Great grapefruit

• Recipe: Spinach Salad with Grapefruit

The first fruits of this year’s crop are already dark and robust, a sign that the grapefruit this season will be superb.

Peel a heavy, plump grapefruit and inside you’ll find a succulent fruit bursting with health benefits. An excellent source of vitamin C, grapefruit can help boost your immune system and promote cardiovascular health.

Grapefruit is a potassium-rich food and contains a good amount of fiber. According to the Bastyr Center for Natural Health, eating red grapefruit helps reduce cholesterol and triglycerides in individuals who already have heart disease.

The deep ruby red color of our Texas Rio Reds, grown by Dennis Holbrook, indicates the presence of lycopene, an antioxidant and healthful phytonutrient.

The best part? All these health-promoting qualities are packed into one tart and tangy, yet subtly sweet fruit that’s delicious. Eat a grapefruit like an orange, slice it up and toss into a salad, or add to guacamole or salsa for a fresh, vibrant twist.

Spinach Salad with Grapefruit

Serves 4

Salad:

• 5 ounces organic baby spinach
• 1 large grapefruit, peeled
• 1/4 small red onion, peeled
• 1 large Haas avocado
• 1 small jicama, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes

Dressing:

• 1 quarter of a mango, peeled
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Put all dressing ingredients in blender and purée until smooth.

Divide spinach among four salad plates. Remove membrane and pith from grapefruit and cut into segments. Cut avocado in half and remove pit. Slice avocado in the peel and then scoop out. Thinly slice red onion in rings.

Evenly arrange slices of grapefruit, avocado, jicama and onion on top of spinach. Top with mango dressing.

Recipe by Jenny Hurst, PCC Cooks instructor
Sound Consumer, January 2009