Starting today I’m going to be bringing you news about what’s in season, spotlighting the freshest fruits, vegetables, seafood, and more that you’ll find right now at your supermarket—along with ideas on how to cook with them. And right now, ’tis the season for citrus fruits!

While plump tomatoes and ruby-red strawberries are still months away from peak season, dozens of citrus varieties, including sweet oranges and tart grapefruit and lemons, are abundant in the produce section of the supermarket.

Sure they’re delicious, but citrus fruits are also rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, which help support the immune system and kick nasty illnesses like the cold and flu.

When you’re at the supermarket, pick out fruit that’s firm and has bright, colorful skins. (no bruising, wrinkles, or discolored parts). That means the fruit may be well past its prime.

The fresh, tangy flavors of citrus liven up any dinner in the dead of winter, especially when paired with buttery avocado slices, juicy pomegranate seeds, and leaf lettuce in a Citrus Avocado Salad. The recipe calls for navel oranges and grapefruit slices, but I snuck a blood-orange in there, too. Its deep-red color means it’s higher in antioxidants than regular oranges, and it’s also extra sweet and juicy.

To construct the salad, I started by segmenting the fruit. I simply cut the tops and bottoms off the oranges and grapefruit; then, following the curve of the fruit, cut the peel off. Next I slid my knife between each segment and the connective membrane, popping the segments out one-by-one.

After tossing the lettuce with celery-seed dressing (which, with sugar and lemon juice has a sweet-tart flavor; the recipe is included with the salad recipe) I piled on the citrus segments, added a few slices of avocado (loaded with heart-healthy fats), and gave the whole thing a generous sprinkle of bright pink pomegranate seeds (also extremely high in antioxidants and fiber).  And for staying power, I crowned the top with a few protein-rich jumbo shrimp.

This salad was almost too pretty to eat!

Almost.

Looking for more healthy citrus dishes? Check out these flavor-packed recipes:

Marinated Orange Slices

Orange Pork Chops

Roasted Salmon with Shallot-Grapefruit Sauce

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Categories: Fresh Talk | Tags: Fruit, Grapefruits, Lemons, Oranges, Salad
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