Citrus Sunshine with Saffron Honey

I must admit that I do not love winter.  I try to convince myself that if not for winter, spring would not seem so sweet, but I really wish I could just fast forward straight to warm weather.  With short days and brutal cold it is easy to get the winter blues.  But there is one giant ray of sunshine that brightens up winter: Citrus fruit!  

In the dullness of winter we get the beautiful vibrant citrus fruits.  And the bright colors aren't the only thing about grapefruits and oranges that will cheer you up.  These guys are overflowing with vitamin C.  One grapefruit has more than your daily recommended amount! And what you may not know is that vitamin C is necessary for serotonin production, not to mention the myriad benefits for your immune system and collagen production (read: healthy skin and strong bones).  Powerful stuff!  

For this recipe I use grapefruit and blood oranges.  You can use any citrus fruit you like.  I love blood oranges because they are so damn beautiful, but it is good to know that they actually have more vitamin C than regular oranges.  And you can't beat those colors.  

Citrus Sunshine with Saffron Honey

Ingredients:

1 grapefruit, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick 

1 blood orange, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 tbsp raw local honey

1 pinch saffron threads (saffron is crazy expensive, but a little goes a long way)

1 tbsp local bee pollen

Slice the fruit and arrange on a serving plate.  To infuse the honey, put honey in a small ramekin.  Boil some water in a kettle and pour into a bowl.  Place the ramekin of honey in the bowl of water carefully, making sure that the water does not rise up so high that it gets into the ramekin.  Let the honey sit for about five minutes or until it becomes runny.  Meanwhile, crush the saffron threads in a mortar and pestle until they become powder.  Add them to the warm honey and stir.  Drizzle the saffron honey over the citrus.  Sprinkle bee pollen on top and serve.

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