Makes ~ 6 cups + juice
The absolute best eating comes from local, seasonal food,
picked at the peak of freshness and spared from long travel distances from farm
to fork. The second best is eating
seasonally, even if that locale is a little farther away.
In winter and the earliest reaches of spring comes the
welcome blessing of citrus season. While
these fruits necessarily hail from places like Texas, Florida and California,
their natural “packaging” makes them easy to ship in quantity without
refrigeration. And they are a bright light
in the middle of what may seem like a fresh fruit void. While frozen berries in winter are always a
delight, a fresh citrus salad can lift the spirits, not to mention the gloom of
winter rains in the Pacific Northwest. So
gather up a basket load of succulent citrus while at its best, and dream of
tropical escapes.
This can be as simple or as fru-fru as you want to make
it – either way it is best to take a little extra time to cut the fruit into
suprêmes – a French term for cutting citrus into sections minus their membranes
and pithy cushioning (check out How to Cut Supremes). Don’t fret – it’s really easy with a sharp
knife (you need at least ONE sharp knife to function in a kitchen!). You can section them into a small bowl to
check for pits and pith before adding it to the main dish, or just section off
into the big bowl and try to catch them as they come. Either way be sure to squeeze all the juice
from the left-over membrane – this can be the best part! If when you are done the salad is too “soupy”
for you, drain some of the juice off and make yourself a beautiful glass of OJ
or splurge with an exquisite mimosa.  |
This will keep for a few days in the fridge, so make a
big batch even if you are only 1 or 2.
You can serve this just as it is, or with a dollop of plain yogurt and
some gf granola. You can even turn it
into a citrus salad (see below).
And anytime you are going to make a big batch of citrus anything, consider peeling the fruit first and making home-made candied citrus peels and get flavored simple syrup as a bonus. Talk about using it all up!
Cut into supremes a mixture of seasonal citrus, such as:- 6 navel oranges, such as Cara cara
- 3 blood oranges, such as Minolo or Tarroco (these make the juice a wonderful magenta and offer a unique flavor too)
- 3 tangerines, like Honey
- 2 large grapefruit (or 3 small), I prefer the red varieties
- 1 or 2 Meyer lemons, sweet limes, or kumquats for the adventurous
 |
| Ginger makes this salad a potent immune booster! |
With beautifully sweet-tart fruit, you may want to leave
well enough alone. Otherwise you can
follow one of the following variations:
- 3-4 t freshly grated ginger OR
- A handful of fresh mint, chiffonaded (check out Stella Culinary for a chiffonade how-to video)
If the juice is a little on the sour side, add
- A drizzle of agave syrup once you serve (adding it to the whole batch could make overly sweet)
Citrus Celebration Salad
Dressing:
- 2 T juice
- 1 T flax oil (or hemp, or evoo)
- 1-2 t your favorite mustard
- Dash of garlic powder
- Fresh cracked pepper
- (for a twist, add 1 t garam masala or curry powder)
For each portion plate
- Large handful mixed baby greens, spinach or lettuce, seasoned with kosher salt and cracked black pepper & tossed with dressing
Top with
- ½ c citrus segments, drained
- 1 oz goat cheese, crumbled
- 1 T nuts such as sliced or slivered almonds, cracked hazelnuts, or walnuts (toasted is nice!)
- ½ T dried fruit such as currants, golden raisins or cranberries
Makes a great appetizer, side salad or light lunch. Add a hard-boiled egg for a great dinner salad.
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