Last weekend was the opening day for the winter market at Mahoney’s Garden Center in Winchester. Our Doves and Figs booth was set between some sweeping potted palms and a large display of citrus trees. I remember vacationing in Florida as a child and driving through orange groves. The heavenly scent of white blossoms and the cheery round orange fruit. It was a great day with lots of people tasting and buying jam and local friends stopping in to shop and say hello. When I got home I could not stop thinking about oranges. I planned several new citrus jam and marmalade recipes and then I bought a big bag of navel oranges and brought my orange obsession to dinner.
I roasted some carrots, turnips, and beets that I bought at the market. When the vegetables were tender, I let them cool slightly and then splashed them with a mix of fresh orange juice, a bit of orange zest, some fig jam, white balsamic vinegar, and a dash of black pepper.
The main course was orange sesame salmon. I dusted the salmon fillets with 
flour and paprika. The fish was then seared on both sides in a hot pan lightly coated with olive oil. I added a blend of orange juice, rice wine, minced garlic, minced ginger, and a drop of sesame oil to the pan. As the salmon cooked the sauce reduced and thickened almost to a glaze. Just before serving, I sprinkled the fish with toasted white and black sesame seeds.
I served the sesame salmon and the roasted root vegetables with a simple green salad, and jasmine rice into which I mixed caramelized onions. It was a sunny supper for a winter night.
So happy to hear how successful the Doves and Figs jam business is growing! xo