There are two principal lime types in American supermarkets: the Persian or Tahitian lime, which is what Americans think of as “lime” (see the many different types of limes), and the Key lime, which originated in southern Asia. After centuries of travel to different lands, it ended up in the Caribbean, including the Florida Keys, for which it is named.

The Key lime has a higher acidity, a stronger aroma, and a thinner rind than the Persian lime, and is tart rather than sour. That makes it just right for desserts.

If you’ve only had Key lime pie made with bottled lime juice…well, you know the superior, sparkling flavor of fresh lime juice. Pick up some Key limes and make a Key lime pie from scratch. If you have an ice cream machine, make some key lime sorbet as well.

You can use Key lime juice in any recipe that calls for conventional lime juice. Try it with olive oil on a salad, substituting for vinegar. Squeeze it in a cocktail. Enjoy Key lime season for as long as you can.

[1] A guacamole BLT transformed into crostini hors d’oeuvre (photo © California Avocado Commission).

[2] Ready for your recipe (photo © Aldi).

What’s better than a BLT?

Well, there’s a turkey BLT and our favorite, the chicken salad BLT.

Guacamole can be added to any of the above.

But how about turning the concept into bite-size crostini—BLT guacamole appetizers.

Microsprouts stand in for the lettuce; or you can substitute arugula, watercress or other flat lettuce.

This recipe was developed by Deborah Branby, chef/owner of The Cheese Board in Reno, Nevada, and provided to us by the California Avocado Commission.

We’re serving it on New Year’s Eve.
 
 
RECIPE #1: GUACAMOLE BLT

Ingredients For 24 Slices

The individual steps for baguette croutons (the crostini base), roasted cherry tomatoes and other ingredients follow.

 
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*Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados, adjust the quantity accordingly.

 
 
RECIPE #2: BAGUETTE CROUTONS RECIPE

Ingredients For 24 Slices

 
Preparation

1. BRUSH one side of the baguette slices with melted butter.

2. BAKE at 375°F until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes. Cool.
 
 
RECIPE #3: ROASTED CHERRY TOMATOES RECIPE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. SLICE the tomatoes in half and toss with olive oil.

2. ROAST at 400°F until lightly browned, about 15 – 20 minutes. Cool.
 
 
RECIPE #4: LEMON AÏOLI

Ingredients For 1/2 Cup

 
Preparation

1. MIX together mayonnaise and fresh lemon juice.
 
 
FINISH: CROSTINI ASSEMBLY

1. COARSELY MASH the avocado and mix it with the fresh lemon juice.

2. TOP each crouton with 1 tablespoon of the mashed avocado mixture.

3. TOP with 2 thin strips of bacon, micro sprouts, lemon aioli and roasted cherry tomatoes.

4. DRIZZLE with pesto. Serve immediately.

The tradition dates back to the Civil War, when Union troops confiscated crops and livestock, leaving the population with little to eat.

What remained were legumes and greens, which kept the populace from starving.

It’s easy to honor tradition, with this easy blackeyed pea salsa. The recipe is by chef Tom Fraker and provided by Melissas.com. If you’d like something heartier, try this blackeyed pea stew recipe.

BLACKEYED PEA SALSA RECIPE

Ingredients

Preparation

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and gently mix to incorporate.
2. Serve with chips, beer, margaritas or your favorite beverage.
ABOUT BLACKEYED PEAS: THEY’RE BEANS

Blackeyed peas (also spelled black-eyed) are medium-sized, ivory-colored beans with a large black coloration (the “eye”) on the inner curve of the beans, where they are attached to the pod.

Related to the mung bean, blackeyed peas originated in Eastern Asia and were brought to the Americas with the African slave trade, and were a staple of many plantation diets. They remain best known as a Southern dish, where they are often served with ham and rice.

Blackeyed peas have a sweet, mild flavor and firm texture, and absorb the flavors of a dish very well.

A dessert buffet is a great end to a big meal (photo © Agnes Csondor | iStock Photo).

Others watch firecrackers or participate in midnight runs and other group activities.

We ring in the New Year with a dinner party featuring everything new: new recipes, wines we’ve never tried, even some guests new to the group.

Five hours and seven courses later, it’s time for dessert.

As many of us have found, at big Thanksgiving, Christmas and other dinners, that getting up and walking around after the main meal ends helps to loosen up space for dessert.

Some people even take a stroll around the block.
 
 
A DESSERT BUFFET

Get the moving started with a dessert buffet. Set the coffee and tea next to the desserts on a sideboard, coffee table, folding table, or whatever you have.

Guests will not only have to move; they’ll have the opportunity to chat with people who haven’t been seated near to them.

Your buffet can be as simple as a cake, a pie and a bowl of fruit. You can also call for a dessert potluck.

Or, make choices from this list:

 
A final tip: Be prepared to wrap up the leftover desserts and send them home with guests. That way, you’ll start the new year temptation-free.

Unlike cilantro, which delivers a consistent take-it-or-leave-it flavor, regardless of where it is grown, it is producers who have manipulated cheap ingredients and preservatives into frightful fruitcakes.

But yes, Virginia, there is great fruitcake—the kind that, 100 and 200 years ago, people had reason to celebrate—and not just at Christmas. It was the wedding cake of choice.

Several weeks ago we received a simply superb fruitcake sold at Williams-Sonoma (and alas, now sold out). It was made by the fabulous Beekman Boys, a.k.a. Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell, of the website Beekman1802.com and the Planet Green reality series.

Made with a century-old family recipe, there’s no candied citron, maraschino cherries, or unrecognizable, nuclear-colored fruits in the Beekman 1802 fruitcake. It’s made with dried fruits soaked in applejack brandy (apricots, dates, cherries, figs, pineapple, raisins), brown sugar, butter, eggs, and flour. Every ingredient is delicious and the cake is so lovely, we didn’t share a bite of it.

> The history of fruitcake is below.

> So are beverage pairings with fruitcake.

A magnificent fruitcake you can buy is from the food artisan Robert Lambert. It’s worth every penny.
 
 
BEVERAGE PAIRINGS WITH FRUITCAKE

We love a good cup of black tea with our fruitcake, or a spice tea like Constant Comment (which is also available in a decaffeinated version and a green tea version).

Port is the wine of choice, but other choices include:

 
 
A BRIEF HISTORY OF FRUITCAKE

The earliest known recipe for fruitcake dates to ancient Rome, using pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, and raisins. By the Middle Ages, honey, preserved fruits, and spices had been added and the cake was enjoyed throughout Europe. Recipes varied widely by region.

In the 16th century, sugar from the Caribbean—and the discovery that sugar could be used to preserve fruits—made fruitcakes more affordable and popular. Everything was delicious for a few centuries.

But the mass production of prepared foods that followed World War II led to low-priced and not great-tasting fruitcakes. Following tradition, people gave them as Christmas gifts, but few recipients enjoyed eating them. Many of them regifted their fruitcakes; thus the joke from comedian Johnny Carson, that there was only one fruitcake in the world and it got passed from person to person.

Bake yourself a really good fruitcake and see why it deserves its place among delicious Christmas foods.