Little cuties, clementines, mandarin oranges, tangerines…they’re all (nearly) the same thing. They’re small, sweet, often seedless oranges. My family eats quite a few when they’re in season – during winter – so I try to use them in a variety of ways, from sweet to savory, sauces to beverages, zest to juice. For this recipe, I experimented and used the whole fruit. ALL of it. No separate zesting, juicing, or dividing segments; you just puree the whole dang thing. The flavor is incredible!!
I love citrus. I use it in sweet dishes, savory dishes, condiments, sauces, salts, sugars, salsas, dressings, and of course beverages. Rarely do I make a cocktail without the addition of either lemon or lime…booze usually needs that little bit of zesty tartness to round out the “burn” of the alcohol and to mellow whatever sweetness was added, usually in the form of simple syrup, honey or straight up sugar.
This salad highlights the transition from winter to spring by combining tangy, juicy oranges with tender, nearly-sweet emerald spears of asparagus. It’s the baton hand-off in the relay of seasonal life. Orange tips it’s hat in farewell while asparagus extends it’s arms in a welcome “Hello”…Spring has arrived!
the Seasonal Veg Head 