Man, what I did to that poor grapefruit could probably get me arrested. Remember that scene in the movie "Julie and Julia" where Julia Childs is at home chopping a mountain of onions to perfect her knife skills? Well, I need to do something similar to a mountain of grapefruit. Peeling one down to its flesh was challenge enough, but then merely identifying the membranes separating the sections, much less properly cutting them, was a real challenge. So, I foresee making this particular salad again. And again. And again. And again. Beats the heck out of chopping 20 pounds of onions anyway.
I made the vinaigrette with champagne vinegar instead of white wine vinegar because that's what's on the shelf. I used Hawaiian red clay salt on the avocado slices. I arranged the slices on top of mixed organic greens and sprinkled the whole thing with bacon pieces before serving to make the salad lunch-worthy, served only with a big bowl of tortilla chips. Sunday lunch!
Once again, I bow to Alice where flavor is concerned. This recipe sounded like the most boring thing in the world but was absolutely wonderful. I do think that the bacon pieces added the perfect savory flavor for us carnivorous fat seekers. Bacon/ham and avocado always seem to me to blend beautifully. I think it's the salt and the contrasting textures. This time of year our local ruby grapefruit are just becoming sweet, not like those awful sour things I remember from my midwest childhood. I want to try this salad again in a couple months when the grapefruit have been on the trees a little longer and are just that much sweeter.
The vinaigrette, made this time with a little of the grapefruit's juice, was excellent. Good thing I had the foresight to cut the fruit on a rimmed plate to catch the juice, eh? Comes from actually reading the recipe first and thinking it through. I AM learning SOMETHING!
Another success, I'd say, even if the condition of the fruit slices left something to be desired aesthetically. I'm becoming more and more amazed at how this project is opening Randy and I both up to new tastes. Honestly, I think we had gotten into a terrible rut with our cooking and eating. There's more to life than Trader Joe's pasta, good as that stuff is. More importantly, I'm really enjoyed cooking. It's "making stuff" as much as any other creative pursuit.
Now, on to a mountain of laundry. Not so creative, I'm afraid.
7 recipes down; 298 to go, more or less
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