Super Citrus Salad.

This is the time of year when I start craving vibrant, fresh, crisp, crunchy. Citrus is a great winter food, and combined with the anti-inflammatory punch of turmeric, ginger, and garlic, it is out of this world. Recent studies have shown that turmeric is not only anti-inflammatory and anti-viral, but also boosts your mood.  And in late February, I can use all the boost I can get. I grow my own micro greens and lettuces in my dining room in the winter, but you can use any greens you like — lettuce, spinach, arugula — take your pick! This makes about two meal sized salads. Double up if you want more servings.

Make the dressing first and let it all steep together in a bowl while you do the rest. It will infuse the onions with all of the flavors. The salad needs three-fourths of a grapefruit — with the last 1/4 remaining to use for the juice in the dressing. 

{dressing}
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion (or 1/2 a big one), halved and very thinly sliced
1 tsp freshly grated ginger root
1 tsp freshly grated turmeric*
2 Tbsp coconut vinegar
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt & pepper
Juice of about 1/4 grapefruit

MIx all of the dressing ingredients in a bowl. Stir well and let it sit while you work on the rest of the salad.

{salad}
fresh greens: micro greens, lettuces, spinach
1 grapefruit (3/4 for salad, 1/4 for dressing)
1 avocado, sliced
6-8 asparagus spears, steamed or lightly simmered (don't overcook)
1/2 cup fresh blueberries (pomegranate is tasty too)

Steam or lightly cook your asparagus spears over simmering water. Don't overcook! They should remain bright green, so it only takes a minute or two!

Retrieving a grapefruit from its pithy coat may not be the fastest or easiest project, but it is worth it. While you can cut a grapefruit in half and retrieve the little bit as you would when you eat grapefruit out of its own bowl, I like the bigger pieces that you can get when going for the whole segment. To do this, peel your grapefruit. Remove as much of the bitter pithy parts as you can. Gently open it in half as you would when eating an orange. Now, remove the skin from each segment. Do this for most of the grapefruit segments, leaving 2 or 3 segments to squeeze into your dressing. 

This salad is now mostly assembly. 

Place your greens/lettuce on the plate. Add your sliced avocado, grapefruit segments, and blueberries over the top. Slip in your avocado spears. Stir your dressing well, and drizzle over the top, adding some of the slices of onions that are now deliciously marinated as well. 

Now all that is left to do is EAT!

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*You can usually find turmeric in the produce section of your natural food store, or in any asian market. On the outside, it looks like a cross between ginger and Jerusalem artichoke. The inside is a vibrant orange. If you cannot find it fresh, you can use powdered, but make sure you stir it in and let sit for a bit so you don't have any gritty texture in your dressing. Turmeric has so much goodness that it is worth seeking out the fresh root!

What is coconut vinegar? Raw coconut vinegar is a low glycemic naturally fermented vinegar from coconut that is packed with amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and has a neutral pH. The flavor is fantastic! If you use apple cider vinegar instead of coconut vinegar with this recipe you might want to add a pinch of coconut sugar or a drizzle of agave to help offset the twang of grapefruit + ACV. 

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WAIT!
Don't throw away your grapefruit peels! Dried organic citrus peels have many uses. I add them to tea blends, mulling spices, or chai. Take your peels and, using a thin knife, slice away as much of the white pith as you can (I like using a fish knife - it is thin and makes the job easier). Then slice into strips and dry in your dehydrator until fully dry and crispy. If you don't have a dehydrator you can dry on the LOWEST oven (or toaster oven) setting on a cookie sheet for a *short time* until dry. Store in an airtight container, and add to tea or spice blends.