The texts start rolling in around the last week of January. “I hope the girls are getting their prescribed four Sumos a day.” “Two Sumos down before 1 p.m.” “And now I’m eating a Sumo!!!”
My friends and I approach peak Sumo orange season with thunderous enthusiasm, and for good reason: The arrival of the easy-to-peel mandarin-navel hybrid fruit could not be more timely. The wintertime blues, reinforced by dismal wintry mixes, can be offset only by the invigorating tang of citrus.
It is also around this time that creamy, hearty comfort foods begin to feel a little monotonous to me. The season’s all-stars — cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, broccoli — call out for bracing lemon, vibrant lime, tart grapefruit, juicy orange!
Oranges are especially delightful to cook with right now. Reach for your favorite varietal for Ali Slagle’s recipe for roasted broccoli rabe and white beans with burrata (above). The fruit’s juices mingle with the cheese’s soft center, creating what I can describe only as a slightly savory Creamsicle backdrop to the meal’s heartier components. (One reader in the comments suggested using blood oranges, which I wholeheartedly endorse.)
