Tangerines...

There are two things I love about December, that it is the month of our Lord in which we get to celebrate His birthday–Christmas, and that it is when tangerines come ripe on the trees.
I love tangerines, I have a tree of our very own that bears wonderful tangerines. (You can see them in the picture in the right column of this page.)
Tha Satsuma Tangerine, (aka Satsuma Mandarins) is the very best variety. They have that distinctive tangerine flavor, very different from the "cutie" little ones in the grocery. Those really are very close to being simply a mini orange.
Treat yourself to a true variety of tangerine this month, it is very worth it.
When using tangerine's, and all citrus, always first zest the peel. Use this zest in everything and anything. Citrus zest has shown in studies to be very powerful against cancers, so do not waste the zest when eating a piece of citrus. You can zest it, and place it in a baggie in the fridge for use in so many recipes and dishes both savory and sweet.

Below are a few of my favorite tangerine recipes and ideas.

Tangerine Balsamic Vinaigrette:
In a blender add–
Zest of 3-4 tangerines
¼ cup tangerine juice (from zested fruit), and un-juiced segments of one tangerine, peeled
4 tbs balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Honey (if needed)

Blend on medium until emulsified and blended. Taste for tartness, adjust with 1 tsp. of honey at a time to tame tartness if needed.

More ideas:

• Add zest to your favorite muffin recipe (1 tbs per recipe)
• Add zest to cream cheese with 1 tbs sugar and the tangerine's juices and whip to combine, serve with bagels or scones
• Use segments in a salad
• Freeze segment and use as ice cubes in iced tea or in Perrier or Sprite sodas
• Eat two a day while they are in season!