Citrus season!

It’s hard not to swoon over all the citrus that’s at its peak right now. The jewel-like beauties above are moro blood oranges and cara cara oranges piled high on our breakfast plates.

I’ve been bringing home armloads of grapefruit, kumquats, cocktail citrus, oranges, meyer lemons and tangerines and turning them into muffins, scones, and curds, using them in vinaigrettes, soups, salads, and slow-roasted pork shoulder, and spritzing them on fish, Mexican and more.

I love citrus curds. And I recently discovered how quick and easy they are  to make. You can use almost any of the season’s bounty to delicious effect. Just be sure to choose tart citrus like lemons, meyer lemons, limes, grapefruit, and Seville (sour) oranges. Or mix 50 percent lemon juice with less tart citrus like tangerines and blood oranges.

Pictured above are ingredients for meyer lemon curd, meyer lemon curd with apple oatmeal muffins, and with the little French almond tea cakes known as financiers. The muffins and financiers are both adapted from recipes in the La Tartine Gourmande cookbook.

Some deliciously citrusy recipes:

• Creamy carrot orange soup
• Valencia orange marmalade
• Citrus salad with fennel vinaigrette and sesame clusters

Afternoon survival kit: Avocado jalapeño hummus

Afternoons are often my downfall, I’ve realized recently. I may have eaten a healthy lunch and have plans for a good dinner. But when I’m in that no-man’s-land halfway in between the two, things can go south quickly.

So, rather than ignoring my mid-afternoon growling stomach and hoping it goes away (hint: it doesn’t) or opting for the less-than-healthy snacks around the office, I’m going to pack myself a tasty afternoon pick-me-up.

Up first: a zingy avocado hummus with raw veggies.