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.

Kumquat Vanilla Bean Marmalade

Citrus season abounds. I can’t seem to buy fruit quickly enough around here! We are eating oranges and satsumas and tangerines every day – I even ate a Meyer lemon when a craving for citrus hit and the fruit bowl was empty. Citrus’ bright flavor is a burst of sunshine during these winter months and just what we need to tide us over until the first whispers of spring arrive.

With lemons, limes and oranges spilling over at the markets, I decided to revisit marmalade. I have not been a real fan of marmalade in the past ... eating peels never really grabbed me. But I do like kumquats and happily eat them sliced, peel and all, in salads. Having never cooked with them before, I began to wonder if they would open me up to marmalade?

Kumquats are pretty adorable.  Tiny and cheery in appearance, they have a thinner, sweeter skin that is much more appealing for me to eat. Perfect for marmalade! As thoughts of marmalade evolved, I knew I wanted to include some other flavors to round out the tartness of the kumquats. My brother and his family are living in Vietnam and sent us some plump vanilla beans and fragrant cinnamon sticks over the holidays. Adding the warm, cozy flavors of vanilla and cinnamon sounded just marvelous and I headed to the kitchen.

The pot of marmalade bubbled away on the stove and the scent was intoxicating. After cooling a bit, I gave it a taste. Flecked with specks of vanilla bean and a hint of cinnamon, citrusy and sweet from a bit of honey – yes, I had found my marmalade!

I was inspired further and decided to bake with the kumquat marmalade. I chose the barley flour scones from Kim Boyce’s Good to the Grain, where the marmalade is baked in the center. They emerged tender and buttery from the oven, with bits of kumquat peeking out.  Let me tell you, nothing cheers a dark winter afternoon like a marmalade-filled scone and a cup of tea!

Kumquat Vanilla Bean Marmalade
Makes 1 cup

12 ounces kumquats, thinly sliced, seeds removed
2 cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out and pod reserved
2 tablespoons honey
2 cups water

In a medium sized sauce pan, combine all the ingredients (including the reserved vanilla pod) over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Give a stir, partially cover the pan, lower the heat and let simmer until very soft, about 45 minutes. Uncover and cook for about 10 minutes more to thicken a bit, stirring to prevent sticking or burning.

Remove from the heat and let cool. Take the vanilla bean and cinnamon sticks out and spoon the marmalade into a clean jar. Cover and pop into the fridge (it will thicken further as it chills). The marmalade will keep for a month in the fridge.

Grapefruit Curd for a Citrus Craving

A possibly obscure feeling - but have you ever walked into the market without a clear idea of what you want to make, only that it must involve citrus? Before you know it, you are swooning over everything, and soon your basket is full of kumquats, minneolas, blood oranges, cara cara oranges, ruby grapefruit, satsumas and Meyer lemons. Ahh...

When I got home I unpacked my sunset-hued treasures and began the fun process of deciding how to enjoy it all. Thinly sliced kumquats were a tart, refreshing addition to my morning oatmeal. A bowl full of oranges and grapefruit set on the dinner table became our dessert. Meyer lemons were zested and squeezed on green beans and baked into cakes. I knew we’d have no trouble eating our way through it all quickly.

Before my citrus bounty disappeared, I wanted to try something new. I’ve made lemon curd in the past and have tasted orange and lime curds which are lovely, but never grapefruit. Eyeing some juicy grapefruit sitting on the kitchen counter, I decided grapefruit curd would be my next venture.

I don’t care for curds that are too sweet, which is often the issue with store-bought lemon curd. My grapefruit was already fairly sweet, so I would be able to keep the added sugar very low.

My first attempt at grapefruit curd ended with curdled egg ... I had the heat too high and let it start to boil. Be sure to only cook the curd until it coats that back of a wooden spoon and remove your pan from the heat if it begins to steam. Usually curd is strained through a sieve when it’s done but I forgot this step in my excitement to not curdle it again! I liked how it turned out so will continue to omit sieving moving forward.

This curd has a pleasing, delicate grapefruit flavor, not too sweet but still rich from the eggs and butter. It would be decadent stirred into whipped cream for a cake filling, swirled through a cheesecake or baked inside muffins (my plan for breakfast one morning this week). Sneaking a spoonful when you open the fridge is always a welcome thought, too. So far we’ve been slathering the curd on hearty slices of multi-grain toast and sipping hot tea - a classic!

Grapefruit Curd
Makes 1 cup

1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice (about half of a large grapefruit)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon grapefruit zest
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Combine the juice, sugar and eggs in a medium saucepan and whisk to combine. Add the butter and start cooking over medium heat, whisking until the butter melts and watching to make sure the mixture does not get too hot. If it begins to steam, remove from the heat for a moment. Lower the heat to medium-low if necessary. When the butter has melted, add the zests and keep stirring (use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of pan) for a couple of minutes until it thickens a little and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Do not let it boil or it will curdle.

Remove saucepan from the heat and pour the curd into a pint sized jar. Let it cool completely then cover and refrigerate. The curd will thicken more as it chills. It will keep for a few weeks in the fridge.

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.