It’s mid-winter, and let’s face it, even the Co-op and the CSA can’t provide much excitement in the produce department. The season provides plenty of two things: greens and citrus.
I used some greens in yesterday’s Ghanaian Peanut Stew, but I still had a bunch of oranges and grapefruit in the bottom of my CSA pickup bag. What to do with them besides make juice, or simply peel and eat?
Thank goodness my TiVo provides me with Mark Bittman’s “Minimalist” cooking videos. Last week he presented a savory take on citrus salad that I had to try.
I used two small oranges and a pink grapefruit. (For a really striking salad, include blood orange, Cara Cara orange, etc.) After slicing off the rind and almost all of the pith, I sliced them into circles, then arranged them on a plate and sprinkled with a tiny bit of salt and some thinly sliced scallion. (Bittman used shallot.)
Only a small amount of dressing was necessary: a couple of tablespoons of olive oil whisked together with a couple of teaspoons of red wine vinegar, a pinch of salt, and maybe a quarter teaspoon of honey.
The salad was delightfully refreshing and different. The onion and little bit of salt made it really seem savory instead of sweet, with a clash of flavors that danced on the tongue. We ate this with my Ghanaian Peanut Stew, and its tart lightness was a really nice foil for the richness of the soup.
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