SEASONAL PARTNERS

Have you ever noticed how so many fruits and vegetables that come into season together just naturally seem to go together?  Like peppers with tomatoes, strawberries with rhubarb, green beans with new potatoes, and avocados with citrus?  Yes, I said avocados with citrus!  Perhaps you didn't know about that combo.  I know I didn't.  However, just the other day, right after I told you about the big basket of citrus and avocados we were gifted with, I started flipping through some of my favorite cookbooks to see if I could find some good ways to use either the grapefruits or the avocados.  Know what I found?  Several recipes that used both, together!  Recipes like this one, which was quite delicious:

AVOCADO AND GRAPEFRUIT SALAD

from Barefoot in Paris, by Ina Garten

Serves Four

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil
3 ripe Hass avocados
3 large red grapefruits

Place the mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the vinaigrette is emulsified.

Before serving, cut the avocados in half, remove the seeds, and carefully peel off the skin.  Dip each avocado half in the vinaigrette to prevent it from turning brown.  Use a large, sharp knife to slice the peel off the grapefruits (be sure to remove all the white pith), then cut between the membranes to release the grapefruit segments.

Arrange the segments on 4 small plates.  Cut the avocados in wedges and arrange them with the grapefruit.  Spoon a little vinaigrette on top, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve.