Thursday, January 31, 2013

Endive Citrus Salad


Endive makes it annual debut just about now, in mid winter, at least that's when the locally grown versions take their bow. Citrus is also at it's height, and root crops become their sweetest after they're exposed to a nice frost. I've grouped all of these seasonally available produce together in this salad. I hope you'll give this salad a try, and enjoy it!

Ingredients:

2 or 3 heads red endive
2 or 3 heads green endive
2 beets, roasted, peeled and cubed
1 navel orange or 2 satsuma oranges
1 red grapefruit
4 Tbs citrus salad dressing

Directions: Cut the endive heads in half lengthwise, then slice into about 1 inch rounds. Peel the oranges, then cut crosswise. Remove any seeds. Cut grapefruit in half, cutting around the sections, and remove the sections. Arrange endive on 4 plates, mixing the citrus into the endive. Top with beet cubes, then drizzle each plate with 1 tablespoon of citrus salad dressing.

Stealthy Cooking Tip: This food pairing is based on a number of reasons. I'm a believer that seasonal food often tasted best when paired with other seasonal foods. Think tomatoes and basil or corn and beans. So, how about endive, citrus, and beets? Taste is another big factor. When foods are fresh, and ripened on the tree (or in the ground), they taste the best. If they're locally grown, there's no shipping involved, so the foods are picked riper, and even fresher. The final reason for this combination is cost. Endive can be expensive out of season, but is reasonable in season.

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