On a recent grocery-shopping trip, a quick peek in the produce area revealed an amazing array of these juicy Citrus fruits – the typical standbys, oranges and grapefruits along with a whole range of others in varying colors and sizes. Such as clementine, navel oranges, tangelos halo mandarins, lemons and limes. I amusingly practiced my mantra of adding variety to meals. And in that spirit, picked up the more seasonal blood oranges, sweeti pummelo, stem and leaf Satsuma mandarins, blood oranges and page tangerines. Plus a sweeter (not as tart) lemon that resembles a tangerine and is called Meyer lemons.

Citrus fruits share a juicy characteristic but differ in their level of sweetness. There is a sharp contrast from the tartness of lemons to the sweetness of oranges and tangerines. These qualities are useful and handy in the kitchen. The less sweet are frequent flavor enhancers in both hot and cold dishes.  Lemons are staples in a myriad of cuisines. Oranges and grapefruits are often ingredients in salad and salad dressings. Enjoy them while at the peak of season!!