By Anna Nelson – This time of year never quite lines up with what you expect.
You start thinking spring, and your brain goes straight to greens, maybe strawberries if you’re feeling optimistic. But the reality, especially here, is a little more layered. Winter hasn’t fully let go, and some of the best things still showing up don’t exactly fit the “spring produce” idea.
Right now at OtterBee’s, that looks like Meyer lemons and kiwi fruit.
Lemons I expect. They’ve become part of this late winter, early spring rhythm. But kiwi? That one caught me off guard a little, especially seeing it pop up as a new product in the shop.
And then I tried them.
They’re not overly sweet or tropical in that heavy way you sometimes get at the store. These are brighter, a little tangy, really clean-tasting. The kind of fruit that wakes things up when everything else has been leaning toward heavier winter meals.
It’s a good reminder that eating seasonally doesn’t always mean what you think it does. Sometimes it’s not about perfectly matching the calendar. It’s about paying attention to what’s actually showing up right now and letting that guide you.
Right now, it’s citrus and kiwi.
What to Do with Kiwi (Besides Just Eating It Standing at the Counter)
The honest answer is you don’t need to do much.
Kiwis are one of those fruits that are perfectly fine on their own. Slice them in half and scoop them out with a spoon, or peel and slice if you want something a little cleaner. That’s usually as far as I get before they disappear.
But if you want to work them into meals, they’re easy to use without overthinking it.
They’re great with yogurt or cottage cheese in the morning. Especially if you add a little granola or nuts for texture.
They hold up well in simple salads too. Something like greens, a handful of nuts, maybe a little cheese, and a light vinaigrette. The kiwi adds a fresh, slightly tart bite that balances everything out.
You can also layer them into a fruit plate or serve them alongside dessert, which is where they start to overlap nicely with what the Meyer lemons are doing right now.
Because if the kiwi is the surprise, the lemons are the anchor.
Meyer Lemon Season, Still Holding On
If you’ve had Meyer lemons before, you already know. They’re softer, sweeter, and less sharp than a typical lemon. There’s a floral note to them that makes even simple things feel a little more put together.
This is kind of the last stretch where they really shine, which makes it a good time to lean in.
You can keep it simple. A squeeze over roasted vegetables. A quick vinaigrette. Zest stirred into yogurt or folded into a batter.
Or you can go a step further and bake something that really lets them take center stage.
Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Cake
This is one of those recipes that feels low effort but delivers every time. It’s light, moist, and full of that bright citrus flavor without being overly sweet. The olive oil gives it a soft texture that holds for a couple of days, if it lasts that long.
Ingredients
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons Meyer lemon zest (about 7 lemons)
½ cup olive oil
2 large eggs
⅓ cup Meyer lemon juice (freshly squeezed from 7 lemons)
½ cup oat milk (or regular milk or buttermilk)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, rub the Meyer lemon zest into the sugar with your fingers until fragrant. It should smell bright and a little floral.
- Whisk in the olive oil, then add the eggs one at a time. Stir in the lemon juice, milk, and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Pour into the pan, smooth the top, and bake for 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let it cool completely before serving. You can dust it with powdered sugar or add a simple lemon glaze if you want something a little sweeter.
And if you have kiwi on hand, this is where the two come together without trying too hard. Slice a few and serve them on the side. The fresh, slightly tart bite works really well against the richness of the cake.
Nothing complicated. Just a good pairing that happens to be on the website at the same time.
That’s kind of the theme right now. A few things you might not expect, showing up together and making meals feel a little more like spring, even if the weather hasn’t quite caught up yet.
Meyer lemons won’t be around much longer, and the kiwi is still new enough that it’s worth trying while it’s here. If nothing else, it’s a good excuse to shake up the routine a bit.
Anna Nelson is a writer and editor based in Smith River, CA. She writes about local food and seasonal shifts and is a proud OtterBee’s shopper and contributing author to the OtterBee’s Market blog.
