We were the grateful recipients of a case of Florida oranges and grapefruits as a Chanukah gift this year, and have come up with various ways to enjoy them. Fresh-squeezed juice for an indulgent breakfast? Yes! Mimosas? Absolutely! A mid-afternoon snack? Why not!
And last night, it worked tossed into a very pretty, very flavorful salad that perfectly complemented our roast chicken. I am a fan of using the “dregs” of condiment jars as a base for salad dressing. Don’t toss the mustard jar — make it into a delicious Dijon vinaigrette. Ditto mayonnaise, Sriracha, salsa, chutney and, in this case, olive tapenade.
If you don’t have tapenade, you can finely chop/mash some oil-cured black olives, and the effect will be the same. The earthy brine of the olive married beautifully with the citrusy zing of the orange sections. The crunch and visual pop of the shredded beets made for a pretty presentation. If you want to add cheese or nuts, they would bring additional interest and texture but, if not, this version stands on its own just fine.
Serves 2
For the salad:
4 cups baby greens — I used spinach, arugula and baby kale
½ a raw beet, grated (peeling optional; I don’t)
1 orange, peeled, divided into sections, and each cut in half for bite-sized pieces
For the dressing:
2 teaspoons olive tapenade or mashed black oil-cured olives
2 teaspoons white wine or red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sprinkle of salt, garlic powder and pepper
Assemble the salad ingredients in a shallow bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small cup or jar. Drizzle half the dressing over the salad, and toss well. If the salad seems dry, add the remaining dressing; if not, save it for tomorrow.
