I Vant to Suck Your Blood … Oranges

The first time I ate a blood orange was entirely by accident. I picked up a halved citrus on a friend’s breakfast bar, thinking it was a small grapefruit. Boy, was I wrong. And boy, am I glad.
Blood oranges are wicked cool. Many people have heard of these ruby-red delights, but not as many have actually tried them. For some, simply finding blood oranges can be a challenge, depending on where one lives. For most, though, it’s out of fear — after all, they do have the word blood in the name.
I was in the latter camp until I dug into my “grapefruit.” When the juices in my mouth turned out to be sweet, not sour, I was pleasantly surprised — and more than a little bit obsessed.
Like their navel-orange cousin, blood oranges are juicy, easy to peel, and rich in vitamin C, potassium and fiber. Unlike navel oranges, however, the red variety tastes closer to a raspberry than a citrus fruit. Blood oranges are rich in anthocyanin (the same antioxidant that gives cherries and blueberries their deep hue), which may play a role in reducing post-workout soreness, according to recent research.
Blood oranges are also a teensy bit harder to find than more traditional citrus fruits. Their growing season tends to fall between the months of December and May; but even then, most grocery stores don’t stock them. Don’t despair though. Some specialty grocers carry blood oranges, and they are quite easy to order online.
Since discovering my love for blood oranges, I’ve used them in salads, fresh salsas (because I put everything in a salsa eventually), smoothies and my fave: straight up from the peel. Though I’d love to hoard all the blood oranges for myself, I’ve found they’re a great way to impress dinner guests — again, this goes back to the novelty of the ingredient. A sure-fire winner at your next dinner party is the Blood Orange, Olive and Basil salad from Gene Baur’s new cookbook, Living The Farm Sanctuary Life. It makes a beautiful first course, and the preparation couldn’t be easier.