Apricots are extremely perishable, short-seasoned fruits. They are astonishingly good at their peak and not terribly distinguished at any other time, so many people prefer to stick with the more reliable dried version of the fruit. They should also be fragrant and slightly soft to the touch. Most of the apricots sold fresh here are grown in California. Turkey and Greece are famous for their apricots, which are particularly musky and flavorful and may be purchased dried in American markets.
Apricots appear in fresh tarts, cooked into preserves, and as flavorings for soufflees.
Look for dried apricots in Middle Eastern tajines and as flavor accents for wild game. They go particularly well with mild cheeses such as Brie, St. Andre or Reblochon. Blood Oranges Recipes Blood oranges were probably developed in Sicily after the orange was brought there in 1400, and the 19th century brought increased cultivation of them. These fruits often look just like regular oranges until you cut into them and see the deep red flesh, sometimes solid, sometimes flecked with gold. Most blood oranges sold here come from California, although a few are imported from Italy.