But all the Florida Vampires have one, mom !!!!

One of the best things in the produce world to eat in the late winter is a lovely little citrus fruit called a blood orange.

It looks like a regular orange, but has a reddish hue to it's skin. Once you cut it open, you discover it's wonderful surprize

It is a wonderful shade of almost red- like a ruby red grapefruit. Then you taste it and discover that it is sweeter, deeper taste than your average orange. One reason is that it has a greater concentration of vitamin c, potassium and flavinoids than a regular orange. If you are lucky enough to find one imported from Sicily as opposed to a domestic variety, the taste is even better. In either case, this little baby is a good eat ! You can simply peel and eat them, juice them, turn them into jam or pair em with a dark green for a rockin salad like this

Spinach, cucumbers and baby spinach- sort of the flag of Italy in a salad bowl. It can give you an opportunity to use your fancy knife skills when you peel these to slice for this salad. Something about citrus and spinach works together in a way best friends work together. Each brings out the best in the other  and together they are even better. You can dress it with a simple vinagrette or a sweet dressing, but I find sweet dressings can hid the flavors. Tell that to my son, who kept trying to kniofe peel the oranges with me. He kept making me nervous ad I stopped him before he added his own special dressing that would have brought all of the Vampire boys to the yard...as well as any sharks. Land or otherwise. But I digress- if you see these babies in your market, grab em before they disappear for the season. They are very good things !