grapefruit | little things by julia

citrus + fennel winter salad

This salad is so simple, yet so good that I’ve already made it twice this week. Its flavors are clean and bright, making it an especially nice pairing with the otherwise heavy, slow-cooked dishes of the winter. Better yet, it will be on the table in just around 15 minutes, including the time it takes to toast the nuts. I find that macadamia nuts are really worth using here — they have a rich, toasty sweetness that other nuts simply cannot replicate. You should be able to find them in the self-serve bins at any specialty market.

The best thing about this salad is how versatile it is. If you have leftovers and are looking for something a bit heartier, like I was the other day, try adding some chopped Tuscan Kale and a spoonful of tahini to the dressing. Enjoy!

ingredients:

1/2 cup whole macadamia nuts

1 white grapefruit

1 blood orange

1 small bulb of fennel

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the macadamia nuts in a single layer on a sheet pan. Toast in the oven, shaking the pan periodically, until browned and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Once cool, chop coarsely.

While the nuts are toasting, cut the top and bottom from the grapefruit and rest it on end. Run a sharp knife down the sides of the fruit, starting at its top and following its curve to the bottom, to remove the skin and pith and expose the fruit. Once you have completely removed the skin, cut the grapefruit into supremes by slicing into the fruit in between each membrane, until you’ve removed all of its segments. Squeeze the leftover membrane into a bowl to catch any juice and reserve. Repeat process with the blood orange.

Remove the fennel tops from the bulb. Reserve a few fronds for garnish and discard the stems (or save for vegetable broth)! Using a mandolin on its thinnest setting, slice the bulb into fine shavings. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons of the reserved grapefruit juice with the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

In a large bowl, gently toss the grapefruit and orange supremes and fennel shavings. Dress lightly with the vinaigrette. Garnish with the chopped, toasted macadamia nuts and fennel fronds.

rosemary + ginger bourbon sour

This cocktail is both bright and warming – a welcome contrast to the gray days of January. I think it’s delicious with either lemon or grapefruit juice – experiment and see what you prefer. The ratio of ingredients can also easily be adjusted to taste [increase the syrup for a sweeter drink, or the bourbon for a stronger cocktail].

ingredients [makes one cocktail]:

1 1/2 shots bourbon

1 shot rosemary ginger simple syrup

3/4 shot freshly squeezed lemon or grapefruit juice

2 sprigs of rosemary

In a cocktail shaker, add bourbon, simple syrup, and citrus juice. Add ice and the leaves from one sprig of rosemary [crush or rip them slightly before adding to release their aroma]. Shake vigorously and strain into a glass with ice. Garnish with remaining sprig of rosemary.

rosemary ginger simple syrup:

1 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

2 sprigs of rosemary

1/2 cup of fresh ginger root [peeled and roughly chopped]

Remove the leaves from the sprigs of rosemary and add to a small saucepan with water, sugar, and chopped ginger. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, and stir to dissolve sugar (about 30 seconds – 1 minute). Cover, remove from heat and allow to steep for about 30 minutes. Strain and refrigerate until chilled.