Sicilian Blood Orange Salad

Serves 6 to 8

This salad is a luscious and refreshing way to use blood oranges and navel oranges in their prime.

Pair with grain dishes, grills, or other salads. Icing the onions takes away their sting and makes them a crisp contrast to the oranges.

• 1 small to medium organic red onion, sliced into thin rings
  
• Ice
  
• Water
  
• 3 to 4 blood oranges, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
  
• 2 navel oranges, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  
• About 1/4 cup juice from the oranges
  
• About 12 black Kalamata or Italian olives
  
• Fruity extra-virgin olive oil

1. Half fill a medium-size bowl with ice, add the onion slices, cover with more ice, and fill bowl with cold water. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or up to a couple of hours.

2. Shortly before serving, fan the different colored oranges on a large plate. Drain the onions, pat dry, and tuck the onion rings here and there among the orange slices. Lightly dust the salad with salt and pepper.

3. Drizzle the salad with the orange juice, scatter the olives over it, and sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons olive oil. Taste for seasoning.

A North African Variation: This seemingly exotic blending of savory and sweet flavors is evidence of the lasting Arab influence on Sicily's cuisine, dating back to their invasion of the island in the 9th century.

Across the Mediterranean in North Africa, the salad is seasoned as above, along with a little orange flower water, sugar, cinnamon, and hot paprika. Add these to taste, starting with very small quantities of about 1/4 teaspoon each and working up from there.

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