Terra Americana

This salad was inspired by an experiment with French Fridays with Dorie.  In the depths of winter, this salad is a sunny day.  Fresh, citrusy with a bit of heat this recipe is a reminder of blue skies and warmer weather to come.

• 1 ruby red grapefruit
• 2 6oz cans lump crab meat, picked through for shells and cartilage
• 1 avocado cut in chunks
• 1/2 english cucumber peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch chunks
• 3/4 cup marinated red peppers, diced
• 1 cup chives, minced
• 1 tsp Picante Passion
• 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Dash or two of Tabasco

At least 2 hours in advance scoop grapefruit out of shells using a grapefruit spoon.  When you are ready to make the salad, drain the crabmeat if necessary, turn it out onto a double thickness of paper towels, and pat it dry. Put it in a bowl and add the cucumbers, peppers, scallions, and chile.
 
Add grapefruit to the bowl, and gently toss the ingredients together.  You want the crab to stay in large pieces.  Add 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1 tablespoon of the reserved grapefruit juice, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper and a couple of shakes of Tabasco. Taste the salad and decide what you'd like to add. You may need to add a bit more oil. 

More sensational salads:

• Broccoli and Tortellini Salad

• Tuna & Sweet Pea Salad

• Orange, Fennel and Spinach Salad

• Rustic Italian Bread Salad

Photo Credit: Julie T Cecchini