With winter in full swing from Alaska to Alabama -- and the southeastern U.S. seeing even colder weather as of late -- I'm always looking for ways to brighten up the day, especially when it comes to the kitchen. And while buying local is beneficial in both theory and practice, there are times when we have to stray and go for the far-flung goods, like olive oil, coffee, and tea. Since winter is when citrus varieties are at their juiciest and sweetest, this is the time to liven up your repertoire with everything from Meyer lemons, limes, satsumas and blood oranges to grapefruit, kumquats, and more.
Aside from the energizing aroma, gorgeous, juicy sun-colored winter citrus fruit offers a welcome burst of sunshine. Because citruses ripen in the fall and early winter, it's an ideal ingredient to add into late winter and early spring menus. Think luscious lemon (or orange or lime) curds to top scones and muffins, pinwheels of blood orange sliced and stirred into sangrias. A bit of lemon zest brightens up a pasta dish or a long-simmered stew.
Think of citrus as a legal mood booster, eaten out of hand or paired with everything from poultry to game and fish. Luckily, we have a local abundance of delicious wild salmon, rich in mood-boosting omega-3 fatty acids. Lightly smoked, deeply flavorful morsels contrast perfectly with the season's motherlode of citrus.
In this recipe, I used grapefruit and blood orange, but feel free to experiment with satsuma, navel oranges, and tangerines. Avocado adds a nice richness and color as well. Serve as-is or on a bed of bitter greens, like arugula or escarole, and garnish with fresh herbs.
Smoked salmon salad with citrus and avocado
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Cut away the skin and remove white pith from the grapefruit and oranges. Remove seeds and slice citrus crosswise or cut into segments. Place citrus on a serving platter or divide evenly among 4 plates. Top with avocado and smoked salmon.
Drizzle Citrus Vinaigrette over, and garnish, if desired, with the optional ingredient suggestions.
Citrus Vinaigrette
Makes about 1 cup
Ingredients
Directions
Juice and zest the lemons (zest only one of the lemons if you prefer) and the orange into a medium-size bowl, and set aside. Combine juices and zest with the shallot, optional mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in olive oil until well-combined. Taste and add more salt or pepper, as needed.
Storage Tip: It's tempting to keep the bright colors in a bowl on the kitchen counter, but as they sit out, they tend to dry out. The fruit will last longer (up to about three weeks) if stored in a large plastic bag free of moisture in the refrigerator. You can also store freshly squeezed juice in ice-cube form.
Other culinary mood boosters
Meyer Lemon Dutch Baby Pancake from Alaska from Scratch
Crispy Salmon Fingers with Spinach Skordalia from Laurie Constantino
Kim Sunée ate and lived in Europe for 10 years before working as a food editor for Southern Living magazine and Cottage Living magazine. Her writing has appeared in Food & Wine, The Oxford American and Asian American Poetry and Writing. Sunée has appeared several times as a guest judge on the Food Network's Iron Chef America. She is currently based in Anchorage and working on a cookbook, "A Mouthful of Stars," to be published by Andrews McMeel in 2014. For more food and travel, visit www.kimsunee.com.