Shrimp:
1 pound Florida shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup Florida orange juice
1/4 cup sherry
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons Florida sugar

Carambolas:
1//4 cup Florida green onions
3 cloves Florida garlic
11/2 tablespoons fresh Florida ginger
2-3 Florida carambolas, sliced
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter

Combine orange juice, soy sauce, sherry, sugar, green onion, garlic and ginger in a blender and process. Marinate the shrimp in the sauce for 1-2 hours. Strain the marinade from shrimp and reserve.  Thread shrimp & carambola on skewers.   Grill or pan fry 2-3 minutes or until opaque in center. Combine cornstarch and the reserved marinade; mix well and bring to a boil. Add butter and remove from heat; serve sauce over shrimp kabobs.

Yield: 5 servings.

Recipe courtesy of Florida Department of Agriculture

Carambola or Star Fruit is believed to have originated in Sri Lanka and the Moluccas, and is now cultivated in tropical climates around the world.  It's easily grown in coastal Southwest Florida backyards.

Carambola fruits are oval to elliptical, 2-1/2 to 5 inches (6 to 13 cm) in length, with 5 (rarely 4 or 6) prominent longitudinal ribs. Slices cut in cross-section are star shaped. The skin is thin, light to dark yellow and smooth with a waxy cuticle. The flesh is light yellow to yellow, translucent, crisp and very juicy, without fiber. The fruit has a more or less oxalic acid odor and the flavor ranges from very sour to mildly sweet. The so-called sweet types rarely have more than 4% sugar. There may be up to 12 flat, thin brown seeds 1/4 - 1/2 inch long or none at all. Seeds lose viability in a few days after removal from fruit.