Come January, the citrus season is
underway. Grown in southern regions and shipped all the way to our
grocery stores on the East Coast, citrus fruits bring a welcome
brightness and freshness to our midwinter diets. Moreover, there
are many benefits to eating fresh citruses. One orange contains
about 50mg of vitamin C (or 2/3 of our daily needs) and has high
levels of antioxidants, which help slow the aging process and protect
against serious illnesses such as heart disease, stroke and cancer,
to name a few. Citrus fruits are also a great source of fiber and
they are low in calories.
Not only do I love fresh orange juice for breakfast, but I venture
to incorporate citruses in many of my recipes, whether sweet or
savory. I garnish scrumptious salads with fresh slices of blood
orange or grapefruit. I grate their flavorful zests to make a delicious
vinaigrette or to perk up a pesto. I squeeze their juices to brighten
up a soup or to make a silky, delicate Meyer lemon tart. Come to
think of it, I use citrus fruits in my cooking almost every day!
Ultimately, the best part of the citrus season is that you will
find unusual citruses suddenly piling up on the shelves of your
local grocery. Look for sweet and floral Meyer lemons or tart Key
limes. Venture to buy some blood oranges, Mineola tangelos or clementines,
instead of the regular navel oranges and mandarins. Indulge in some
beautiful kumquats and use them whole in a salad or poach them.
Let this world of exotic flavors enliven your winter world right
when you need it the most!
Arugula Salad with Fennel,
Blood Oranges, Clementines and Olive Vinaigrette
serves 4.
For the vinaigrette 1 small shallot - finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest (use microplane grater)
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (use microplane grater)
1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped kalamata olives
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds - crushed in a mortar
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For the salad 1 small fennel bulb
1 blood orange - peeled, halved and cut crosswise in 1/4" slices
1 clementine - peeled, halved and cut crosswise in 1/4" slices
2 large handfuls baby arugula - rinsed and spun dry
Parmesan shavings as garnish (use a potato hand peeler)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fennel greens
Step 1: Place the chopped shallot, vinegar, zests, juice,
olives, fennel seeds, salt and pepper to taste, and oil in small
bowl and whisk until well blended. Set aside.
Step 2: Trim the stalks from the fennel bulb. Snip the greens
from the stalks and save them for the salad below. Cut the fennel
bulb in half. Using a mandoline, cut the fennel in paper-thin slices.
Set aside in a bowl.
Cook's note: If you do not have a mandoline,
you can use a potato hand-peeler. Cut the fennel bulb in quarters
and shave the bulb starting right across the top and working your
way down.
Step 3: In a large bowl gently mix the arugula with the fennel.
Divide equally in the center of four large plates. Garnish each
salad with a few orange and clementine slices. Drizzle with the
olive vinaigrette. Top each salad with some Parmesan shavings. Sprinkle
with the chopped fennel greens and freshly ground pepper and serve
immediately.
