Vegetarian Vampire

Anyone remember Count D-D-D-Duckula? He was a spin off from Danger Mouse. Well he was a vegetarian vampire duck. This is the season that makes me feel more like a vegetarian vampire (but less like a duck). Can you guess why???? Because it is Blood Orange season! Never had a blood orange? Oh what you are missing. The outside peel looks deceptively like a regular orange, but peel back the peel (??) and the deep ruby fruit is exposed. The colour of a blood orange is a deep crimson and the taste beyond compare. Richly sweet, then tangy and sour then a musky hint of bitter and then back to marvelously sweet. And juicy, always juicy. The scarlet liquid running down your chin like rivers of blood from the neck of a virgin. Then licking the vermilion juice that stains your lips and fingertips. Bliss.

I have a confession to make. I cannot peel a blood orange--or any orange for that matter. The peel refuses to come away and I grip the orange tighter in frustration causing juice to run down my wrist and up into my sleeve. What I get is a bloody mess rather than a blood orange. Thankfully, Spiderman to the rescue here. He peels my fruit  and tucks it safely into a wee Rubbermaid box so I can bring it to school for my snack. I’m like an over grown kindergarten child with a lunch box packed by my dear old dad. But, hey what ever works.

Spiderman does not share my rapturous desire for blood oranges. He prefers regular ones. More for me then. I love their taste and texture but also they are just a jolly good excuse to dust off the old thesaurus, ya know? And don’t be fooled if someone tries to sell you a blush orange. They are just a regular orange with a few streaks of red in them. Wait for the short season when real blood oranges are available and you won’t be sorry.

What food makes you reach for the thesaurus?