Nourishments—

O’ My Darlin’ Clementine

By Nancy K. Crevier

Call me lazy, but my favorite fruits are the ones that are easy to pack, easy to peel, and easy to eat. That would include the year-around banana and the cold weather special, the clementine.

The bright spot in a winter day truly is the brilliant, shiny gleam and tangy sweetness of a fresh clementine. The small, tender citrus fruit, a cross between a mandarin and an orange, has become a popular snack in the United States, particularly during its peak months of harvest, October to February.

The clementine may have originated in China, but is most commonly credited to an Algerian monk named Father Clement Rodier in the early 1900s. By 1914, growers in California were experimenting with the little orange. It was not until a cold snap laid low the orange crop in the US in 1997, though, that clementines became a regular item in the supermarkets and the family fruit bowl.

Children like them for a lot of the same reasons that I do, plus the size, barely 2 to 3 inches in diameter, is the perfect fit for tiny hands. And, while plenty juicy, the clementine’s sturdy sections are small enough to pop whole into the mouth, with not a drop of the juice spilling down the front of a white T-shirt. Nor is there a worry about swallowing seeds — the clementine is seedless.

The package in which nature dresses the clementine is compact, but the nutritional value is huge. One clementine provides 60 percent of the daily value of vitamin C, according to the USDA, and serves as a good source of folate, phosphorus and potassium, not to mention, fiber.

When purchasing clementines, look for smooth, evenly colored orange skins. They may be somewhat “loose” on the fruit, but should not be soft in any spots. The fruits will keep in a cool spot on the counter for several days, but will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator. (As if they won’t all be eaten in the first few days!)

Most commonly eaten raw as a snack, or in salads, clementines can also be juiced or used in cooking. Pork and chicken entrees, in particular, are a good match with the clementine, as are side dishes of whole grains.

Winter calls for some extra vitamin C. I say, take the easy way out. Grab a clementine.

This recipe from the December 2009 Bon Appetit Magazine makes a great side dish with fish, chicken, or pork.

Clementines With Couscous, Chick Peas, Olives and Dates

2 C low-salt chicken broth

1 10-ounce package plain couscous (about 1 2/3 cups)

1 tsp salt

1½ Tbs olive oil

3 clementines

1 15-ounce can chickpeas

12 large green olives (such as Cerignola), pitted, quartered lengthwise

6 Medjool dates, pitted, diced

¼ C fresh mint leaves, chopped

Bring broth to boil in small saucepan. Mix couscous, 1 teaspoon salt, and olive oil in medium bowl. Pour boiling broth over couscous mixture. Stir, then cover with plastic wrap. Let stand 15 minutes.

Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (orange part only) of clementines; chop peel. Remove any remaining pith from clementines and cut flesh into quarter-inch pieces. Combine chopped peel and flesh in small bowl and set aside.

Bring chickpeas with liquid to boil in saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until chickpeas are heated through, about 3 minutes. Drain chickpeas. Gently fluff couscous with fork. Add chickpeas, olives, dates, mint, and clementines. Stir to incorporate evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Try this simple sauce for serving over a citrus gelato or angel food cake.

Clementines in Gran Marnier

4 clementines, peeled and coarsely chopped

¼ C Gran Marnier liqueur

¼ C honey

¼ C pomegranate juice

1/8  tsp cinnamon

Bring Gran Marnier, honey, juice and cinnamon to a boil in a small non-aluminum pan. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in clementines. Cool to room temperature and serve over cake or gelato. Garnish with shaved chocolate.