A blood orange offers clues before you taste it. Its skin can be rough in patches and faintly red where the flesh beneath is darkest. Cut it and the colour may change from one half to the other. Two oranges from the same crate rarely offer quite the same balance of sweetness and acidity.
That variation is a good reason to start a menu with a tasting. A sharper fruit can lift a plate of roasted beets and soft cheese. A sweeter one might be better served with bitter leaves and a little salt. Save the zest for the dressing and add the segments at the last moment so their juice stays where you want it.
The same habit applies when the fruit changes. Taste an ingredient by itself, then ask what it could do for the plate. A menu built that way can move with the season, one small decision at a time.
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