Citrus Is More Versatile Than You’d Think

Mandarins, oranges, and grapefruits can be shockingly good right now

Mark Bittman
Heated

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Photo: Leandro Grasso/EyeEm/Getty Images

Here’s an after-the-holidays food to look forward to: citrus. We’re well into ruby-reds and white grapefruit, as well as navel and temple oranges, honeybells, and mandarins. In the dead of winter, Florida and California citrus fruits make this long stretch a lot brighter.

Of course, you can cut your grapefruit in half and have it for breakfast, bruleed. And you can peel a tangerine or blood orange for a better-than-usual afternoon snack. But there’s so much more that you can do with citrus — like cutting the peel and pith, wheel-slice an orange, dressing it with salt and pepper, then finishing with a really nice olive oil for a dazzling side.

Here’s a more formal version of that salad, along with a couple of other recipes for inspiration.

Marinated Olives With Citrus

This is great this time of year, when the bright acidity is welcome. Cut one lemon, orange, or grapefruit into wedges an add to the mixture, below. Remove citrus before serving.

Makes: 8 or more servings
Time: 5 minutes, plus time to marinate

Ingredients

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Mark Bittman
Heated

Has published 30 books, including How to Cook Everything and VB6: The Case for Part-Time Veganism. Newsletter at markbittman.com.