Whenever folks start singing the praises of "eating locally," I think about how we residents of the northeastern United States would fare without orange juice, grapefruit halves, those cute little crates of clementines or - here's a brutal thought - limes for margaritas. Eating locally - and supporting local, sustainable farms - is both admirable and important, but I for one am glad that citrus growers ship to the frozen north. And with recent freezing spells damaging the California citrus crop, and prices likely to rise, we should be even more grateful for the citrus we do enjoy.

Globally, lots of other people are happy to see citrus on the table: According to food historian Alan Davidson, author of "The Oxford Companion to Food" (Oxford, 2006), citrus fruits collectively constitute "the third most important group of fruits" after the tree fruits apples and pears, and bananas and their relatives, plantains. And of all the citrus fruits - including grapefruit, lemon, lime, mandarin, pomelo, ugli fruit and citron - the orange is by far the most extensively grown citrus fruit in the world.

It's not clear who first started cultivating citrus, but the fruits are native to East Asia. Indian religious texts dating from before 800 B.C. mention lemon and citron. According to Davidson, the orange does not appear in Indian writings until about A.D. 100. Tuscan mosaics from about the same time depict baskets of lemons and oranges. A Chinese document dating from the 12th century indicates that 27 varieties of mandarin oranges were being grown there, says Davidson. Directly after Columbus landed in the New World, European explorers introduced citrus fruits, and they spread rapidly. Not long after that, they were growing in South Africa and Australia.

Citrus fruits have inspired art (think of Paul Cezanne's "Fruit"), poetry (Pablo Neruda's "Ode to the Lemon") and song ("Put the lime in the coconut," from the Harry Nilsson tune), not to mention knock-knock jokes ("Orange you glad I didn't say banana?"). And they have inspired recipes. The ones below are from "Barefoot Contessa at Home" (Clarkson Potter, 2006) by Ina Garten, star of a Food Network Show and author of four best-selling cookbooks.

Winter is the season for citrus. Orange you glad?

ANNA'S ORANGE MARMALADE

4 large seedless oranges

2 lemons

8 cups water

8 cups sugar

NOTE: Because space here is limited, it is possible to only sketch the basic outline of canning procedures. But because canning poses food-safety risks, it is vital to familiarize yourself with recommended techniques. A good source is the "Blue Book" (by the makers of Ball brand canning jars) and the Web site www.homecanning.com (run by the manufacturers of Ball and Kerr brand jars). You can also call the company's food-preservation hotline at (800) 240-3340, or call your local extension service. Here, I've given the most conservative advice, which is to use sterilized jars and a boiling-water bath for the final processing.

Cut the oranges and lemons in half crosswise, then slice into very thin, half-moon slices. Discard any seeds. Place the sliced fruit and their juices in a nonreactive pot. Add the water and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Cover and allow to stand overnight at room temperature.

The next day, bring the mixture back to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 2 hours. Turn the heat up to medium and boil gently, stirring often, for another 30 minutes. Skim off any foam that forms on top. Cook the marmalade until it reaches 220 F on a candy thermometer. It will be golden orange in color. If you want to be doubly sure it's ready, place a small amount on a plate and refrigerate until it's cool but not cold. If it's firm - neither runny nor hard - it's ready. (If, when you test it, the marmalade is runny, continue cooking. If it's hard, add more water.)

Meanwhile, sterilize 4 pint or 8 half-pint jars by boiling them for 10 minutes. Allow to remain in the hot water until ready to use, removing one at a time as needed. Prepare the two-piece lids (lid plus screw ring) according to the manufacturer's guidelines. Make sure you use new lids, as used ones may not create the proper seal. Prepare a boiling-water bath for final processing.

Ladle the hot marmalade into the hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Clean any marmalade off the jar rims. Cover with the lid-and-ring closure, tighten until a resistance point is met (do not use force), and process in the boiling-water bath for 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool to room temperature. In 12 to 24 hours, test the seal by removing the screw band and trying to lift the lid off the jar with just your fingertips. If the lid does not flex and you cannot lift it off, the seal is good. Label and store in a cool, dry place for up to a year. (If you do not have a good seal, cover and refrigerate the product and use as soon as possible.)

Yield: 3 to 4 pints

Recipe from "Barefoot Contessa at Home" by Ina Garten (Clarkson Potter, 2006)

LEMON YOGURT CAKE

For the cake:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

1 cup sugar

3 extra-large eggs

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup vegetable oil

For the soaking liquid:

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup sugar

For the glaze:

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter an 8-1/2-inch by 4-1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with baking parchment and butter the entire pan again. Dust lightly with flour.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a larger bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup of the sugar, the eggs, lemon zest and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, mixing until well incorporated. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center comes out clean.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. While it is cooling, make the soaking liquid: Cook the lemon juice and sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear.

After 10 minutes, remove the cake from the pan, and carefully place on a baking rack set over a cookie sheet. While the cake is still warm, pour the soaking liquid very slowly over the cake, allowing it to be absorbed. Allow the cake to cool.

Make the glaze: Combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and stir together until very smooth. Pour over the cooled cake.

Yield: 1 loaf, or about 8 servings

Recipe from "Barefoot Contessa at Home" by Ina Garten (Clarkson Potter, 2006)

Marialisa Calta is the author of "Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the American Family" (Perigee, 2005). For more information, go to www.marialisacalta.com.