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Ask Chef Walter: Eating in Season in February – Upside Down Blood Orange Cake – Walter Potenza
A comprehensive guide for this month’s rich bounty, and a wonderful recipe for an Upside Down Blood Orange Cake.
Friends:
As February arrives and winter continues across the United States, the cold weather is a good reason to enjoy the season’s fresh fruits and vegetables. Even in the middle of winter, you can find plenty of hearty roots, leafy greens, and bright citrus to add warmth and flavor to your meals. Imagine visiting the farmers’ market and seeing beets ready for roasting, and Brussels sprouts that turn crispy and sweet in the oven. These foods are more than just ingredients; they show how nature keeps growing through the cold to give us great taste and nutrition when we need it most.
Here are some of February’s best produce, along with tips for picking, storing, and using them in everyday meals. Citrus fruits are at their best now, bringing color and flavor to winter days. Grapefruits, especially the ruby red ones from Florida and California, are sweet and tangy. Choose ones that feel heavy and have smooth, unmarked skin. Store them in the fridge’s crisper drawer for up to a month. Try adding grapefruit segments to a salad with mixed greens and feta or broil halves with brown sugar for a warm breakfast side. Blood oranges are another highlight, with deep red flesh and a hint of raspberry flavor. Pick ones that give a little when pressed and avoid any with soft spots.
They last a few days at room temperature or longer in the fridge. Use their juice to color cake frostings or blend into smoothies for a bright start to the day. Mandarins, including clementines and sumo varieties, are easy to peel and very sweet. Look for firm fruit without wrinkles and keep it in a bowl on the counter or in the fridge. You can candy the peels for a treat or add segments to stir-fries for a citrus kick. Kumquats are small and unique because you can eat the whole fruit, both the sweet skin and tart inside. Choose plump, bright orange kumquats, store them in the fridge, and slice them into salads or bake them into muffins.
Pummelos are larger and milder than grapefruits, with a gentle tartness. Pick heavy ones and keep them in the fridge. They work well in any recipe that uses grapefruit, like over yogurt for dessert. Kiwis are also in season, with fuzzy skin and a sweet-tart flavor. They should give a little when ripe. Store at room temperature until ready, then refrigerate. Kiwis are great for marinating meats or adding fruit salads. Pears round out the fruit selection; check for ripeness by pressing gently at the neck. Let them ripen at room temperature, then use them in poached desserts or smoothies. February’s vegetables are perfect for hearty soups and roasts. Broccoli should have firm, green heads. Store it wrapped in a damp towel in the fridge, and steam, roast, or add to pasta.
Brussels sprouts should be tight and green; refrigerate and roast with olive oil and salt, or shred raw for slaws. Cabbage is long-lasting and versatile. Look for firm heads with crisp leaves, store them in the crisper, and use them in roasts or sauerkraut. Cauliflower should be firm and white; keep it in the fridge and use it for rice or mash it as a potato substitute. Kale needs fresh, unwilted leaves; store in a perforated bag in the fridge, and massage with oil for salads or add to soups. Beets should be firm and smooth; store in the fridge without the greens, which you can sauté. Roast beets for salads or purees. Carrots should be straight and bright; keep them in a bag in the fridge and use them in muffins or stews.
Leeks need to be rinsed well to remove grit; pick firm stalks, store chilled, and add to casseroles or soups. Parsnips are sweeter than carrots; choose smaller ones, store them cool, and roast with meats. Winter squash, like butternut, should be heavy and unblemished; store in the pantry, roast the seeds for snacks, and bake the flesh into soups. Choosing seasonal produce supports local farmers and delivers the best quality with a lower environmental impact. These foods can turn simple meals into something special, making February’s harvest a welcome companion through the rest of winter.
Here’s a stunning Blood Orange Upside-Down Cake—a perfect winter dessert that showcases the vibrant ruby hues and sweet-tart flavor of blood oranges. This cake features caramelized blood orange slices crowning a moist, lightly spiced cornmeal-infused batter, creating a beautiful presentation that’s as delicious as it is eye-catching. It’s festive yet simple, ideal for brightening up chilly days in Providence.
Ingredients (serves 8-10)
For the topping:
4-5 medium blood oranges (choose heavy, firm ones with smooth, deeply colored skin for the best flavor and visuals)
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
For the cake:
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
½ cup (1 stick / 113g) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 blood orange
1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
½ cup (80g) fine cornmeal (adds subtle texture and nuttiness)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (120ml) sour cream or Greek yogurt (for moisture)
2 tablespoons fresh blood orange juice
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan (preferably one with high sides) generously with butter, then line the bottom with parchment paper for easy release.
Prepare the topping: Slice the blood oranges into thin rounds (about ¼-inch thick), removing any seeds. In a small saucepan, combine the ½ cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Heat over medium until the sugar dissolves and begins to caramelize to a light amber color (watch closely—it happens fast). Remove from heat, quickly stir in the 2 tablespoons of butter, then pour the caramel evenly into the prepared pan. Arrange the orange slices in an overlapping pattern over the caramel, covering the bottom completely. (This will become the top when flipped.)
Make the batter: In a large bowl, cream together the ¾ cup sugar and ½ cup butter until light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes with an electric mixer). Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla and orange zest.
In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, mix the sour cream and blood orange juice. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined—don’t overmix for a tender crumb.
Spoon the batter gently over the arranged oranges, smoothing the top. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the cake is golden, springs back lightly when touched, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes (no longer, or the caramel may harden too much). Run a knife around the edges to loosen, then carefully invert onto a serving plate. If any orange slices stick, gently lift and reposition them. Let cool slightly before slicing.
Serve warm or at room temperature, perhaps with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream to contrast the bright citrus. The cake keeps well wrapped at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerated for up to 5 (bring to room temperature before serving for best texture).
This dessert highlights blood oranges at their peak—select ones that feel heavy and yield slightly to pressure for juiciness. Store extras loosely covered in the fridge, and enjoy the ruby-stained slices as a reminder of winter’s sweetest gifts.
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Meet Chef Walter!
There is a constant, recognizable thread in the career of Walter Potenza to elevate the level of Italian culinary culture in the United States. Besides his unquestionable culinary talent and winning business perspective, Chef Walter has been a relentless educator with passion and knowledge who defeats stereotypes. His life, career, and values are a model, an example to follow by any chef of Italian gastronomy working outside Italy.
Chef Walter appears regularly on National and International Networks such as Food Network, ABC, CBS, NBC, RAI, FOX, and Publications such as NY. Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine, Saveur, Gourmet, and several Italian media outlets.  And now – RINewsToday!