Winter Bounty: Clementines!

In the wintertime, I used to be very sad that the Farmer's Market was closed. No more fresh local veggies, no more deliciously sweet, ripe berries and peaches. No juicy watermelons or plump, bright red tomatoes. All the foundation of my eating for summer was gone! But then I discovered the wonderful array of fruits and vegetables that are only in season in the wintertime. Take, for example, the Clementine:

A Clementine is a kind of mandarin orange. It's usually little... smaller than a lemon. Now, let me first state that I am a bit of a citrus snob. I never really liked oranges. In fact, I am still not a fan of your everyday orange. The white is too bitter, and I hate peeling it all off. And then the membrane is all chewy and tough, ick. I admit I used to be one of those people who'd cut an orange into wedges and then bite them to release the juice, suck it all out, and throw the rest of the orange away. I was only in it for the juice. I hate chewing tough membranes and I hate the feel of white pith in my mouth. But these... oh these Clementines are fantastic. They are super easy to peel... the peel just comes right off with your fingers. There is *very* little pith stuck on the outside of the wedges. The membranes are so thin I *never* have to spit one out. There are NO seeds! And the little segments are so super sweet and juicy it is like eating candy! Delicious!

Since I am a very picky Clementine freak, I will add that I prefer one particular kind/brand of Clementines over all others: Cuties. I have tried other things that look like Clementines: tangerines, Satsumas... I don't like them. I always come back to Clementines. (I tell you this because even if you *think* you have tried fruit that looked like a "little orange," you might not have tried a Clementine! Try different varieties til you find one you like, and if you can find Cuties, go for it!)

Clementines are small and delicious but only have about 35 calories each! They'll satisfy your sweet tooth while providing you with lots of vitamin C, along with some fiber, B vitamins, and potassium. Go out and get some Clementines while you can... last year, the variety I love disappeared in January or February along with my beloved pomegranates.

Enjoy the winter bounty! This stuff is better than candy.