No scurvy in this house!

I am standing on top of small step stool, picking perfectly ripened California Navel oranges... some for me, some for my Mom, some for my in-laws, some to barter with my neighbors, some for... you get the point.  While on the step stool, I can peep over my neighbors fences and easily spot Meyer lemon, Tahitian lime, Clementine tangerine and Pummelo grapefruit trees... the joy of living in a post-WW2 era San Fernando Valley neighborhood!  It's a beautiful, sunny mid-January day and I can't wait to get down from here and peel my first orange of the year from our own backyard!

In the photo above, the citrus all hails from backyards in "the Valley".  They are all homegrown organic and vibrantly colored.  Most of the oranges and tangerines will be devoured within the week.  Almost all of those beautiful yellow lemons will be juiced tomorrow and used for drinking, cooking, baking and frozen for later use.  I think tomorrow or Thursday will be perfect for BBQing Lemon Chicken Skewers and some tart little lime and cream cheese cookies!  Wonderful doses of Vitamin C at the height of the cold and flu season.

Do you have an abundance of fruit or veggies from your local garden or backyard?  What do you do with it?