Each week I contribute a column to the Whole Foods Market Cooking Boulder website expanding on one of the 10 Ways Tuesday ideas. Below is the original article from this week, my recipe for Winter Grapefruit Salad with Citrus-Ginger Vinaigrette.

During the dead of winter, citrus season brings a bit of sunshine into the kitchen. The ingredient of the week at La Domestique is grapefruit, a bitter-sweet offspring of the pomelo and sweet orange. Though there are many ways to enjoy grapefruit, it really shines in a winter salad. Most often you will find grapefruit paired with Haas avocado in a salad this time of year, but I’ve decided to go a different route with my recipe for Winter Grapefruit Salad with Citrus-Ginger Vinaigrette.

I’m craving fresh produce in the form of leafy, refreshing salads right now. Inspired by the chicories in season, I picked up a couple heads of Belgian endive. Their leaves, tightly closed like tulips, have a delicate flavor and firm texture. Red leaf lettuce provides a dramatic, dark background to the ruby red grapefruit segments. Balance is important in making a good salad. I like pickled hearts of palm for their subtle tang, pine nuts for crunch, and feta for its soft texture and salty bite. Pomegranates are still lingering at the market, and the seeds make for a celebratory garnish. Spicy ginger in my orange vinaigrette is a zippy partner to the tropical grapefruit. A touch of honey is the final note to balance the bitter flavors of grapefruit and winter greens. It’s a generous salad that makes for a healthy yet filling lunch.

The flavors and bitter notes of grapefruit vary among the different types. I encourage you to try all the varieties available at your local market and find your favorites. Grapefruits are softball-sized citrus with yellow skin that blushes pink. The flesh can be white, pink, or ruby red. To segment the grapefruit, slice off about 1/4-inch from the stem end and the opposite end. Stand the fruit up on the cutting board and, moving the knife from top to bottom, cut off the peel by following the contour of the fruit. It’s important to carefully remove all peel and pith because they taste very bitter. Cut grapefruit segments away from the membranes and add the segments to the salad, discarding the membrane. Once you’re comfortable segmenting citrus, you’ll be tossing grapefruit into an endless variety of winter salads.

Winter Grapefruit Salad with Citrus-Ginger Vinaigrette

Serves 4-6 generously

Ingredients

For the salad:

2 heads Belgian endive, leaves separated
1 head red leaf lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
4 green onions, white parts only, sliced into discs
1/2 cup sliced hearts of palm
2 ruby red grapefruits, peeled and cut into segments
1/2 cup pine nuts
seeds from 1 pomegranate
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese

For the vinaigrette:

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger (using a microplane)
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1 pinch sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant.

Make the vinaigrette. Whisk together the ginger, orange zest, orange juice, white wine vinegar, and honey to combine. Add a pinch of salt and a bit of freshly ground black pepper. While continually whisking, gradually drizzle in extra virgin olive oil to form an emulsion. Set vinaigrette aside while you compose the salad.

Compose the salad on a platter. Toss the endive, red lettuce, green onions, and hearts of palm to combine. Arrange the grapefruit throughout the salad. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to evenly distribute it.
Garnish the salad with toasted pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, and crumbled feta. Serve immediately.