Colorful Citrus

Orange, tangerine and blood orange

I am amazed at the varieties of citrus available at the Hollywood Farmers Market in the winter. We eat grapefruit and pomelo for breakfast, juice oranges and tangelos for Sunday brunch, take tangerines in our lunches, and still there are more citrus to try.

I served this little citrus fruit plate with breakfast the other day. The colors alone made the morning cheerful.

It's important to eat some of the pith along with the pulp of the citrus - the pith has the bioflavanoids which help our bodies make better use of the Vitamin C. This is one reason why juicing is of less benefit than actually eating the fruit.

I cut the ends off the citrus fruit, then stand it on one end on my chopping board. I slice down around it, cutting off most of the bitter pith but leaving some of it. Then I cut the fruit in half down the middle, and slice each half into wedges or circles.

It's like creating a beautiful art piece every morning.