We’d read about Cara Cara oranges, we’d seen photos; but we hadn’t tasted one until this week. It was exquisite: sweet and “old school,” when all fruit was grown to be perfectly sweet and lush.

(Today, too much fruit is grown to look great on the shelf, to be durable for transport, to eliminate bothersome seeds, and just about every reason other than natural sweetness and deep taste.)

Cara Cara oranges are a variety of navel orange, distinguished by their rosy pink, juicy, sweet flesh and low acidity.

The rosy flesh has a berry-flavored zing with a touch of spice. Depending on where the oranges are grown, the undertones can be cherry, cranberry, raspberry, strawberry or a combination.

Cara Caras are not unlike like blood oranges, which are grown in the U.S. but hail from Italy, where they also were a natural mutation. As with blood oranges, some have a pink blush outside on the peel, as well as in the flesh.

Cara Caras are also called “pink navel” or “red navel” oranges.
 
 
CARA CARA ORANGE HISTORY

The Cara Cara variety was first discovered in 1976 on a Washington navel orange tree growing at the Hacienda Cara Cara, a private home in Valencia, Venezuela. It is believed to have been a mutation.

The delightful “new” orange was propagated. It has since been crossed with the Bahia navel orange and bred to remove the seeds, which increases consumer appeal.

The variety was first planted in Florida groves. Twelve years ago, commercial growing began in California, where the variety thrived in the climate of the San Joaquin Valley.

The trees bear fruit from December through April.

Cara Caras did not enter the national consumer market until the late 1980s.

For years, they were carried only by specialty markets.

The fruit was finally distributed nationally about 10 years ago by produce companies like Melissa’s Produce and Sunkist.

They are now available at a broader range of grocers nationwide.

[1] No, they’re not Ruby Red or Red Star grapefruit, but pink navel oranges, called Cara Caras (photo © Good Eggs).

[2] The oranges are torched, or bruleed, to caramelize their sugars at The Pines in Brooklyn (photo © The Pines [alas, now closed]).

CARA CARA ORANGES ARE MORE NUTRITIOUS

As a bonus, Cara Caras deliver more vitamin power. The Sunkist Nutrition Bureau found a wealth of nutritional advantages in Cara Cara oranges: higher in vitamin C, A and fiber than other navels. Sunkist calls its Cara Cara “The Power Orange,” and has trademarked the term.

Like other oranges, Cara Caras are a good source of folate and potassium, and the rosy flesh provides Lycopene, the disease-fighting antioxidant found in red-fleshed fruits from papaya to tomato to watermelon.
 
 
HOW TO ENJOY CARA CARA ORANGES

First and foremost, Cara Caras are a wonderful hand fruit:* very juicy and sweet. You can enjoy them at breakfast, snack time or on the run.

If you won’t eat all of them immediately, store the oranges in a cool spot for up to one week or refrigerate for up to two weeks.
 
 
RECIPES: COOKING WITH CARA CARA ORANGES

Cara Caras are popular with chefs for use in vinaigrettes and cooked sauces. They pair beautifully with white-fleshed fish such as halibut, and also make a terrific orange sorbet.

Here’s a delicious recipe for Halibut with Cara Cara Orange Miso Cream Sauce and Roasted Beets

Check out these recipes from Sunkist:

 
 
WHAT ARE NAVEL ORANGES

There are two major species of eating oranges: Navel and Valencia (bitter orange varieties, such as the Seville, are used in marmalade and other recipes but not as hand fruit.) There are also “minor” varieties in limited supply, such as blood oranges.

 
_______________

*The term “hand fruit” refers to a piece of fruit that is eaten from the hand, whether or not it needs to be peeled: apples, bananas, stone fruit (apricots, peaches, pears, plums) and so forth. Even though they can be eaten with the fingers, berries are not hand fruits.

Ordinarily we don’t eat out-of-season foods; for one thing, our sustainable self would feel wasteful of the fuel miles consumed by transporting produce from below the equator.

Secondly, weeks in transport mean that what arrives isn’t necessarily the freshest produce; and often the flavor suffers.

But a few weeks ago, on one of the coldest days of winter, we received a gift of a generous amount of Chilean blueberries—firm, plump and bursting with flavor. They brought sunshine into our kitchen; we relished every berry.

With organic-, antioxidant- and mental acuity*- focused Americans snatching up blueberries year-round, imports continue to grow. All through our winter, these summer fruits are available nationwide. Shipments, which began in mid-December, will continue through April (the U.S. harvest begins in May).

Plump, sweet blueberries from Chile. Photo courtesy FreshFruitPortal.com.

If you’ll be in baking mode this weekend, consider the delicious blueberry tart recipe below, courtesy of the Chilean Blueberry Committee. You can find more recipes for fresh blueberries at FruitsFromChile.com.

Tart versus pie: What’s the difference? There are quite a few, actually. Here’s the scoop on the differences between pies and tarts. We far prefer the thicker, buttery, cookie-like tart crust to a thin, soft pie crust. It’s a personal choice.

PREP TIME: 22 minutes active preparation, 3.5 hours refrigeration

Ingredients For Crust

 
Ingredients For Filling

1. PREHEAT the oven to 375°F.

2. WHISK the dry ingredients together in a medium-size mixing bowl. Then cut in the cold butter, using a pastry cutter or two forks.

3. WHISK together in a small bowl the egg yolk, vanilla and water; then stir into the dry mixture. The dough should be crumbly and hold together when squeezed.

4. ROLL out the dough; press it into the bottom and up the sides of a 10-inch round tart pan, preferably with a removable bottom. Prick it all over with a fork and refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer.

5. PRE-BAKE (blind-bake†) the crust: Weigh down the crust with pie weights or a nesting pie pan, or top it with foil or parchment and fill with rice or dried beans. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the crust is set. Remove weights, pan or foil/parchment and return crust to the oven to bake for another 6 to 8 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely before filling.

Preparation For Filling

1. BLEND: In a medium sauce pan over low heat, whisk juices with cornstarch until cornstarch is dissolved. Add 4 cups of the blueberries. Increase the heat and bring mixture to a boil until juices are clear and bright in color. Let mixture cool one minute.

2. STIR in vanilla and remaining blueberries.

3. POUR into pre-baked pie tart shell. Refrigerate for three hours prior to serving.

NUTRIENTS PER SERVING: 227 calories, 2 g protein, 8 g fat, 5 g saturated fat/72 calories from fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 3 g dietary fiber, 51 g sodium.

*Blueberries are one of the highest anti-oxidant foods. And according to the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, research “firmly establishes blueberries as a memory-protecting food” that can improve brain function.

†Blind-baking, also called pre-baking, is the process of baking a crust or other pastry without the filling. Blind baking a pie crust is helps prevent the pie crust from becoming soggy from its filling, among other benefits.

Go artisan with Effie’s new semolina crackers.

An artisan cracker, handmade in small batches with superior ingredients, is a little thing that makes a big difference. Whether for snacking, garnishing or turning into canapés, people who know good food appreciate the nuances of flavor.

Of the three flavors—Roasted Garlic & Coriander, Sea Salt & Lavender and Sunflower Seed & Sesame Seed, we favor the Lavender—but we favor anything with lavender. All three flavors are equally delicious with cheese, dips, salads and soups.

Read the full review, which also answers the question: What is semolina?

SEE ALL OF OUR FAVORITE GOURMET CRACKERS IN OUR BREADS & CRACKERS SECTION.

Today is National Chili Day. Chili has long been the subject of passionate debate:

Texas-style or Mexican? Beef only, meat and beans or beans-only-vegetarian? With tomatoes or without? Spiced with cumin? With a dash of chocolate or coffee? Served plain or over rice? Et cetera, et cetera and so forth.

Whatever your preferences, today is the day to enjoy a steaming bowl of chili. Make it with beans: Americans eat too few bean dishes, and beans are such an important, inexpensive and nutritious source of protein.

For even more protein and texture, add tofu. You’ll have a delicious dish that’s high in protein and low in fat.

We adapted this recipe from House Foods America, America’s leading purveyor of tofu, which is non-GMO verified and made from certified organic soybeans.

TOFU BEAN CHILI RECIPE

We like the medey of three different types of beans, but if you only have one or two on hand, that’s O.K., too.

Ingredients

 
*We like to save the drained liquid and use it instead of water in other recipes. It adds more flavor, but you may need to add less salt to the recipe because of the salt already in the canned vegetable liquid.

Preparation

1. HEAT olive oil in a large pot. Add onion and garlic and bell pepper and sauté until tender.

2. ADD remaining ingredients except tomatoes and tofu, stirring to combine.

3. ADD tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. ADD tofu and cook an additional minute or two until heated. Serve plain or with rice or other grain.

VARIATION: For a more soup-like dish, add a cup or two of tomato juice or broth.
 
QUICK RECIPE WITH CANNED CHILI

If you don’t have a lot of time, start with canned chili.

Ingredients

Preparation

1. COMBINE ingredients in a pot and heat.

2. GARNISH and serve.
  

Yesterday we presented the first five recipes, mixing common condiments—balsamic vinegar, honey, maple syrup, mayonnaise and mustard—to create gourmet condiments. When you combine two condiments, the whole is greater (and more delicious) than the sum of its parts. Today we conclude chef Johnny Gnall’s lesson on combining condiments. If you have questions or suggestions for tips, email Chef Johnny.
CITRUS ZEST + SALT OR SUGAR =
FUN FINISHING SALT

Here we create citrus salt, a great ingredient to have fun with because you can make it in advance, store it in an airtight container and use it as a flourish any time you want to kick up a dish. You can also give your homemade citrus salt as gifts to friends who like to cook.

 
How long in the oven? The timing will vary depending on the zest, your oven, the altitude, etc, but it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. Once the zest has cooled, simply mix with salt or sugar and voilà! Now you have your own homemade infused salt (or sugar).

Adjust the amount of zest to your preference for the condiment’s intensity, and use to finish fish, meats, or anything that could use some brightening up (start with eggs at breakfast, salad and soup at lunch, and whatever you’re serving for dinner). You can use lime finishing salt to rim a Margarita and a sweet finishing salt to rim a Lemon Drop or other cocktail.

The sweet citrus condiment (sugar instead of salt) can be used to finish baked goods (sprinkle atop icing or plain loaf cakes) and rim cocktails. It makes a snazzy table condiment for parties.

DRINKS + HEAT = REDUCTION = DRIZZLING SYRUP

For Thanksgiving, I reduced Bundaberg ginger beer (which is my absolute favorite brand) and drizzled it over caramelized Brussels sprouts, and they stole the show. (I’ll reprise the recipe for Easter.)

Molasses adds great depth of flavor while the vinegar has enough punch to hold its weight at the other end of the flavor spectrum. The result is a balance that complements pork particularly well, but also goes nicely with beef or lamb, and is excellent on salmon.

Be sure to season your meat generously with salt and pepper, as this is a powerful marinade and needs the salty element to hold its weight on your palate.

Since a little can go a long way, you may decide to soften and stretch the marinade by whisking in a little olive oil.
ROASTED GARLIC + OLIVE OIL =
GARLIC “BUTTER”

By applying a little heat to a head of garlic and using the right kitchen tool, you can create a delicious, fragrant condiment with sweetness and depth that will surprise you.

 
The quantities of oil and garlic will naturally affect the thickness of the condiment, as well as its flavor concentration; I like the ratio of about ¾ cups of oil to the average head of garlic. Don’t forget to season, and, as always, feel free to embellish with add-ins like chilies, dried herbs or spices.
SOUR CREAM + DIJON MUSTARD = MY FAVORITE SAUCE

At least once every couple of weeks when I want a quick and easy side for dinner, I simply slice whatever vegetable I happen to find in my fridge and sauté it.

 
The combination of rich and tangy is to die for, and the whole is absolutely greater than the sum of its two parts; it’s familiar and different at the same time and it goes with anything!
 
FIND OUR FAVORITE CONDIMENTS & RECIPES IN OUR GOURMET CONDIMENTS SECTION.