Only this wintertime treat could inspire its own popular ballad. Oh my darling clementine, indeed. And the time couldn’t be better to enjoy the orange delight. This little round darling is still ripe and ready for Valentine’s Day. Sweet and small, and often a snack, it’s the perfect pairing for this shortest month of the year. What it lacks in size, it provides in nutrients. The popular fruit also answers to “Christmas oranges.” So the clementine is a great way to close the citrus season, a satisfying way to burst into spring. But it stands apart, this seedless wonder. What family tree the clementine fell from is unknown. It originated as a chance mandarin seedling in the gardens of an orphanage, according to Citrus Variety Collection; its parentage not definitively known. What a serendipitous, delicious surprise.

WHAT NUTRITIONDATA.COM SAYS:

The good: This food is very low in sodium. It is also a good source of dietary fiber, thiamin and folate (B vitamins) and potassium, and a very good source of Vitamin C.

The bad: A large portion of the calories in this food come from sugars.

Clementine Soup

5 clementines

1 pound carrots, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1 quart low-sodium chicken broth

2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

2 cinnamon sticks

1 cup milk or cream

Salt, to taste

4 tablespoons butter (optional)

1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)

3 teaspoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from 1 clementine in 1-inch wide strips and set aside. Use a zester to remove the zest from the remaining 4 clementines. Juice all 5 clementines to produce about 3/4 cup of juice. Refrigerate the juice and fine zest for use later. Place the carrots and onion in a slow cooker or heavy bottomed pot and add the broth. In the center of a 10-by-10-inch square of cheesecloth, place the ginger, cinnamon sticks and inch-wide strips of zest. Tie it tightly and add to the pot. Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 8 to 10 hours. If using a pot, cover and simmer very gently for 3 to 4 hours, or until the carrots are soft and the broth has a rich flavor. Remove the spices. Using a hand blender, puree the soup until very smooth. Stir in the reserved zest and juice. Stir in the milk or cream and bring the mixture slowly back to temperature. Add salt to taste. When the soup is hot, add 2 tablespoons of the butter, stirring until melted. In a small skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and toast, stirring constantly. Cook until the butter and nuts are browned, about 1 minute. Serve in soup bowls. Garnish with toasted pine nuts and butter and a pinch of parsley.