#naval oranges

Was a time a box of fresh oranges would arrive thanks to the thoughtfulness of grandparents wintering in Florida. Didn't really appreciate it enough at the time, frankly. How I miss it now.

Given that supermarket citrus these days is so often disappointing, it's time to revisit some mail-order sunshine. But before doing so, let's refamiliarize ourselves with the most common varietals.

The NAVAL orange is the most common and its derivatives include the "Washington," the "Dream," the "Heirloom" and the "Cara Cara" - each characterized by a pure sweet flavor, thick pebbly rind, and the indentation on one side that harkens their name.

The CARA CARA naval orange is appreciated for its pink-flesh and sweet juice accented with an underlying zip (though with lower acidity than other navel oranges). In season: December-April

The BLOOD ORANGE is known for its crimson flesh bursting with staining juice. The 3 main varieties — Moro, Tarocco and Sanguinello — enjoy a flavor that ranges from tart to semi-sweet. In season: December-April

Thé CLÉMENTINE is the smallest of the Madarin family. The outside is deep orange, the skin is thin and easily peelable, are Clementines are sweeter than Tangerines. They are most in season from Novermber to April.

Some of the Florida Orange labels have beautiful early 29th century graphics.

Peggy loves chocolate. I am always looking for ways to use ricotta — but she’s not a fan, so I don’t actually get to use it often. This recipe for ricotta in cookies is an interesting compromise. And adding the zest from 2 large navel oranges just zooshes up the flavor that extra notch. I suppose you could use these for Christmas cookies but why wait? And I love the texture! Ingredients 2 cups…