the green monster

The market is bursting with citrus right now, saturated color in yellow, orange, and green.  I can’t seem to help myself when I see these orbs piled high, I inevitably grab way too many thinking that I will incorporated them into something amazing.  Most of the time, they end up just getting eaten out of hand, which isn’t all bad I suppose.

There is one citrus in particular that I had yet to try and that is the Pomelo.  But what to do with this green monster is the question I always seem to ask.

So I did a little Pomelo research…

The Pomelo is native to Southeast Asia and is usually pale green to yellow when ripe.  The flesh is very soft, thick and pudgy.  And sometimes they look all bumpy…I guess that’s normal.  It tastes like a sweet, mild grapefruit and has little, or none of the common grapefruits bitterness.

Ok then, sounds good.

I decided to make a simple salad of segmented Pomelos with butter lettuce, large chunks of avocado, cooked shrimp, drizzled with a simple dressing of shallots, cilantro, some of the juice from the Pomelo and olive oil.  It was delicious!

So if you see this green monster in your local market and haven’t tried it yet…give it whirl.  You won’t be disappointed!

Enjoy!

Shannon

Pomelo Salad with Shrimp and Avocado

Serves 2

1 head butter lettuce

1 Pomelo, segmented (reserve juice for the dressing)

1 lb. cooked shrimp

1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced

1 Tbsp. chopped shallots

¼ cup chopped cilantro

2 Tbsp. champagne vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Lime for garnish

Extra cilantro leaves left whole for garnish

For dressing combine in a small bowl the chopped shallots with the reserved Pomelo juice, champagne vinegar and a dash of salt to help soften the shallots a bit.  Begin to assemble the salad, first layering the butter lettuce (I like to keep the leaves whole) then adding the avocado, the cooked shrimp and the segmented Pomelo.  Finish off the dressing by whisking in the olive oil and then tossing in the chopped cilantro.  Taste for seasoning.  Pour over the composed salad and garnish with lime and the reserved cilantro leaves.

heirloom salad

I am almost giddy when I arrive at the farmer's market and I see an entire length of a table given to a showcase some of the most glorioius tomotoes this season has to offer.  There are so many heirloom varieties now at our fingertips, from the typical deep red Beefsteaks (some literally the size of a porter house) to the purplish black Brandywine tomatoes.  The Green Zebra has green and yellow stripes which not only give it a unique color but it also has a full bodied tomato flavor as well.

Then there is the Golden Queen, a large yellow variety that when ripe has a pinkish hue at the blossom end, and when cut into the color continues with streaks of orange and red.  Honestly, these are so delicious with just a sprinkling of sea salt and a fresh grind of pepper, you don't need much more to enjoy them.

But to take it up a slight notch, I made a preserved lemon vinaigrette to dress some baby greens, slices of tomato and topped it off with a shaving of good Parmesan.

Pretty simple.  But tasty.

Enjoy!

Shannon

Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette

makes enough for a salad for 4

Depending on the salty intensity of your preserved lemons, you may or may not want to rinse them.  Use only the rind for this vinaigrette.

rind of half a preserved lemon

juice of half a fresh lemon

1/2 cup really good extra virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

Coarsely chop the preserved lemon rind and put into a blender or food processor with the fresh lemon juice, process until smooth.  With the machine still running add the olive oil in a single stream to create a nice emulsion.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Lightly dress salad greens and tomato slices and top off with shavings of fresh Parmesan.

al dente

al dente isn't probably the first word you would use as a descriptor for zucchini, but for this vegetable side dish it is the best one.

We need to give a shout out to Jamie Oliver for this innovative approach.

This recipe is incredibly simple. With nothing more than a few zucchini, a vegetable peeler, a squeeze of lemon juice and a glug of olive oil you can enjoy this crunchy side dish too.

Raw yet delicate. Zippy with a kick!

And yes, there is yet another use for zucchini!

Enjoy!

Shannon


Zucchini Ribbon Salad
adapted from Jamie Oliver

4 zucchini, (i used 2 green zucchini and 2 yellow crookneck squash)
juice of half a lemon, or a whole if it's stingy
a glug or two just to moisten
salt and pepper

Wash zucchini and trim the ends if needed. Then with a vegetable peeler take the outer section of each squash making thin ribbons, I stop once I get down to the core. Then squeeze on the lemon juice, a glug of olive oil and salt and pepper. You can serve immediately or let set for up to an hour. If you have any leftover it is a great addition to some freshly cooked linguine and Parmesan.

Serves 4