If it does not cover them completely, add a bit of fresh water.

Cut a large circle of parchment paper or two circles of wax paper, and set it on top of the jar. Add the lid and ring, and turn it upside down a time or two to distribute salt and juice evenly.

Set the jar of lemons in a cool dark cupboard for a week, and give it a gentle shaking once or twice a day.

At the end of a week, move the jar to the refrigerator and use the preserved lemons within about six months.

___

Make lemon curd when you have plenty of lemons. You can use any variety, of course, but Meyer lemons are abundant right now and create a suave curd that is absolutely delicious. Use the curd on toast and scones and in tarts.

Meyer Lemon Curd

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

8 large egg yolks

1 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons grated Meyer lemon zest

1 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice

8 ounces (2 sticks) butter, preferably organic, melted

Fill the bottom half of a double boiler about one-third full with water, and set over medium-low heat.

Pour about 2 inches of water into the bottom half of a double boiler, and set it over medium heat. When the water boils, reduce the heat to low so that the water simmers very gently.

Meanwhile, set the top half of the double boiler on your work surface, add the egg yolks, and mix vigorously with a sturdy whisk until the eggs begin to lighten in color. Add the sugar, and continue to mix until very creamy. Mix in the lemon zest and juice. Slowly whisk in the butter, mixing vigorously all the while.

Set the mixture over the simmering water and mix gently, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan frequently, until it begins to thicken, about 10 minutes.

Immediately lift the top half of the double boiler off the bottom half and stir for 1 minute. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Transfer the lemon curd to crocks or glass jars and cover tightly. It will keep, refrigerated, for about 3 weeks.

Variations: Introduce a second fruit juice to make a delicious and beautiful curd. To do so, replace half the lemon juice with either pomegranate juice or cranberry juice.

___

In this traditional shortbread, orange zest adds both flavor and aroma, creating a softly perfumed cookie. If you can find the cone-shaped tangerines - they are actually a cross between kumquats and tangerines - use their zest, which is extremely fragrant. Twin Hills Orchard sells the beautiful little fruit at the farmers markets they attend, including the Santa Rosa Original market and the Sebastopol market.

Orange Shortbread

Makes 16 wedges

1/2 cup superfine sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

8 ounces butter, preferably organic, cut into cubes and chilled

- Grated zest of 1 large orange or 2 to 3 tangerines

½ teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

Put the sugar and salt in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse several times. Add the butter and pulse until the sugar and butter are smoothly blended; add the orange zest and vanilla and pulse again. Add the flour and pulse, stopping two or three times to scrape the work bowl with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is evenly mixed and crumbly. Cover your work surface with wax paper or plastic wrap and transfer the mixture to it; use your hands to press the dough together, then knead it gently until it just holds together. Wrap it tightly and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Divide the dough in half and press each half into an 8-inch tart pan, an 8-inch cake pan, or an 8-inch glass pie pan. Set on the top rack of the oven, and bake for about 20 minutes. Rotate the pans so the shortbread cooks evenly and continue to cook for 30 to 40 minutes more, until the shortbread is just barely showing a little color.

Remove from the oven, and let cool to room temperature. Use a sharp knife to cut into wedges, carefully remove from the containers. Enjoy right away or store in an airtight container for several days.

Michele Anna Jordan is author of the new “Good Cook's” series. Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.com and visit her blog at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.