Recipe ~ Italo-California Salad

Last month, I was privileged to be included in two days of weekend celebrations with my Gubbio family. Saturday was a family member’s birthday, and Sunday was Easter lunch.

For the birthday party, their signature Brazilian BBQ was the menu. If any of you remember Pampas Churrasqueria from our Original Farmers Market food tour, it was a lot like that! I was invited to bring a salad, so I offered this one. When it was on the table, it occurred to me that it was very California in nature.

Gratefully, I’m able to find all of these SoCal things here, and of extraordinary quality. Blood oranges - known as Arancia Tarocco, from Sicily - are divine and, regular oranges or pink grapefruit do nicely as well. Improvise any way you’d like to make this your very own. Just make sure there’s lots of color, which always guarantees the best nutrition!

Italo-California Salad

Mixed salad greens, about 6-8 cups

2 blood oranges / navel oranges / pink grapefruit, segmented*, reserve juice

Zest and juice of one additional citrus, for dressing

3 small whole beets, cooked or raw, peeled, cut in small cubes (see instructions)

Extra-virgin olive oil

Generous handful of walnuts (toast lightly in a pan and cool, if you’d like)

1 large, ripe avocado – peeled, pitted, cut in small cubes

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

If you wish to cook the beets, my favorite way is to preheat oven to 400F. Stem beets but do not peel. Place in the middle of a large piece of sturdy foil, and splash with about 2 Tablespoons of water. Wrap tightly and place on a pan in oven. Allow to cook for up to an hour. Unwrap foil and allow beets to cool. Now they may be peeled easily, and cut into cubes. If you’d like, reserve the beet juice. It makes excellent hot pink food coloring !!

Place mixed greens in large serving bowl. With the reserved juice from segmented citrus, (*see video here on segmenting citrus), toss greens. Place remaining juice (plus juice and zest from third citrus) in another bowl, toss beet pieces in this.

Spoon beet pieces (reserving some juice in bowl if you can), on top of greens. and drizzle everything with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add to salad with pieces of citrus, walnuts, and avocado.

Finish with sprinkling with the last of the citrus juice, and a final drizzle of olive oil.

Yields about 6-8 side servings.