There are some pairings that just would never occur to me...

http://www.fresnobee.com/columnists/joan-obra/story/1743398.html

A Saturday of citrus and Swedes

Published online on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009
By Joan Obra / The Fresno Bee

If Buddha's hand and lutefisk mean anything to you, then this is your weekend.

(Translation for the rest of you: Anyone who likes exotic citrus fruit and Swedish food, read on.)

Any citrus lover should head to Exeter on Saturday morning. That's when the University of California's Lindcove Research and Extension Center will host its annual tasting of more than 100 citrus varieties.

For 50 years, the center has grown citrus fruits that are of commercial importance in the state. Its orchards include bergamots, page mandarins, Buddha's hand, and Cara Cara oranges.

Saturday's event takes place 9 a.m.-noon at UC Lindcove, Road 228 and Avenue 315 (also known as Carson Avenue) in Exeter. Want to know what you'll taste? For more information, call (559) 592-2408, extension 151.

- On Saturday night, Vasa Norden Lodge No. 684, a local chapter of the Swedish-American organization called Vasa Order of America, will hold its annual Lucia celebration and lutefisk dinner.

If you're not familiar with this Swedish tradition, here's some background: According to one version of her story, Lucia is a Sicilian girl from the third century who carried gifts of food to persecuted Christians, says June Hess, owner of Svensk Butik in Kingsburg. Lucia refused to renounce her faith and was martyred.

Viking explorers brought the story of Lucia to Sweden. Santa Lucia Day is now a Swedish national holiday.

Saturday's dinner includes much more than lutefisk, the preserved fish treated with lye. Swedish potato sausage, hardtack (a long-lasting cracker), Swedish meatballs and rice pudding all are part of the menu.

The dinner costs $18, or $5 for children 11 and younger. Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Trinity Lutheran Church, 3973 N. Cedar Ave, Fresno. Reservations are required. To RSVP, call (559) 229-2422.

Any citrus lover should head to Exeter on Saturday morning. That's when the University of California's Lindcove Research and Extension Center will host its annual tasting of more than 100 citrus varieties.

For 50 years, the center has grown citrus fruits that are of commercial importance in the state. Its orchards include bergamots, page mandarins, Buddha's hand, and Cara Cara oranges.

Saturday's event takes place 9 a.m.-noon at UC Lindcove, Road 228 and Avenue 315 (also known as Carson Avenue) in Exeter. Want to know what you'll taste? For more information, call (559) 592-2408, extension 151.

Any of our California members going to go? Some photos would be great!

.....Alan.

Santa Lucia Day is also a feast day for Catholic Italians. When I worked for an agricultural chemical company, I made sales calls on the Carnation greenhouses in the Denver area, which in a large part were Italian owned. On Saint Lucia day they would have all kinds of delicious food set out for their employees, and any guest that might show up. I always set that day aside to make a lot of sales calls, especially to the Italian run greenhouses. Saint Lucia is one of the great Catholic Saints of the Church. - Millet (1,131-)

Well done, Helix! Great photos!

I'd loved to have been there to get a chance to sample so many different kinds of fruit.

.....Alan.

Thank you Alan. I wouldn't have known about the event without your post. The UC Lindcove center has quite a collection. I have never seen so many varities. When you order budwood from UC Riverside it actually comes from the Lindcove center. Here is a link to their site.

Helix

http://groups.ucanr.org/lindcove/

It's interesting to see the variation in peel color among these tangelos.




Here's the new Daisy seedless mandarin.


.....Alan.