California Navel Oranges

Farmers know best when it comes to fresh citrus. How do they always pick the juiciest navel orange or sweetest mandarin? Through a very simple test: pick up two California navels, and feel the weight of them. Is one heavier than the other? The farmer would say choose the heavier one, and he would be correct. The heavier the orange the better it is. Why? Because it’s filled with more juice and flesh, and should therefore quench our palates immediately with great flavor. As many gourmet club members know, citrus is best in winter. Winter is the primetime for some of the best citrus in the world, especially for the California Navel, which many farmers consider to be one of the best oranges in the world.

California Navels, the gourmet pick for the next two weeks, is also in Bob Sickles’ opinion our best inhouse orange. California Navels have a thick, bright orange rind that is easy to peel. This peel envelops large, fleshy orange segments which separate easily when opened. They are also seedless. All California Navel oranges have a navel at the blossom, some larger than others and an intricate interior that looks just like, well a navel! California Navels arrive around the second week of November and go through until late spring. They taste best in their peak months of late January, February, March, and April.When selecting your oranges, check for ones that are shiny and, as stated above, heavy in hand. They should also have a sweet scent. This is a primary rule of many different types of fruits.

California Navels are a hybrid of sweet oranges known as the Bahia Navel Orange, originally developed in a monastery garden in Bahia, Brazil. In 1870, Brazil sent a dozen of these trees to the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, DC. A few years later Eliza Tibbetts, a resident of Riverside, California, wrote to the USDA asking for two of the Navel orange trees, not knowing that she was about to transform the commercialization of the orange industry in the Golden State. The California navel has had many name changes from the Riverside Navel to the Washington Navel, named after George Washington for national appeal. All varieties of Navel oranges can be traced back to the Washington navel. The Sickles Market produce department has an abundance of California Navel oranges available.

Please ask for John Gormley, manager of the Sickles Produce Department or Jaime Riviera, Assistant Produce Manager with any questions about these delicious and juicy tasting oranges. There will also be in‐store demos next week showing the many ways you can eat a California Navel.

Recipes:
Beet, Orange, and Watercress Salad
Pork with Orange Jalapeño Glaze
Tunisian almond & Orange Cake
Orange Yogurt Panna Cotta with Cranberry Orange Sauce

The California Navel oranges featured in this newsletter will receive the 15% Gourmet Club discount
from January 18 to January 31, 2010.

The Soup is Hot at Sickles Market!

The Soup is Hot at Sickles Market!  

Nothing’s better on a cold winter’s day than a steaming bowl of creamy Tomato Bisque or Chicken Noodle Soup. Hot soups like these help us endure the chilly months ahead until the first balmy days of spring arrive with open arms. Fresh, hot, homemade soups, stews, and chili are the most comfortable of comfort foods we treasure in America. There’s a plethora of pedestrian canned or dried soups on today’s supermarket shelves, ranging from Alphabet to Vegetable Beef, but to me nothing beats a cup (or two or three!) of Sickles Market Homemade Soups. With their bright and distinct flavors made from fresh produce and gourmet ingredients right in the store; our soups will tantalize your palate. Canned and dried cannot beat that!

At Sickles Market, we pride ourselves on not only serving quality products but also healthy foodstuffs as well. In our soup section, we embrace fresh vegetables to the max! We offer many Weight Watcher soups such as Moroccan Chicken with Saffron, and Vegetable (Zero point soup) along with other healthy soups such as Sickles own spicy Carrot and Ginger with a unique splash of sherry. A new addition to the Sickles soup counter is the decadent, yet still healthful Lobster Chowder with Saffron. Other favorites include Sickles Own: Chicken with Barley Spinach, Roasted Squash, Split Pea with Ham, Mushroom with Roasted Garlic, New England Clam Chowder, and the always-popular Thai Chicken Noodle. 

Although not considered a soup but a spicy stew, Sickles Homemade Chili is another popular item at the soup counter all year ‘round. Our Chili is made with fresh ground beef, jalapeño pepper, and lime; all of these items can be found on the shelves at Sickles Market. If your up to something inventive, try adding our chili to your burrito night dinner, for a quick and easy meal for the family. We also offer vegetarian chili for the herbivores in the crowd. Enjoy a bowl of Sickles hearty chili with a Balthazar baguette or Portuguese roll from our bakery, an excellent lunch combination any day of the week! Here are two recipes from the Sickles Market Kitchen:

Sickles Moroccan Chicken with Saffron (Weight Watcher Points=4)
1 Spray of cooking spray
1 small onion, chopped
1 small sweet red pepper, chopped
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small pieces
¼ tsp saffron
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp table salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes, crushed
7 1oz canned tomatoes, diced
1 ¼ cup of chicken broth
¼ cup uncooked Israeli couscous, cooked
Directions:
o Coat a medium nonstick pot with cooking spray. Add onion, red pepper, and garlic; sauté, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.
o Add chicken and brown lightly on both sides, about 4 minutes.
o Stir in Saffron, cinnamon, cumin, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes; cook for 30 seconds
o Stir in diced tomatoes, broth and cooked couscous.
o Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
o Servings: 4

Sickles Sweet Potato Soup (Weight Watcher Points=4)
2 large sweet potatoes
2 cups canned chicken broth, divided
2 tbsp roux
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
¼ tsp ground ginger
1 cup fat-free evaporated milk
Direction:
o Preheat oven to 400° F
o Pierce potatoes in several places with a fork. Bake for 45 minutes, remove from oven and allow cooling. When cool, remove and discard skin; chop potatoes
o Combine sweet potatoes and ¾ cup of broth in a blender or food processor; blend process until smooth, 1minute. Set potato mixture aside.
o Melt margarine in a medium-size saucepan; stir in flour and ginger, and then add milk. Let cook and stir until heated through, about 5 minutes. Pour into 4 serving bowls.
o Servings: 4

A special selection of soups featured in this newsletter will receive the 15% Gourmet Club discount from January 4 to January 17, 2009.  

Other Soup Recipes
Carrot and Fennel Soup
Broccoli Soup with Lemon‐Chive Cream
Chili con Carne (with Chili Cheddar Shortcakes)

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