Green is Good with Sunkist® Valencia Oranges

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sunkist Growers for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you ever look at oranges in the produce of your supermarket and think "Oh, no....these aren't ripe!"....  If you do and they are Sunkist® Valencia oranges, they actually ARE ripe and ready to eat.   Sunkist® Valencia oranges sometimes "re-green" in warm weather. When they ripen on the tree, Valencias turn a bright orange color.  However, warm temperatures may make their skin reabsorb chlorophyll while hanging on the tree, which causes the orange color to look partly green—although the outside is green, the inside is still ripe and delicious!  This video explains it well:
Sunkist Valencia Oranges Re-greening Video

To make a yummy summer dish with Sunkist® Valencia oranges, try this recipe:
Ingredients:
• 3 Sunkist® Valencia oranges, segmented and zested
• 20 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 lb. tub Bocconcini mozarella
• ¼ cup Opal (purple) basil, shredded into small pieces
• 20 whole wheat crackers
• Salt to taste
• ¼ cup fresh rosemary
• ¼ cup fresh thyme
• 1/8 cup fresh oregano
• 1 ½ cups extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. black pepper
Instructions: (Makes 10 servings)
• Cut the Bocconcini into halves.
• Zest the Valencia oranges using a micro plane or fine grater and set aside. To segment the oranges, cut off the top and bottom.
• Lay the orange on a flat surface, using a pairing knife remove the skin and white pith. Carefully cut and release each segment from between the membranes and set aside.
• In a blender, add the olive oil, orange zest and fresh herbs. Pulse until blended, continue to blend on medium speed until the herbs and zest are finely chopped, add the pepper and pulse quickly. Pour into a jar or plastic container. Leftover oil can be kept refrigerated for up to one month and used as a marinade for fish, poultry or vegetables.
• Toss the orange segments, cherry tomatoes, Bocconcini and basil lightly with ¾ cup of orange scented herb oil and season with salt.
• To Serve: Top each cracker with the mixture and serve.

For more ideas, see these additional Sunkist citrus recipes.  I especially like this easy smoothie recipe:  Start with 1/2 cup of juice and 1/2 cup of diced orange in a blender. Add a peeled banana, some frozen berries and 1/2 cup of yogurt. YUM!