I was in the midst of preparing a very rich meal. I had two plump chickens roasting in the oven, a pot of rice simmering in garlic chicken broth on the stove, and a bowl of sliced leeks ready to add to the saucepan of chanterelles I was stirring on the front burner. I wanted a salad to round out this meal, and I wanted it to be assertive and bright. Something explosive, with strong, clean citrus juiciness to complement the chicken and mushrooms.

I grabbed one of each kind of citrus fruit I had in the house, and a large fistful of mint. I added lots of radishes for crunch, and some scallions for flavor, and I got to work.

Ingredients:

(Serves three or four as a side salad.)

4 cups of mache and mixed greens, including frisee and radicchio.

6 radishes, sliced.

3 scallions, sliced.

1/2 cup of grated golden beet.

1 navel orange, peel sliced off, quartered and sliced.

1 lime, peel sliced off, quartered and sliced.

1 large fistful of mint, chopped.

Zest of one orange.

Zest of one lemon.

Zest of one lime.

Citronette:

(Use only what you need. Refrigerate extra for a couple of days.)

1 T lemon juice.

3 T extra virgin olive oil.

1/2 tsp maple syrup.

1 small clove of garlic, crushed and minced.

1 pinch of salt, to taste.

I started with a gorgeous bed of mache, radicchio, and frisee. Then I zested the citrus over the greens. Once the zest was safely in the salad, I juiced a lemon and prepared my citronette, giving the garlic time to mellow.

I sliced up my radishes and scallions, and turned to the lime and the orange.

I love slicing the peel off of citrus fruits and exposing the bright, jeweled fruit. I did this for the lime and the navel orange, and added them to the salad just before it was time to serve it, since mache wilts easily.

The Verdict:

This salad was exactly what I wanted. My verdict? Amazing. It was quite sour, which I loved. My husband, on the other hand, was less impressed. He wound up leaving a little pile of pretty lime bits on his plate, and it was far too sour for the kids. Make this if you’re a fan of sour deliciousness. If not, move on.

Make it a Meal:

Garbanzo beans, chicken, or any kind of seafood would work very well with this salad.

Pack it to Go:

Citronette in a jar with all the cut fruit. The rest of the salad ingredients in a large glass or stainless steel container with a tupperware-style lid. Shake up the dressing and pour as much as you need over the salad before eating it.