Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Craving the taste of blood oranges
3 blood oranges, see cook’s notes 1⁄ 4 cup sherry vinegar 1⁄ 2- 1 teaspoon salt 1⁄ 2 cup extra- virgin olive oil 1⁄ 4 small red onion, cut into thin slivers ( soak slivers in ice water for 20 minutes, drain and pat dry) 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil 3- 4 medium beets, about 9 ounces, roasted, peeled, sliced, cooled or contents of one 8- ounce box of ready- to- use steamed and peeled baby beets Optional garnish: Handful of microgreens, 1 pomegranate, seeded, about 1 cup, crumbled goat cheese, see cook’s notes Cook’s notes: If blood oranges aren’t available, substitute navel oranges, cara cara oranges or tangerine sections. If desired, garnish salad with goat cheese or toasted French baguette slices slathered with brie.
PROCEDURE
1: Remove zest from 1 orange and mince; set aside. Use a sharp knife to remove skin from all the blood oranges; to peel, slice off top and bottom of each orange to expose flesh, then place cut side down on work surface and cut off peel and pith in strips, cutting from top of bottom, following the contour of the fruit. Cut oranges into crosswise slices about 3⁄ 8 inch thick. Save the top and bottom ends of the oranges that were cut off — squeeze the juice out of them onto the finished salad. 2. Prepare vinaigrette: In a bowl, combine zest, vinegar and salt; stir to dissolve salt. Whisk in olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. 3: Arrange beet slices in single layer on salad plates or platter. Top with orange slices, arranging them in single layer so parts of the beet slices show. Add onions and basil. Stir vinaigrette and spoon over beets and oranges. Top with pomegranate seeds. Squeeze juice from reserved top and bottom trimmed- off slices from oranges. If desired, garnish with microgreens and crumbled goat cheese. Or top with brie spread on toasted baguette slices. Source: “Melissa’s Everyday Cooking With Organic Produce” by Cathy Thomas ( Wiley, $ 29.95)