2009_12_14-caracara.jpgAttention shoppers: Should you see a pile of bright cara cara oranges in the store, fill a basket. A big one. They make look like your average navels, but they've got a surprise—sweet, salmon-colored flesh that is about the most delicious thing we've eaten this week.

Cara cara oranges are, in fact, a type of navel. But they have a deeper, pinker flesh that almost looks like a ruby red grapefruit. They're low in acid, which is why they taste so sweet. (We ate two for dessert last night.)

We've seen mountains of cara caras at Whole Foods lately, and we've been stocking up. They seem exceptionally easy to peel, too, making them a perfect snack.

If we can hold off eating the ones we have out of hand, we'd like to use a couple in this Orange, Olive, and Fennel Salad, one of our winter favorites. Another idea? Roasting the wedges with herbs.

Anyone else out there gorging on cara cara oranges? How are you using them?

Related: Recipe: Wheat Berry Salad with Blood Oranges, Feta, and Red Onion Vinaigrette

(Image: Elizabeth Passarella)

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