Lettuce and spinach with citrus and avocado

This recipe features a unique combination of bitter-tart grapefruit and creamy avocado, both of which are among my favourite foods, so I had to try this salad. The flavours play beautifully alongside each other, and the lettuce adds a crunchy texture. This super-healthy salad is also straightforward to assemble. This salad is fresh and bright, making it perfect for those hot summer days.

Deborah Madison was one of the first chefs to embrace the farm-to-table movement when she opened her restaurant, Greens, which I have dined at a few times. Her cookbooks are lovely, and this one, in particular, is amazing. Simple recipes that are loaded with flavour. Like me, you should get all her cookbooks; each is a masterpiece!

For more wonderful recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

1 head lettuce of your choice, Iceberg, Boston, or Bibb lettuce, washed and left whole or sliced into thin ribbons

1 small bunch of young spinach leaves left whole or sliced into ribbons

2 ruby grapefruits, flesh only

2 avocados, cut into small pieces

4 teaspoons sherry vinegar

2 teaspoons raspberry or other fruit vinegar or balsamic

1 shallot, finely diced

Salt to taste

3-4 tablespoons virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon mint, finely chopped

2 teaspoons chives, or scallions, finely sliced

Black pepper or Szechuan peppercorns

Combine the vinegar, 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. Set aside.

Pour the juice from the grapefruit sections into a separate container, then combine them with the avocado slices and dress them carefully with some of the vinaigrette.

Toss the greens with the remaining vinaigrette and arrange 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.