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A Citrus Celebration of Orange and Lemon Recipes

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Today is National Oranges and Lemons Day, and as we all know, the two fruits have a special place in California history. These vintage fruit crate labels are a reminder that Southern California was once known as the "citrus belt," which stretched from Orange to Ventura counties. Urbanization eventually moved the majority of the state's orange and lemon industry to the San Joaquin Valley, but Riverside is still home to the California Citrus State Historic Park, where visitors can walk through orange groves and learn about how the Spanish missionaries were the first to plant certain varieties of oranges in this part of the world.

This gallery should inspire you to cook with citrus; it's also an appreciation to the groves that made California what it is today. Click the links to see the recipes!

BorageCocktail

Borage Fizz

PreservedLemons

Preserved Lemons

FennelRadishSumac

Shaved Fennel and Radish Salad with Citrus and Sumac

RoastedPotatoes

Roasted Potatoes, Fennel and Meyer Lemon

QuinoaLentilSalad

Quinoa and Lentil Salad with Radicchio and Orange

SFS_spinach_with_garlic_and_lemon-6

Sauteed Garlic-Lemon Spinach

BabyKaleSalad

Baby Kale Salad with Crispy Guanciale and Oranges

Dungeness Crab Salad with Lemon Aïoli

EggplantPesto

Grilled Eggplant with Spicy Lemon Basil Pesto

Poached Shrimp, Fennel, and Meyer Lemon Salad

BloodOrangeCake3

Blood Orange and Almond Upside-Down Cake

orangecake

Portokalopita, an Orange Phyllo Cake

Meyer Lemon Scones

Blood Orange and Rosemary Granita

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