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| Blood Oranges |
| Despite the rise in popularity, blood oranges are hardly a new citrus, nor are they a hybrid. Originally from China, blood oranges were brought to southern Italy in 1400 where they were further cultivated. Italy is now considered "the" place from which to get your blood oranges. There are three varieties of blood oranges, Moro, Tarroco, and Saguinelli. Tarroco tend to be less uniform in color than the other two and can, if unripe, look like a traditional orange. The flavor of the Tarroco is quite delicate. The dark-fleshed Moro is readily available during peak-season. The Saguinelli is smaller and more egg shaped than the other two. Most blood oranges sold in the U.S. come from California, although a few are imported from Italy. The amount of beta carotene in the blood orange is what gives them their ruby color. Blood oranges are available through the middle to the end of March. Enjoy them now while you can! If you want to enjoy blood oranges past their peak-season, consider making a marmalade of blood oranges. See my recipe below. Serve the blood orange marmalade on thick-cut slices of extra sharp white cheddar. Delicious! Blood Orange Marmalade Ingredients 1 cup thinly sliced, seeded blood oranges 1/4 cup thinly sliced, seeded oranges 2 1/4 cups water 2 1/4 cups sugar Method Combine the sliced oranges and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil and cook rapidly for 20 minutes or until tender. Add the sugar and cook over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Turn up the heat and boil rapidly about 40 minutes until the bubbling stops and the fruit becomes opaque, or until a candy thermometer reads 220°F. Remove from the heat, skim the foam from the surface and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir to distribute the fruit throughout the syrup. Cool completely. The marmalade can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 days. FROM THE ORIGINAL FEATURE It was only until recently that I had my first blood orange. The orange itself was plump, smaller than a regular orange, and the skin was blushed red. The flavor was a full-bodied citrus, bursting with a delicate almost berry-like flavor. I devoured the deep red flesh in what must have been record time. Fortunately, there was a second nearby. I took my time savoring the subtle nuances and relishing the wonderful unique flavor. If you've never had one, blood oranges are a variety of orange with orange skin blushed with red and deep red flesh. Blood oranges are coming into their own, and many supermarkets are offering up space for them. They are in season from December through the early part of June. The blood orange industry is booming in California as consumers find themselves drawn to their truly unique look and flavor. Granted, the quantity isn't as grandiose as the venerable navel orange, but the fact that the markets are trying is encouraging. For a more likely chance of finding them, visit your high end grocer, or local health food store, though I will admit, I don't know how likely you are to find Organic blood oranges. With their increasing popularity comes more uses. I've been on a citrus kick as of late, going through oranges, lemons, and limes. Now that I've come full circle and am back to oranges, I am thrilled to find a variant, and a superior one at that. I'm confident my experiences and experiments will be memorable as well as delicious additions to my repertoire. I would love to read about your experiences. Email me, and have fun! If you can't find blood oranges locally, contact The Orange Store. Blood Oranges are seasonal, and becoming increasingly popular. Educate yourself and order early! The Orange Store is happy to ship blood oranges directly to you. Blood oranges are in abundant supply December through the month of June. Named for their deep pink or red-streaked flesh, Blood Oranges are sweetly flavored. Their skins may have a red blush. Smaller than an average orange with slightly rougher skin, Blood Oranges are juicy and best when eaten fresh. Choose Blood Oranges that are firm and heavy for size. Blood Oranges may have a full-colored blush or have no blush at all. Avoid blemishes and shriveled or moldy spots. For the juiciest, sweetest fruit, look for Blood Oranges with a sweet, clean fragrance. Store at cool room temperature up to one week or refrigerate up to two weeks. Three medium-sized Blood Oranges equal approximately one pound. Pine Nut & Anise Cake with Blood Orange Compote 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour 1 teaspoon Baking Powder 3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda 1/8 teaspoon Sea Salt 3/4 cup Maple Syrup pure 1 cup Soy Milk 1/2 cup Canola Oil 2 1/2 ounces Silken Tofu 1 tablespoon Anise extract 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 1/2 teaspoon fresh Lemon Juice 1/2 cup Pine Nuts toasted 8 Blood Oranges 1/2 cup Unrefined Sugar 1 tablespoon Arrowroot dissolved in 3/4 cup cold water Cake Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil an 8 inch round springform pan. In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add the salt and tir until well combined. In a blender, combine the maple syrup, soy milk, oil, tofu, anise and vanilla extracts, and lemon juice. Puree until smooth. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, and mix well. Fold in the pine nuts. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 55-65 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a rack, then remove it from the pan. Compote Juice 4 of the blood oranges. Peel the remaining 4 oranges and cut them into segments. In a small saucepan, combine the orange juice and sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer and stir in the arrowroot mixture. Stir until the sauce becomes translucent. Remove from heat and let cool. Stir in the orange segments. To serve, cut the cake into 10 slices. Heat the orange compote until warm. For each serving, pool orange compote in the center of a plate, place a slice of cake on top of the compote. Blood Orange, Olive and Fennel Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette Salad 3 blood oranges peeled and sliced ¼” thick 1 large Fennel, feathery tops removed [save a few for garnish] and sliced thinly vertically 1 small sweet red onion peeled and thinly sliced in rings 2/3 cup Mixed Olives such as Nicoise cracked green Sicilian and oil-cured Cranberry Vinaigrette 2 1/4 cups Cranberry Juice 3 tablespoons Dried Cranberries coarsely chopped [or Dried Cherries] 1 tablespoon Shallots finely chopped 2 tablespoons Olive Oil 2 tablespoons blood Orange Juice 1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar 2 tablespoons fresh dill] chopped Honey Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper Arrange blood oranges, fennel, and onions attractively on a plate, fennel should be upright if possible. Scatter olives around and drizzle vinaigrette. Garnish with the fennel sprigs. Place 2 cups of cranberry juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Continue to boil over high heat until liquid is reduced by half. [Note: Alternately you can use 1 cup frozen cranberry juice concentrate and forego the reduction]. Soften the dried cranberries with the remaining 1/4 cup of juice. While the juice is reducing, sauté the shallots in the olive oil until soft but not brown. In a blender or food processor, puree the reduction and shallots until smooth. Place the mixture in a bowl and whisk in the remaining ingredients including the oil and softened cranberries. Yields approximately 1 1/4 cups. Store covered in refrigerator for up to 1 week. Blood Orange & Jicama Salad 3 blood oranges peeled and cut into 1/8 inch slices 1 medium Jicama about 3/4 pound 1 cup Strawberry Papayas peeled seeds removed and cut into 1/4 inch cubes 1/4 cup Red Onion peeled and diced 1/8 inch pinch sea salt 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper [adjust to taste] 2 tablespoons Lime Juice 1/2 cup cilantro washed and chopped Peel the jicama including the fibrous layer just beneath the skin. Slice the flesh into ¼ inch pieces. Then dice the jicama into 1/8 inch pieces. Place in a bowl. Combine remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Allow to chill 2 hours before serving Lobster Corn Cakes with Blood Orange & Avocado Salad Corn Cakes 1/2 package Mazeca /Corn Flour [2.2 pound package] 2 small Lobsters steamed and shelled 3 ears fresh Corn, cut from the Cob 3 scallions, minced 1 yellow pepper, minced 1 Jalapeno Chile minced 1/4 teaspoon dried Oregano 1 teaspoon dried Cumin Salad 2 tablespoons Olive Oil 1/4 cup Rice Vinegar 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper 2 blood oranges, peeled and cut in segments 1 Haas avocado, peeled and sliced 1/2 pound Mixed Greens In a mixing bowl, mix the eggs, milk, seasonings and corn flour. Cut the lobster into bite sized pieces. Mix the lobster with the corn, bell pepper, scallions and jalapeno. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together and refrigerate for 5 minutes. On a medium/ high griddle or sauté pan, drop 1/2 cup of batter for each cake and gently spread to the diameter of a baseball. Cook until the edges are dry, flip and cook until golden brown. Remove and keep warm. In a mixing bowl, mix the olive oil with the cayenne pepper and rice vinegar and salt. Toss in orange segments, avocado and mixed greens. To assemble, put 2 corn cakes on a large plate and top them with a small portion of the salad. Blood Oranges Mexicano 2 blood oranges 2 tablespoons superfine sugar 2 tablespoons Freshly squeezed lime juice 1 1/2 oz. Tequila 3/4 oz. Cointreau Peel the blood oranges and cut into rounds if membranes are tender, or section and remove membranes if they are tough. Sprinkle the blood orange pieces with the sugar. Squeeze the lime juice over the fruit and gently mix until all pieces are well coated. Macerate in the refrigerator. Just before serving, add the liqueurs and stir together. Serve in stemmed glasses Copyright Thomas Saaristo All Rights Reserved webmaster@tomsaaristo.com |