There have been plenty of California blood oranges in the markets lately, so this is the second week in a row that I've made this very simple blood orange salad. The basic version that I make at home and usually see in restaurants includes blood oranges and thinly sliced red onion, garnished with cracked pepper and good olive oil. I added some torn Italian parsley and, this time, some thinly sliced hearts of palm. If you're unfamiliar with hearts of palm, the flavor is mild and fresh, a bit like an artichoke, and the texture is similar to barely cooked asparagus. As the name implies, these are the edible cores of the cabbage palm. You'll generally find them canned, among the other canned vegetables. As they're fairly mild, they work well with the acidity of the oranges and the richness of the olive oil. This is a great way to start a number of different menus, but I think it works particularly well as foil to richer dishes like stews or braised meats.Peel the blood oranges (one per person if the oranges are small) by cutting a small slice off of the top and bottom of each orange and then, following the shape of the fruit with a sharp knife, pare away the rind and pith, leaving only the inner sections. Thinly slice these into rounds and lay them out on a plate large enough to fit them all in one layer.

For the hearts of palm, simply rinse the stalks of their canning liquid, split them length-wise, and slice them thinly on a sharp bias. Scatter them over the oranges. You'll want a slice or two per orange round.

Split a small red onion length-wise and thinly slice that as well. Scatter the thinly sliced onion over the oranges and palm hearts. Again, a few thin slivers of onion per orange slice is all you'll need.

A drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil (at the moment I'm really enjoying a bottle of Planeta that I received for Christmas) and some freshly cracked black pepper finish it up.