Sweet N Tart Citrus Salad with Persian Mint

Ten plus years ago when I began frequenting Farmers' Market I was always seduced by the lush displays and inevitably brought home too much food for a single person household. Too often I ended up tossing out vegetables that had gone bad because I had not been able to cook them before they died a sad death in the vegetable bin of the refrigerator. I finally wised up and began limiting the amount of cash that I brought with me during my market outings - limited cash meant limited produce. I had to choose wisely and resist multiple impulse buys.

While I still stick to the limited cash strategy (although my limit has increased a bit!) I do allow myself the freedom of buying what is new in the market, and am not as regimented as before.

Herbs, however, are always my downfall.

It's so easy to be seduced by a new herb bundle here and there, and they're small, so I don't worry about them taking up too much space in the refrigerator. This past week a lovely man introduced me to Persian mint and after trying a piece I was hooked. I knew its citrusy flavor would pair gorgeously with the last of the season's blood oranges and kumquats at the market.

Blood oranges have a much tarter flavor than regular oranges, and paired with the grapefruit and kumquats this is not your typical fruit salad. I added the agave nectar since it was too tart without it, even for me with my sour tooth. I served it with some grilled marinated pork chops and the combination was divine!

Sweet N Tart Citrus Salad with Mint

1 grapefruit
4 blood oranges
1 tablespoon mint, minced
1-2 tablespoon agave nectar
5-7 kumquats,
1 tablespoon lime juice
lime zest from 1/2 lime

Carve off all of the peel and the white pith. Cut in slices, quartering slices. Do the same with the blood oranges, only cutting them in slices. Mix with kumquats, mint and agave. Grate in lime zest and lime juice and stir well. Serve at room temperature.

Hugs!