blood oranges

Market Matters: Blood Oranges for a Bloody, Bloody Bourbon

13 Mar 2011
Moro Blood Oranges

This week from the Hollywood Farmers Market I decided on blood oranges for a Bloody Bourbon, a Blood Orange and Bourbon Cocktail.

Citrus season is winding down in Southern California. While it's true we get plenty of citrus here year round, these are the last few weeks for some of the more specialized citrus varieties to be found in the market. Soon the more unusual mandarins and the multiple varieties of blood oranges will be a once in-a-while occurrence.

Because blood oranges are very seasonal and they are not as common in this country as they are in Mediterranean Europe, where they are market mainstays. So it’s blood oranges for me despite the sanguine name. Blood oranges are not just a Technicolor sensation, they are delicious: sweet and tangy like 'Valencia' oranges, but with a hint of some sort of berry flavor, and a earthy minerality that can be hard to describe.

Now the term blood orange is actually a blanket sort of designation for several varieties of oranges with red to deeply purple flesh.  Where I live I see 3 basic varieties at the market.

Sippity Sup Continues »
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Bloody Bourbon Cocktail (Blood Orange & Bourbon)

Blood Orange Bourbon Cocktail
By jgreghenry Published March 13, 2011
Prep time: 5
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 0 whole ice cubes
  • 3 c freshly squeezed juice from about 12 blood oranges
  • 2 c good quality bourbon
  • 1 c fresca or other citrus soda
  • 8 additional blood orange wedges, as garnish
  • 8 sprigs of mint

Directions

For each drink, half fill an 8-ounce glass with ice cubes. Add 6 tablespoons blood orange juice and 1/4 cup cup bourbon. Do not stir. Top each glass with 2 tablespoons Fresca. Garnish with blood orange wedge and a sprig of mint. Serve immediately with a swizzle stick.

Notes:

serves 8

The Contest Continues and So Must My Life- Fennel & Blood Orange Salad

29 Oct 2010
Fennel and Blood Orange Salad

Well Project Food Blog continues and I am still in it!

Which is thrilling. Really. But there is a small part of me that is just exhausted from this experience. I mean whatever happened to my real life? Remember when I used to post a Market Matters every Sunday from the Hollywood Farmers Market? But lately Sundays are contest entry posting days so all the great produce I have been buying has been getting consumed, though a bit unceramoniously. I mean I still go to the market but I don't post about what I bring home.

Take these blood oranges. These are a vibrant sign that the Hollywood market is alive and well. I picked them up last week and I was feeling so sad that their beauty was getting ignored in favor of my contest posts.

But true beauty shines inside and out, there's no hiding it. Because these red-fleshed wonders are destined for a featured spot on this here blog. In fact these oranges are so pretty and so tasty that I thought I'd present them to you today as my weekly thank you for all your #PFB2010 support. I usually offer sweets or red meat. Empty calories and blood are sure to get your attention! But this is week seven of this contest and I think we all might be craving something fresh and healthy.

Fresh and healthy sure. But it still has that element of blood. Because like I said I may be a bit tired, but I am still thirsty for blood! Though in this case the blood is more metaphor than carnivore!

Sippity Sup Continues »
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Fennel & Blood Orange Salad with Pistachios

Fennel & Blood Orange Salad with Pistachios from Sippity Sup
By jgreghenry Published August 1, 2010
Prep time: 5
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 2 large fennel bulbs, trimmed, quartered, cored and thinly sliced
  • 2 medium blood oranges
  • 1 T extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 T white wine or champagne vinegar
  • 0 salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 0.25 c pistachios, lightly toasted
  • 1 t fennel fronds, feather parts only, minced
  • 1 small jicama, peeld and cut into matchsticks

Directions

Place the sliced fennel in a salad bowl. Cut a slice off the top and bottom of each orange. Working with 1 orange at a time, set the fruit on a cutting board, one cut side down. Using a chef's knife, slice away the peel from top to bottom following the curve of the fruit, removing all the white pith, but leaving as much flesh as possible. Repeat with the remaining orange. Slice oranges into sections by cutting between the membrane of each section. Add them and any accumulated juice to the bowl with the fennel, followed by the jicama. Drizzle with olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper. Toss well, top with toasted pistachios and minced fennel fronds. Serve.

Notes:

serves 4, any orange can stand in for blood oranges and radishes may be substituted for jicama.

Golden Beets and Blood Orange Salad

Golden Beets and Blood Orange Salad
By jgreghenry Published July 27, 2010
Prep time: 60
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 5 medium-sized golden beets
  • 4 small blood oranges
  • 3 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 T champagne or white wine vinegar
  • 0 kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 0.25 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 T thinly sliced mint leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove all but 1/2-inch of the stems and greens. Save these for another use (please!). Put the beets into a baking dish or shallow bowl just large enough to hold them. Add 1/4-inch water. Cover tightly with foil and bake about 50 minutes, until a knife tip can easily pierce the beets. When cool enough to handle, peel the beets by rubbing their skins off with your thumbs. To make the vinaigrette: Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Set aside. Cut a slice off the top and bottom of each orange. Working with 1 orange at a time, set the fruit on a cutting board, one cut side down. Using a chef's knife, slice away the peel from top to bottom following the curve of the fruit, removing all the white pith, but leaving as much flesh as possible. Slice the orange thinly crosswise. Repeat with the remaining oranges. To assemble the salad, alternate slices of beet and orange on a platter or serving plate. Scatter the onion on top. Whisk the dressing briefly and spoon it over the salad. Sprinkle with mint, give it a good grind of black pepper and serve.

Notes:

serves 4 Source: Adapted from Eating Local