Tess and I prefer to cook seasonally! It’s no secret that reaching for in-season ingredients is a strategy that guarantees success in our kitchens. The quality of ingredients can often surpass technique, and absolutely ups the ante on any recipe. Coming off of winter in the northeast, our palates are craving lighter fare. Although it’s too early to get excited about farm market gems, the aisles of the produce section are exploding with an exciting variety of fresh citrus. Sumo, Blood or Cara Cara oranges are all great choices. So let’s get busy creating moments with fresh citrus.
First up is Antoni’s Sicilian Tuna Salad. This lively salad can feature any of the citrus options above, or whichever you find at your local market. In our case, we skipped the protein to make it an exciting introduction to a meal. The combination of the fresh citrus, fennel, Castelvetrano olives (our favorite), and piney pistachios is simply delicious. Finished with a simple red wine vinaigrette, this salad can be either a memorable first course or a light meal.
For a recent birthday brunch, we continued the citrus theme both in our glasses and on our cheese board. In honor of the birthday girl, and her favorite color, we served Hortense’s Pink Mimosa which is rose’ champagne and fresh grapefruit juice. This was perfect way to ease into our brunch menu. We love cheese boards because there are no rules, and so we have license to be extra creative. We featured the oranges listed above, in addition to Mimolette, Merlot Bellavitano, Époisses, and Clarina cheeses.
With the beautiful citrus selections at local grocery stores, there’s no need to hold our collective breath for what’s to come. Occasion or weeknight, cheers to brightening up our menus and our spirits right now!
Citrus Salad with Pistachios and Mint
Ingredients
- 1 cup shelled, unsalted pistachios
- 8 oranges of different varieties (i.e. blood, Cara Cara, and naval) * Use two naval for the dressing
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 3 small cooked beets, cut into thick rounds *we used canned
- 1 medium fennel bulb, preferably with fronds, stalks removed and fronds reserved, halved, cored, and very thinly sliced
- ½ small red onion, very thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
- flaky sea salt, such as Maldon (optional)
Instructions
- Toast the pistachios in a medium skillet over medium-low heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until they are fragrant and lightly toasted, 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool, then coarsely chop.
- Halve two naval oranges and squeeze enough juice to yield 1/2 cup; set aside. Using a sharp paring knife, cut the peel and pith from the remaining oranges, then slice the fruit into thick rounds.
- Whisk together the orange juice, vinegar, honey, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a generous grinding of pepper in a bowl. Whisk in the oil.
- Arranges the oranges, beets, fennel, and onion on a serving platter.
- Whisk the dressing again to blend, and spoon over the salad. Top with the pistachios, mint, and fennel fronds. Season with flaky sea salt and pepper.
Pink Grapefruit & Raspberry Mimosa
Ingredients
- 1 bottle rose champagne, chilled (we prefer Moet's Champagne Nectar Imperial Rose)
- 2 cups strained fresh pink grapefruit juice (from 3 grapefruits), chilled
- raspberries, for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a champagne flute halfway with rose champagne. Then, top with a pour of pink grapefruit juice. Garnish with 2-3 raspberries and enjoy!
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