Like most people I’m craving a taste of the tropics once mid-January rolls around. Good thing that craving coincides with citrus season! It’s a delicious relief to find a wider selection of ripe oranges, grapefruits, key limes and other zesty delights in the produce aisle.

I’m also a big fan of juicing. Not in the “2 week cleanse” kind of way, more like the “holy cow that’s delicious” and “6 lbs. of trimmings into the compost” kind of way. I like a variety of citrus spiked with fresh ginger and turmeric, maybe some pineapple or a couple of apples to sweeten it up. It takes a lot of fruit to make a glass of juice so in-season citrus is good for the ol' budget.

Between the juicing and the fun, fresh recipes that citrus season brings, things are feeling pretty sunny in the Springline Seafood Kitchen!

If you like a indulge in an adult beverage while you’re cooking, try making a batch of oleo saccharum - it’s easier than it sounds… really all you have to do is take a bunch of those leftover peels from your earlier juicing extravaganza and mix them with some sugar. In a couple of hours the sugar will have pulled the citrus oils out of the peels and left you with a delicious oily concoction delicious in any kind of cocktail you can dream up. Or try this one for Rum Punch.

Now that you’ve got a tasty tumbler of Rum Punch at the ready, let’s get to the point of this post. Citrus and salmon are a match made in heaven!

We all love a bit of fresh lemon juice (and zest) squeezed over a fillet before we pop it in the oven. Sometimes that, and a bit of salt and pepper, is all it takes. Don’t have a lemon? Try a lime, an orange or even a grapefruit. If you’re worried that nature didn’t make the fruit sweet enough, mix the juice with a dab of honey before adding it to your fillet.

Or, try making a citrus-focused vinaigrette. A spinach salad with fresh orange sections topped with grilled salmon and an orange vinaigrette? Sounds great on a dreary day.  Here’s a sweet and spicy version to try.

Roasted salmon also pairs nicely with a brown butter citrus sauce. Pop your salmon in the oven. While it’s cooking melt about 4 tablespoons of butter in a sauté pan and keep it on medium high heat while it melts and foams up. As the butter starts to brown, lower the heat and keep an eye on it. You want the nutty flavor of a rich brown butter - but don’t let it go to far! Once its a nice deep brown, pull the pan from the heat and add the zest and the juice from an orange (or a lemon). Season with a bit of salt and pour over your salmon.  Delicious! If you’re in the mood, toss some capers in that sauce, or try starting with some minced shallots.  

How are you enjoying citrus this winter?

The first week in January usually equals crowded gyms, abstaining from alcohol and mass consumption of salads… Let’s talk about that last item!
​
We love salads. In fact we eat them for lunch almost every day (when we’re not fishing…). Our salads are fridge-clearing works of art. 

• Tons of vegetables - and not just lettuce - kale, cabbage, carrots, onions, broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes...
• Avocados - always!
  
• Chopped fresh fruit - especially apples and pears or dried fruit - raisins, elderberries
• Chopped fresh herbs 
• Toasted nuts - pecans, walnuts, almonds
• Seeds - sesame seeds, chia seeds
• Grated cheeses especially full flavored hard cheeses
• Hard boiled eggs
• Protein - smoked or roasted salmon, bacon bits, shrimp, shredded turkey or chicken

And then of course, the dressing. David loves blue cheese (we often “extend” it with a splash or two of buttermilk) but I’m usually down for something more unique.  Right now I am loving this version of a Ceaser salad dressing -  It’s delicious! If you make a triple batch and keep it thick you can use the extra if for a tasty dip with vegetables, and then just thin what’s left with a little water to make it into more of a dressing when needed.  

I’m also happy to “feed” an existing salad dressing bottle to keep it alive… It’s not out of the question that we have salad dressing bottles that are 2, 3 years old in our refrigerator. As soon as one is about to be emptied, I add vinegar (usually apple cider), a splash of oil (walnut, olive or avocado) some mustard, and whatever else might strike my fancy.  

Bon Appetit also recently had some suggestions for making your own dressings here that I found pretty interesting. Just get creative! And make small batches, that way if you don’t really like how it turned out your not out $15 for that 10 oz. of hazelnut oil you dumped in there.