A simple citrus salad
Whoever said that you shouldn’t take shortcuts in cooking never had to make lunch everyday. There are days when nothing can stop me from making every ounce of a recipe from scratch. And, then there are days, like today, where I just want a tasty bite without any hassles.
I had grander ideas of what I’d cook today. There is a blood orange salad in Jamie’s Italy that has my name all over it… fresh radicchio, arugula, mint, fennel mixed up with warm new potatoes and a blood orange dressing. But, with new snow and ice on the roads in Seattle this morning, I decided to stay put and cook with what I had already at home.
Luckily a few pieces of fresh citrus (Rising C Ranches) and a mini golden nugget pumpkin (from my CSA basket several months ago! It’s amazing how well these keep.) in the house made this a no brainer.
A sliced blood orange, cut neatly from its pith, a handful of pumpkin or squash chunks cooked till just softened in the oven (or microwave!), a splash of a tasty salad dressing (Annie’s Sesame Shitake vinaigrette) and a sprinkle of freshly chopped cilantro. It’s really not even a recipe. It’s playing with food. But oh, so tasty.
And, while I’m thinking about it, check out these other amazing looking yet simple citrus salads:
Grapefruit Salad with Toasted Coconut by Vita&C
Elise’s Cardamom Citrus Fruit Salad
Jicama and Orange Salad on Chow
Pinch My Salt’s Orange Cranberry Salad with Walnuts and Blue Cheese
Technorati Tags: citrus, Cookbook, Food, Photography, recipe
Wow, now that sounds great.
Really like the pumkin and orange idea. What an intense photo! So good.
Enjoy it while you can before citrus prices skyrocket 🙁
It’s amazing how everything’s citrus today: the magazines in the mail, the newspaper eating section, and your blog.
I guess that is a sign that it is definately the time for citrus.
And that looks delicious.
Tanna – thanks! I liked the bright colors.
Peabody – you are right. My citrus producer is quite worried about what the fields will yield. Such a weird winter weather wise all around.
Mar – Yes, it is the season! Thanks!
Mmm, that sounds divine! I love simple things that come together to create delicious! The blood orange. Putting that on my grocery list since I forgot last time!
PS I make lunch or try to every day, and it’s a hassle sometimes since I have time constraints >.
That looks fabulous. Must be something in the air this week- we’ve been munching on orange salads as well. It was my first time using blood oranges (I’d bought some before, but they must have been mislabelled, b/c they were nothing like the ones I just had)- what fun, all the juices and the colours mixing together!
We actually just posted a recipe on our site, if you’d like to have a look:
http://www.canada-eats.com/canada_eats/2007/01/orange_salad_th.html
Cheers, Lea
Such beautiful photographs. Sounds delicious.
Your salad sounds great! Luckily our citrus here in Sicily is doing just fine but I’m hearing from my family in California that things aren’t looking good at all there. Thanks so much for the link to my recipe 🙂
Hi Lara,
this salad looks fantastic!
And the shot of the blood oranges is stunning.
– fanny
Your recipes and photos are always such a pleasure. I love the colors in this one, it seems like the perfect thing to eat on a lazy afternoon.
Hello there! Now this is a terribly shallow question, but I’m wondering – what is the make of that gorgeous little bowl? I’m completely enamored of its shape.