Pixie Tangerines

Lumpy, dumpy, and a little bit frumpy. There's no other way to describe them: Ojai Pixie Tangerines are not the glamorous cousins in the citrus family.

Pixies are considered a specialty crop. Here in Ojai there are some 3 dozen growers harvesting about a million and a half pounds from just a few hundred acres. There may be more growers outside the Ojai Valley, but the local growers insist it's the Ojai microclimate that makes Ojai Pixies so unique. So naturally, Pixies have become the darlings of our local citrus industry, lumps, bumps and all. Around town, you're likely to see a bumper sticker on cars that reads "Ojai Pixies: Sweet, Petite, and Easy to Eat," the tag line of the Ojai Pixie Growers Association.

A few years ago, in a fit of horticultural xenophobia, I planted an Ojai Pixie Tangerine tree, and couldn't wait for the first crop. You can imagine my crushing disappointment when the single fruit that appeared during the next growing season was a naval orange! Next time, I'm going to order a bona fide Pixie directly from my longtime pals Tony and Anne Thacher at Friends Ranch, or Jim Churchill who grows them certified organic.

Pixie season starts in March and goes until the crop runs out, usually sometime in May. After that, they are hard to find. I can't imagine anything better than eating a Pixie Tangerine right off the tree, but here's a recipe from Melissa's Produce, the Los Angeles-based distributor that ships the fruit far and wide.

Ojai Pixie Tangerine Cake

For the Cake:
1 Box white cake mix, your favorite brand. Substitute freshly squeezed Pixie Tangerine juice for the water specified in the cake recipe.
1/2 Cup Macadamia nuts, toasted and chopped
1/2 Cup dried tart cherries
1 Tablespoon Pixie tangerine zest

For the Topping:
1/3 Cup brown sugar
3 Tablespoons butter
1/4 Cup Pixie tangerine zest and juice
6 Pixie tangerines, peeled and sliced into rounds

Prepare the cake according to the directions on the cake mix box, substituting tangerine juice for the water. Add nuts, cherries, and zest. Bake according to the cake mix directions and let cool.

Heat sugar, butter, juice and zest in a saucepan, bringing it to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes. With a wooden skewer or fork, poke holes throughout the top of the cake. Pour sauce over cake and top with Pixie tangerine slices. Broil in oven under flame for 2 minutes to brown.