Butter Lettuce and Spinach with Citrus and Avocado

Recipe by: Deborah Madison, Edward Espe Brown | from The Greens Cookbook

Cookstr

Course: Cold Appetizer

Total Time: Under 30 Minutes

Skill Level: Moderate

Cost: Inexpensive

butter-lettuce-and-spinach-with-citrus-and-avocado

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Light and dark greens, the mildly acid fruit, and the creamy avocado provide a lively dynamic in this simple salad. Aromatic Szechuan peppercorns, roasted, then ground with salt, have a flowery fragrance, but if you use them, omit the fruit vinegar and substitute sherry vinegar.

Yield: Makes four to six small salads

INGREDIENTS

1 head butter lettuce, limestone, or Bibb lettuce
1 small bunch young spinach leaves
2 ruby grapefruit
2 avocados
4 teaspoons sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons raspberry or other fruit vinegar
1 shallot, finely diced
¼ teaspoon salt
6 to 7 tablespoons virgin olive oil or a mixture of virgin and light olive oil
1 teaspoon mint, finely chopped
2 teaspoons chives, finely sliced
Black pepper or Szechuan peppercorns

Directions

Separate the leaves of the lettuce and remove the spinach stems. Discard any leaves that are bruised or yellow, wash the greens–the spinach in two changes of water– and dry them in a spinner. If the spinach leaves are small, leave them whole. If they are large, layer several leaves together, roll them up, and slice them into wide or narrow ribbons. Place them loosely in a kitchen towel and refrigerate until needed.

Use a very sharp knife to peel the grapefruit. Slice a piece off the top and the bottom of each, then work down the sides, removing the white pith as well as the peel. Holding the grapefruit over a bowl to catch the juice, cut each section loose from its membrane and turn it into the bowl. (Later you can drink the juice.)

Peel the avocados, slice them in half, and remove the seeds. Lay the halves cut side down and slice them crosswise at an angle.

Combine the vinegars, shallot, and salt in a bowl. Whisk in the oil or mixture of oils. Taste, and adjust the balance of vinegar and oil if necessary. Stir in the mint and chives.

Pour the juice off the grapefruit sections, combine them with the avocado slices, and dress them carefully with some of the vinaigrette. Toss the greens with the rest of the vinaigrette and lay them on salad plates. Set the grapefruit and avocado slices in and among the leaves. Add a grinding of black pepper (or roasted Szechuan pepper) and serve.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Nutrients per serving (% daily value)

Nutritional information is based on 6 servings.

Calories 280kcal (14%)

Calcium 94mg (9%)

Vitamin C 50mg (83%)

Vitamin A 365mcg RAE (12%)

Potassium 826mg

Magnesium 76mg

Protein 4g

Sugar 7g

Fiber 7g