winter salad

Deep in winter, I start craving lighter meals and longer days.  When a salad looks this pretty, it feels like the first whisper of spring.  Salad in winter tends to get sidelined in favour of hearty, warming dishes. However, this salad is so fresh, and the juices from the orange give it a subtle tropical kiss.

you will need

lettuce (I used a Spring mix with radicchio)
1 Sumo orange
handful of pecan halves, toasted
Gruyère cheese
fresh mint leaves, roughly torn

method

Segment the orange and slice. The Sumo orange is seedless and works well in this recipe.  I toasted the pecan halves with a splash of maple syrup.  Grab a plate and add lettuce and mint leaves.  Arrange the orange slices, then top with pecan halves.  Cut the cheese using a vegetable peeler,  then break the slices into manageable pieces and spread them around the ingredients.  Add a splash of extra virgin olive oil and season with sea salt and a fresh grind of black pepper.

the culinary chase’s note:

The juices from the orange act as a delicious dressing.  Enjoy!