Texas red grapefruit, so good and so good for you, grows the sweetest in the Rio Grande Valley at places such as Crockett Farms. By November you can begin ordering the fruit in several sizes of gift packs. Try one of the Crockett favorites, “The Continental Breakfast,” complete with two “extra, extra large” grapefruit, a mix for buttermilk biscuits, fresh fruit preserves, and serrated grapefruit spoons. See www.crockettfarms.com or call 1-800-580-1900.

Break Bread From the Brothers
Out in Christoval, the brothers at the self-supporting Mount Carmel Hermitage scent the West Texas air with breads and sweet pastries. They create loaves of pumpkin-pecan and almond-poppyseed, and by November they’ll be preparing their famous apple-walnut bread for the holidays. You may order breads, fudge, and jellies online. You need to visit the hermitage, however, for the brothers’ famous kolaches (try the cream cheese and apricot varieties), their Slavic potica (a walnut bread), and Polish cookies. See www.carmelitehermits.org or call (325) 896-2249. Visiting hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.