We only moved house once when I was growing up, but one thing remained the same – my dad’s love for gardening. I remember as a little girl he would come home from work and go to the garden to pull weeds, pick fruits and vegetables, and till the soil. He would let me help pick what we were going to plant, let me push the seeds into the dirt, and then my favorite part – pull the fruits and veggies from their plants. My favorite was always carrots – not because I liked eating them, but because it was always a mystery as to how big they had gotten.
Since my dad retired, his garden has gotten grown and now includes citrus trees and other varieties of trees as well. He has satsumas, navel oranges, Meyer lemons, avocados, papayas, figs, blueberries, and more that I can’t even keep up with!
So when he told me his orange trees were out of control and he had picked over a hundred oranges and he couldn’t even tell he got any off the tree, I knew it was time to try out some recipes with oranges!
This was was adapted from Skinnytaste’s recipe, because well, the store didn’t have the exact ingredients so I had to create my own. But isn’t that the great part about salads?
Ingredients
- 3 blood oranges, skinned and segmented
- 2 blood oranges, juiced
- 5 cups greens (like baby spinach or arugula)
- 4 oz feta cheese (or Gorgonzola cheese)
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
- 1/8 red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
For the Vinaigrette
Combine the juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and vinegar in a small glass jar and shake vigorously.
Making the Salad
Put the dressing in the bottom of the bowl. I know, this goes against everything you’ve ever know about making a salad. But this will help your lettuce leaves to not wilt while you’re waiting for everyone to get to the table (or if you’re taking it for a picnic or someone’s home or something). Next, put in the greens, oranges, onions, cheese, and pecans. When you’re ready to eat, toss the salad well and serve.
This fresh and easy salad recipe is one you can adapt and make your own! I’d love to hear what you included in yours!
