Oh, to Be in the Sunshine State!

When I went to the grocery store recently, I was offered a free 5-lb bag of pink grapefruit if I bought two bottles of ruby red grapefruit juice. Since I had been thinking a lot about grapefruit lately (it's a long, long, dreary winter here in Connecticut), I said, "What fortune!" and grabbed a bag.

After deciding to really pay attention to where my food comes from, my first thought went to all the citrus that we enjoy as a family. Right now, we have pink grapefruit, clementines, navel oranges, and a few bottles of ruby red grapefruit juice in the house. I would truly miss (and not be able to replace) this wonderful source of Vitamin C, such a needed thing in the gray wintertime of New England.

I guess I can make a conscious exception to the "locally grown" when it comes to citrus, as I can't really get a good substitute for the nutrition of this food group, here in CT.

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I must be longing for spring colors. For Christmas, my children gave me serving dishes with a red chili pepper design (of course, I've loaded one with -- you guessed it -- citrus fruit). The colors make me happy, and remind me of the colors I'll see in the garden in the spring. They also remind me of a vacation I took to Guadalajara many years ago.  The terra cotta tortilla warmer I bought there makes a great vessel for storing garlic cloves, and the molcajete (used a few times) is a nice conversation starter. I plan to make paving stones for my rose arbor this summer, and decorate them with the handful of Mexican coins and tiny, terracotta mugs that I purchased in the open-air market in the city.

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Here is a recipe that I'd love to try. It's from the February 2010 Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

Shrimp with Peppered Citrus Fruits
(Better Homes & Gardens, February 2010 issue)

 

1 lb. fresh or frozen large shrimp in shells

3 medium clementines or seedless tangerines

3/4 c. water

1/3 c. sugar

1 tsp. whole black peppercorns, corarsely crushed

1 small pink grapefruit

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1 T. canola oil

 

Thaw shrimp, if frozen. For pepper-citrus sauce, remove 2 to 3 strips of the thin outer peel of one of the clementines with a vegetale peeler, taking care not to remove the bitter white pith. Place peel in small saucepan; add water, sugar and peppercorns. Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil gently, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes, or until mixture is reduced to 1/3 cup, stirring occasionally.

 

Meanwhile, peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact. Peel and remove white pith from remaining clementines and grapefruit. Cut grapefruit crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Remove seeds and set slices aside. If desired, leave one clementine whole; break remaining clementines into segments.

 

For shrimp, in a bowl combine salt, ground pepper, and cumin. Add shrimp; toss to coat. In large skillet cook shrimp in hot oil for 3 to 4 minutes or until opaque, turning occasionally. Add clementines and grapefruit to shrimp. Cover; cook over medium heat 1 minute, turning fruit once. Transfer to serving bowl. Pour pepper-citrus sauce over shrimp mixture and toss gently to coat.

 

Serves 4.

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