Blissfully, citrus!

Seasonal fruits are one of the best ingredients. They can brighten up salads, dressings, meats and my all time favorite... COCKTAILS!

Cara-Cara Oranges are especially great for cooking. Why? The Cara-Cara Orange is very juicy, beautiful color and the perfect balance of tart and sweet. 



If you aren't familiar with Cara-Cara Oranges... you can find them at Wholefoods or your local Farmer's Market. If you live near Montclair (Northern California) go to the Farmer's Market on Sunday from 9 am to 1 pm PST on LaSalle.

The vendor has some of the best seasonal citrus fruit I've tried. Tons of Meyers Lemons, grapefruit... They even sell Buddha Hands.

Buddha Hands. Fragrant fruit that looks very odd, yet beautiful. According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha's_hand) "Buddha's hand fruit is very fragrant and is used predominantly by the Chinese and Japanese for perfuming rooms and personal items, such as clothing.

Cara-Cara Martini is sweet, tart and refreshing. Here's the recipe:
3 Medium size Cara-Cara Oranges - 1 for zesting & 2 for juicing
1/2 Meyer's lemon juice
1/4 cup Cara Cara simple syrup (see previous Blood Orange Martini recipe)
3/4 cup of Grey Goose Vodka (unflavored)
1/8 cup of ice cold water
Ice

Simple syrup recipe and martini recipe: See previous Blood Orange Martini recipe to make simple syrup and martini. Substitute Blood Oranges for Cara-Cara Oranges.

Remember.... cooking with loves, makes any recipe taste better!