ESCAPE TO SHANGRI-LA

Have you stopped by the Rancho Mexico Lindo booth at the Little Italy Mercato yet? It’s pretty hard to miss with the sweet smell of guava lingering in the air as you pass by, beckoning you closer. You’ll feel like you’ve been transported to a tropical island. The whole guava fruit is edible, but most people scoop out the seeds before eating. Try the white-fleshed guavas for a smoother, mellower experience or the pink-fleshed guavas for a more assertive flavor. The guava jam is perfect on french toast made from Belen Bakery's brioche or as a glaze on grilled chicken kabobs from DaLe Ranch.

But that’s not all! Right now Rancho Mexico Lindo also brings sweet Cara Cara oranges - a type of navel orange with a rosy colored inside and sweet low-acid juice – and organic blood oranges in the deepest shades of purple. It’s a little piece of paradise right in your own neighborhood backyard.