A 10-pound can of Ojai mandarin is a bright spot in deep winter

This is Highly recommended, A column dedicated to what people in the food industry care about to eat, drink and buy right now.

One of the worst things you can get in the mail is an E-ZPass fine, $ 100 for each of the three $ 9 missed fees that you will never successfully dispute. But fortunately, according to Newton’s third law, things will return again when a 10-pound tangerine appears in mid-freezing February. One of the best things you can get in the mail.

Last Christmas, when I asked my family what I wanted, I replied: A big box from Tangier. You have sent the link to OjaiPixies.com. You have to order it a few weeks / months in advance, so when you show up on a totally snowy winter’s day when you totally forgot that you made that bossy request, well, what a pleasant surprise!

Tangerines – or oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and some avocados, you have a lot more options – from Friends’ Farm In Ojai, California, 2,315 miles from me. Last year, I ordered a mixed box containing the Several varieties Seeded, seedless, small and large tangerines are all sweet as candy and cute as a button. Some are so small to fit in your bouffant coat pockets, which is a great place to store them. This seasonal California tangerine makes an orange that I buy year-round in Michigan (for cocktails JustThey look like plastic props by comparison, bitter and cute.

And this year, the demand only increased for Pixies. In fact, you should keep checking Friend’s Ranch to get it restocked every Tuesday, around 3 PM until 4 PM ET. I just stumbled upon the “The Plain Jane” box this week, which I chop my fingers in, contains a handful of avocados. Yes, seasonal fruits are hype now. Set your calendar alert. do what you want!

Sidenote: Some fancy citrus fruits have great names like “Yosemite Gold” and “Gold Nuggets,” which remind me of greedy men sifting rocks into dry riverbeds. If only they knew where the real wealth was! (In their hearts – and in growing citrus by mail.)

With 10 pounds of citrus what do you do ?! I squeezed a little Dancy tangerine but very sweet into a mason jar, then dropped in half jalapeño to make a margarita for later. I squeeze a little to make it My favorite poppy seed cake, And it’s even more moist thanks to all the juice. Citrus salads with fatty cheese or fatty avocado In contrast. Upside down cakes. curd Bars! Mascara peels. local Home cleaner. Orange jam! I gave it to co-workers and friends. I peeled them, snacked on them, and then the wonderful scent of orange stuck into my hands all day. If you thought 10 pounds of citrus was too much for one person, I regret to say that this is just a lack of imagination.