As published in the New York Times, recipe by Martha Rose Shulman
Serves 4
This recipe is as delicious as it is beautiful, a gorgeous salad of contrasting flavors and textures. The juicy, acidic grapefruit plays off the earthy beets and the creamy, nutty avocado.
For the dressing:
2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon walnut oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
For the salad:
1 bunch beets (about 1 pound), scrubbed and roasted
1 pink grapefruit
1 medium-size or large ripe but firm Hass avocado, sliced
2 tablespoons slivered fresh basil
Mix together the lemon or lime juice, the ground cumin seeds, salt, pepper and Dijon mustard. Whisk in the walnut oil and other oil.
Peel the roasted beets, and slice or cut in wedges. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the dressing.
Cut away both ends of the grapefruit so that it sits flat on your work surface. Cut the skin and pith completely away from the fruit, following the natural curve of the fruit from top to bottom. Hold the grapefruit in your hand over a bowl to catch the juice, and cut away each segment from between the membranes.
Arrange the beets in the center of a platter, and surround with the grapefruit and avocado slices. Drizzle on the remaining dressing, and drizzle any grapefruit juice in the bowl over the grapefruit and avocado. Sprinkle on the basil, and serve.
