i fell for citrus season

plus, i'm hooked on green + orange

I’ve always been hooked on matcha, but I usually stick to the basics—strawberry matcha or a classic matcha latte. This week, though, I fell for the online craze and overly romanticized allure of citrus fruits. I used cara cara oranges to make the fluffiest, creamiest cold foam to pair with my usual matcha latte. Now I understand the lore.

It hit me when I was looking at my latte how much I love the color of matcha. I’ve always been a green girl—whether it’s in clothes, shoes, accessories, or decor. Ironically, I’d saved so many pins of orange and green together, never thinking I’d actually try the combo myself. But in all aspects of food and clothes, I realized how much I love green and orange together. It’s a subtler mix than you'd think, especially given how bold both hues can be on their own.

Along with getting hooked on citrus and its ability to pair so beautifully, I’ve also been loving simple patterns lately—stripes, plaid, or really any recurring design. When I was making romesco sauce for the cauliflower steak recipe below, I got really excited about playing with the plating. Not in terms of flavors or layers, but just the look. I wanted to add something different to each plate, because I think it can completely change the dish. And why not experiment with patterns when I had the time?

So low and behold, I ended up plating three different versions of this cauliflower steak, and I don’t regret doing so!

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Meet my pins for a series i like to call If This Were Food where i reimagine my pins as recipes inspired by patterns, colors, and textures.

Matcha hues, citrusy touches in everyday moments, stripes and circles in all their forms, an array of drinks, and endless combinations of orange and green.

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Meet the menu inspired by my pins.

Apricot romesco cauliflower steak. Orange creamsicle iced matcha.

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ORANGE CREAMSICLE ICED MATCHA

Recommendations:

• If you regularly make matcha, feel free to use your usual ratios for a matcha latte—just use slightly less milk than normal since you’re also adding the orange cold foam. These measurements are simply a guide for those less familiar with experimenting in the matcha world.

• I’ve mentioned before how much I love Trader Joe’s pre-portioned matcha pouches, and my opinion hasn’t changed—they’re still a favorite. For the price, it’s honestly such a steal. It contains 7 or 8 packets and arguably tastes just as good as a high-end matcha brand you’d find online or in stores.

Grocery List: Orange Creamsicle Iced Matcha