Blood oranges
Ranging from a variegated orange hue with a swirl of red to such a deep red that they appear to be purple, fresh blood oranges are now readily available from several local growers at all weekly Santa Barbara certified farmers’ markets.
Whether squeezing them to make a fresh glass of juice or enjoying the individual sections in a salad or grain bowl, the dynamic tangy-sweet citrus notes with hints of berry is quite pleasing. Reduce the juice in a pan and serve over seafood and roasted vegetables or incorporate into a host of baked goods. This week I prepared grilled blood orange chicken as the Fix of the Week, below.
Blood oranges are an excellent source of vitamin C, potassium, thiamine and the antioxidant anthocyanin that gives these oranges their signature color.
Price averages $3 per pound.
Honeydew radish
The bottom third of these elongated radishes yields a cream color and the top third, a light green, reminiscent of the top of a honeydew melon.
Honeydew radishes are crisp, moist, a little peppery and subtly sweet. They’re ideal for slicing into rounds and adding to a salad or incorporating into soups and stews.
These radishes have a very pleasing aroma and refreshing finish, and they’re ideal as a palate cleanser.
Grown by Her Family Farm, they can be found at the Saturday Santa Barbara and Sunday Camino Real farmers’ markets. Price is $2.50 per pound.
Rosalba radicchio
This is one of the prettiest winter greens I’ve encountered this season. They standout of their light pink hue across the main leafy portion, with some light variegated green splashed in, and the white connected ribs toward the central portion.
This bitter winter green will make quite the splash on the table. Used as a leaf lettuce in a salad, the natural bitterness pairs well with acidic dressings, flavorful cheese and sweet root vegetables.
More delicate than some of the other radicchio varieties you will encounter, it is more suited for raw preparations but can also be sauteed, grilled, or used as a braising green.
Also commonly referred to as rosa radicchio, pink chicory or pink lettuce, rosalba radicchio is native to northern Italy.
Grown organically by both Roots Farm and The Garden Of…, both in Los Olivos, rosalba radicchio can be found at the Saturday Santa Barbara, Tuesday Santa Barbara and Wednesday Solvang farmers’ markets.
Price averages $3 each.
