Recipe: Minted Orange and Red Onion Salad (with spearmint and watercress or fennel)

MINTED ORANGE AND RED ONION SALAD

"Salads of sweet orange, sharp onion and bitter greens are common in Italy and are slowly becoming familiar on American tables. In this version, the refreshing fruitiness of spearmint complements each element well. It's a beautiful and vibrantly flavored salad that serves as an exciting beginning to a meal in any season."

1/2 medium red onion, peeled
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh spearmint
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large navel oranges
1 large bunch watercress, thick stems removed*
2 tablespoons fruity extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Very thinly slice the onion using a mandoline, Japanese slicer, or sharp thin-bladed knife. In a large mixing bowl, toss it with the vinegar, mint, and salt. Set aside.

With a large chef's knife or serrated knife, cut off the tops and bottoms of the oranges. Place them cut side down on a cutting board and cut off the peel and white pith with a knife in thick vertical strips, following the curve of the fruit. The oranges should have no part of the peel, orange or white, left on it. Cut the oranges lengthwise into quarters, then slice the quarters crosswise 1/4 inch thick. Toss the orange with the onion. Set aside.

Wash the watercress by swishing it in a deep basin of cold water. Lift it out of the water and dry it in a salad spinner or on a clean towel.

Add the cress and olive oil to the orange mixture and toss. Taste and season with black pepper, and additional salt if needed. Serve at once.

*One fennel bulb, shaved or thinly sliced, may be substituted for the watercress.

Makes 4 servings
Source: Herbfarm Cookbook: A Guide to the Vivid Flavors of Fresh Herbs by Jerry Traunfeld