Following nature’s lead to the kitchen table comes with a lot of benefits. Sticking to seasonal selections, such as all the sunshiny citrus now available in our area, not only lowers transportation needs and costs, it also means the produce has more nutritional value, key right now as we fight cold and flu germs. Antioxidants contained in citrus, such as Vitamin C, folate, and carotenes, rapidly decline when stored for periods of time. Long storage might be the only option for a grocery store, but not for the Dallas Farmers Market as we offer all the farm fresh goodness your body needs. What perfect timing as eating citrus fruits before symptoms appear may help reduce the length of a cold. Some studies even show that it may help prevent more serious complications, such as pneumonia and lung infections. Just one medium orange provides more than 100% of your daily Vitamin C needs, but mix things up and increase your intake by snacking on tangerines and grapefruit as well. Kelley Produce is happy to fill your bags with the best, and if all this cold weather has you yearning for a bit of summer, stop by Porch Swing Iced Tea for some freshly made lemonade.
We’re having a little fun with citrus ourselves this week with two recipes at 2 O’clock Tasting in The Shed, Saturday, January 18th, from 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. –
Orange and Cranberry Shortbread Cookies + Citrus Candy Rinds
Another fun thing to create with citrus rind is a super simple bird feeder. Cut the fruit in half, and once you’re done enjoying it, keep the bowled-out peel to fill with seeds, fruits, or nuts for your backyard friends. To hang, just poke four holes in the rind, then thread twine through the holes to create a hanging basket that will brighten up any bush or tree branch. The great thing about these feeders is that they last a long time outside, and can be refilled again and again until they eventually disintegrate as most birds and squirrels won’t eat the rind.
And speaking of backyard friends, join Window to the Wild and their Bird Ambassadors this Saturday, January 18th, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. and come face-to-face with some native birds of prey.
The long weekend honoring Martin Luther King Jr. looks to be full of sunshine and blue skies, so bundle up and come on down to the Dallas Farmers Market.