tahini yogurt with cardamom blood orange supremes

it is officially spring. while there is still a wait before all the wonderful spring time crops come into season here in the northwest, the citrus right now (albeit from california) is amazing! i've been plowing through grapefruit after grapefruit, oozing between my fingers and dribbling down my chin. they are so juicy right now! but i decided to branch out this morning and enjoy a blood orange. my simple intention was to have a slice of toast with tahini and yogurt with slices of blood orange. turns out the tahini i bought was incredibly thin and runny - still delicious, just not a practical spread for toast. so! this is what i came up with. 

really this post is just an excuse for me to daydream about iceland... first, let me tell you about icelandic yogurt. "skyr" is the traditional yogurt of iceland: thick, creamy in texture but tangy in flavor. if you like greek yogurt, you will love icelandic yogurt, as it has even more protein! [look for siggi's brand at whole foods or other specialty shops.]

pardon me while i gush about iceland for a moment. beside icelandic yogurt, i also love icelandic chocolate. nói síríus to be specific. this might be one of my favorite plain chocolate bars in existence. but beyond the promising culinary allure, and besides the fact that several of my favorite bands are from iceland, iceland looks extraordinary! see what i mean?

ok now back to the recipe... 

tahini yogurt with cardamom blood orange supremes ~serves two

3 blood oranges

1/2 teaspoon cardamom 

1 tablespoon honey 

2 cups plain icelandic (or greek) yogurt

2 tablespoons tahini

juice one blood orange. cut the remaining two blood oranges into 'supremes' ... basically trim off the peel with a sharp knife all the way down to the flesh. then gently hold the peeled citrus in your palm and cut each segment of flesh out from between the pithy membranes. squeeze the remaining juice from the piths into a small saucepan and combing with the juice from the first blood orange. add honey and cardamom and gently heat for 3-4 minutes. remove from heat and add the supremes. let cool completely for about 20 minutes to let flavors combine. 

in small serving bowls, swirl together 1 cup yogurt with 1 tablespoon tahini for each person. top with blood orange suprimes and drizzle with a bit of the cardamom-infused sauce. enjoy!