Winter Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette

And just like that, it is February. Winter is slipping by and when I’m not in the store I’m enjoying every snowy moment I can outside. I do think it may be my favorite season in the Methow Valley. But then I’ve said the same about spring, summer and fall.

With the snow and skiing comes some richly satisfying meals of long simmered stews and roasts. At the same time, I do start craving fresh, lighter flavors around about now, which fortunately coincides nicely with the abundance of citrus that pops up in the markets.

We are kicking off a new year in our Tasting Jerusalem group and cooking with cumin (Beth shares some terrific background on the history of cumin here). I tend to use cumin with meat, but with all the Cara Cara and blood oranges, limes and Meyer lemons piling up on my kitchen counter I couldn’t help but wonder how cumin pairs with citrus. I was optimistic as cumin is so versatile.

Not much to it here: I started mixing up a simple vinaigrette and, rather than my usual lemon, I squeezed a lime. I added a generous scoop of cumin along with olive oil and salt and gave the jar a good shake.

I then set about combining all the flavors and textures I am craving: crunchy romaine, soft avocado, sharp red onion, sweet oranges and puckery Meyer lemons. A drizzle of the cumin vinaigrette and voila! We started eating our wintery salad.

My optimism paid off. Cumin’s distinctive, warm, earthy flavor really came through and balanced the bright, citrusy flavors of the salad beautifully. It was a deeply satisfying salad that seemed to bridge the gap between the snowy winter outside and the piles of citrus inside. What a special time of year.

Winter Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette

These are the ingredients I used to create a salad with some punchy flavors and textures – feel free to use any citrus or other produce that is in season. I think some pomegranate arils would be delicious, too.

Romaine or other crunchy lettuce, roughly chopped
Baby greens such as spinach or kale
Red onion, finely chopped
Avocado, diced
Meyer lemon, finely chopped (including peel)
Cara Cara oranges, peeled and thinly sliced
Blood oranges, peeled and thinly sliced
Cumin Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Assemble your greens and remaining ingredients on a platter or individual plates. Drizzle with cumin vinaigrette and serve.

Cumin Vinaigrette
Makes ½ cup

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (roughly 2 large limes)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Combine all ingredients in a small jar with a cover and shake until well mixed. The dressing can be kept in the refrigerator for a week.

This recipe has been shared on the 28 Days of Salad Project which you can check out here.

Meyer Lemon, Radish, Cucumber and Tomato Salad with Citrusy Dressing

It’s another snowy day in Seattle! A new blanket of snow brought a peaceful, quiet hush this morning. Now the air is filled with the sounds of kids sledding and building handsome snowmen, snow being shoveled, and neighbors walking their dogs or cross-country skiing down the street. The schools are closed again, so snow football, cookie baking and a crackling fire are on our agenda. No complaints in our house (except perhaps from the chickens – they haven’t left their coop!). It’s a happy time.

I tromped through the snowy neighborhood to our local grocery store and wandered the produce section. Citrus called out to me and I found I was craving something light. Don’t get me wrong – nothing pleases me more than a warm, comforting winter stew. Something bright and tangy, though, was deeply appealing.

I selected vibrant Meyer lemons and a couple of limes, not knowing what I had in mind, only that I need a little hiatus from long simmering dishes. Some crisp cucumbers and radishes, fresh mint and colorful grape tomatoes found their way into my basket, too.

Once home, I began zesting the lemons and limes, inhaling their citrusy scent. I juiced some of the fruit and combined it with the zest, garlic and olive oil to create a jazzy dressing for the veggies.

I find the sour pucker of Meyer lemons to be refreshing, almost like grapefruit but with a lemony punch, so I decided to include segments in my salad along with the diced cucumbers, chopped mint, sliced radishes and grape tomatoes.

I sighed deeply when I took my first bite. The fresh flavors and crunchy textures danced in my mouth and satisfied my craving for crisp, bright tastes pefectly.

Meyer Lemon, Radish, Cucumber and Tomato Salad with Citrusy Dressing
Serves 4

20 ounces grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 large English cucumber, diced
1 bunch of radishes, sliced
1/2 cup fresh mint, roughly chopped
3 Meyer lemons
1 lime
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, radishes and mint in a large serving bowl.

Zest one lemon and one lime and put zest into a glass jar for mixing. Juice one lemon and half a lime and add the juice to the jar. With a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic clove with the salt until smooth. Add the garlic mixture and olive oil to the jar. Cover and shake until well combined.

Slice the peel and pith off of the two remaining Meyer lemons. Cut the lemons into segments and remove seeds. Add to the veggie mix in the serving bowl.

When ready to serve, toss the dressing with the salad and taste for salt.