I’m convinced that Mother Nature looks out for us. On a brutally hot summer afternoon, she gives us light and juicy watermelons. When we’re hacking our way through winter’s cold season, she sends us vitamin C-rich oranges. I’m not saying you need to have a runny nose to enjoy these delicious citrus fruits, but they’re sure a godsend if you do.

Two of the most popular types of oranges—navel and Valencia—originated in China. Known as sweet oranges, these gorgeous fruits have a sweet pulpy flesh and gentle acidity that works beautifully just as they are or in many dishes. Two of my favorite seasonal specialties, the red cara cara and blood orange, have a tart, almost berry-like flavor and striking pinkish red flesh. Bitter oranges have a more biting flavor. While a bit too sharp to eat alone, the bitter variety is perfect in marmalade and jam (or in liqueurs like Grand Marnier).

Choosing oranges is pretty simple. Look for oranges that are firm and heavy for their size. These will be the juiciest. Smaller oranges and those with thin skins also indicate juicy fruit inside. Keep in mind that the skin doesn’t need to be bright orange; many locally grown, in season oranges will have touches of brown or green. You’ll just want to be sure that there aren’t any soft spots or signs of mold. Oranges can be stored at room temperature in a fruit bowl for about a week, or in the refrigerator, where they’ll last up to 3 weeks.

Oranges are an incredibly versatile ingredient in cooking. You can use the flesh, juice and peel in so many different recipes. Orange peel pairs beautifully with olive oil so consider adding zest when whipping up a salad dressing. Orange juice reduces to a gorgeous glaze for fish. And you can liven up recipes that call for oranges by using a few different varieties.

Ready for a surge of C? Try these Crepes with Orange Caramel and Mascarpone.

 I have a new favorite end-of-the-year tradition that a few American friends taught me over the holidays.

Here’s what you do: Gather together a heap of friends and family for dinner and pour a pile of black-eyed peas on the center of the dining room table. One by one, each person picks up a black-eyed pea, tells the crowd what they’re most grateful for and drops the pea into an empty jar. It’s impossible not to see how much we have to be grateful for as the peas stack up. And it’s so amazing to listen to what people truly care about and what makes them the happiest. I can still hear my nephew say in his shy little boy voice that he was most thankful for his brother. My mum was reduced to tears.

Why black-eyed peas? My American mates came in handy here too…

Black-eyed peas are considered a lucky food in the American South. People eat them on New Year’s Day to bring fortune and prosperity in the coming year. (Thankfully, they’re delicious with a nutty, earthy flavor. Cook them with bacon to give them a touch of smoky richness.)

While I have my own black-eyed ritual, you may want to take a cue from Southern folks and cook a batch of peas next New Year’s. Different families have their own ways of cooking and serving them to up their luck factor. Check out these options:

• Eat only 365 peas, one for each day of the year. Eat less, and you’ll only be lucky for that number of days. Eat more and the extra days become bad luck.

• Cook them with a new dime or penny. The person who gets the coin in their bowl is extra lucky.

• Finish every pea on the plate or your luck will be bad or leave one pea on the plate to share your luck with someone else.

• Serve with collard greens to represent cash; the beans resemble coins.

• Serve with stewed tomatoes to bring on wealth and good health.

There are people who say that the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden was actually a pomegranate, not an apple. It makes sense. The pomegranate’s super juicy ruby red seeds taste so good they’re almost sinful.

Pomegranates have long been a staple in Middle Eastern food, but it took a while for the ancient fruit to become popular in the West. People have become fascinated in recent years not only with the fruit’s amazing flavor—who could resist that sweet tartness?—but how good they are for you, too. Loaded with antioxidants, studies have shown that pomegranates can help fight heart disease, cancer and aging.

People sometimes find it a struggle to pick all the seeds from the bitter membrane. It does take a little time, but the process is quite simple.

First, choose a pomegranate that’s heavy for its size with a bright, unblemished shell. (Pomegranates can last up to 2 months in the fridge.) Slice the pomegranate in half and dunk in a bowl of water. Using your hands, loosen the kernels. The dry flaky membrane will float to the top, making it easy to scoop up and throw away, as the fruit sinks to the bottom. Scrape away the membrane pieces as you work. When finished, drain the fruit and you’re ready to go.

There are a million ways to use pomegranate seeds in your everyday meals: toss them into a salad, mix with all natural plain yogurt, sprinkle on granola or crush into a smoothie.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy this tempting fruit is in a cocktail. Try this festive Pomegranate Martini at your next party.