Introduction Citrus bursts onto the winter scene just after the last of the beautiful fall fruits have faded, brightening and scenting the gray winter months. Like jewels, they remind us of rays of sunshine from which they have been growing and ripening throughout the summer. It was on one of these winter days that Victoria called and said she was harvesting citrus from her garden and didn''t know what to do with it all. She asked if there was a citrus cookbook I could recommend. "Why don''t we write one!" I suggested. And Citrus was born. What could be better than to work on a book with Victoria; plus it was a good excuse to drive to Ojai and shoot at her studio in amongst the heavenly citrus groves. Under the watchful eye of the Topa Topa Mountains in Ojai--nestled in among the colorful floral citrus groves--is Victoria''s house.

Pixies, Kishus, oranges, grapefruits, and all things citrus ripen in the groves all year round. In March, when the blossoms explode, the air is filled with an unforgettable heady, hypnotic perfume, which lingers long into the evening. If Victoria has been away on location for a few days, the house will trap and concentrate the citrus blossom scents. When she returns home and opens the door, she is hit by the magical perfume. Victoria inherited oranges, lemons, grapefruit, and a mystery citrus from the previous owners, so there is an endless supply year round--the envy of Midwest and East Coast friends and family. This made her realize just how lucky she was to be able to pop outside and pluck a fat juicy lemon off one of her trees to squeeze over a salad. Her canning skills come in handy when she needs to make marmalades with all the bounty. Orange blossoms churn up teenage memories of driving in her parents'' 1965 Mustang with the top down on a warm California evening, the air heavy with scent.

In fact, oranges were center stage at her wedding: swags of orange leaves and fruit adorned the rustic gate to welcome guests, and the cake was decorated with perfect marzipan oranges, leaves, and blossoms. She even made vin d''orange (see page 93) for her wedding, which was bottled the night before by friends and family. I live in Los Angeles with a garden that can only sustain cactus, but I have six large pots, which I proudly call "my grove," where lemons, kumquats, and makrut limes all nestle together under the hot California sun. They are pollinated by bees and brightly colored humming birds--a wonderful bonus. When they bloom, the air is floral, even with only six pots. My love for citrus grew as soon I moved to Los Angeles; everywhere I looked there were trees laden with lemons, oranges, grapefruits, and limes. Californians are so used to this that they leave fallen fruit on the ground. How could this be? The cook in me would go around and gather all this forgotten fruit and make jams and marmalades.

Then I started to expand my repertoire, leaning heavily on Spanish and North African influences, lacing dishes with preserved lemons and perfuming them with orange blossoms. I began to dry orange peel to go in Szechuan recipes, salts, and sugars. I love to mix and match the wonderful bright zest and tangy flavors with heady spices and freshly picked herbs, marrying it all to Californian produce. When I was a child growing up in Scotland, one of the highlights of Christmas was finding a bright orange tangerine at the bottom of my stocking--a magical treat in itself. The fruits had come from warm sunny climates far from the snowy dark winter of Scotland. I never dreamed that one day I would live in one of the most abundant citrus states and cook with such wonderful fruits. One of my favorite things to do is visit local farms where I can pick my own fruit. Walking through the quiet groves with bees buzzing in the air and trees laden with juicy plump fruits makes me appreciate where the fruit has come from.

You get to experience the real farm-to-table taste. I come home revitalized, my head exploding with ideas of what I am going to create with this wonderful plunder. We''ve brought our love for all things citrus in the following chapters through personal recipes that we love to cook. Talking to local growers and sellers at our farmers'' markets yields a goldmine of knowledge and tips and is a nice way to share recipes and ideas. We encourage everyone to look for the lesser known varieties of citrus and have fun discovering new flavors. But most of all, be mindful when you eat your next orange. Take time to peel it with care, smell the fragrance, and think about the star-shaped blossoms that soaked up the sun and rain to create this citrus wonder. And then enjoy every last bite.

--Valerie Aikman-Smith ------------------------------------------------ tropical granola with candied lime Start the day with a bowl full of sunshine and tropical flavors. Add spices, like cardamom, star anise, or cinnamon, and nuts, like almonds, macadamias, cashews, or hazelnuts, as well as other candied citrus, to make it your own. 6 tablespoons coconut oil, plus more for brushing 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 2 cups unsweetened dried coconut flakes 1⁄2 cup raw sunflower seeds 1⁄3 cup chia seeds 1⁄2 cup finely chopped dried mango 1⁄3 cup finely chopped candied lime (page 165) 3⁄4 cup honey Preheat the oven to 300°F. Brush a large sheet pan with coconut oil. In a large bowl, combine the oats, coconut flakes, sunflower seeds, and chia seeds and stir to mix well. In a small saucepan, warm the honey and coconut oil over low heat. Pour over the granola and stir well to coat evenly. Spread the granola in a single layer on the prepared sheet pan.

Bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. The granola should be lightly toasted. Remove from the oven and add the mango and candied lime, stirring to combine. Let cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature. It will keep for up to 3 weeks.