This is my favorite winter salad. Although we all wish that avocados and tomatoes would be in season at the same time, the fact is that grapefruit and avocados are a better seasonal match. I first had this kind of salad in New Orleans in 2001, came across a version in Gourmet that same year and have made it ever since.
Grapefruit Avocado Salad
salad greens
1 grapefruit
1 avocado
1 lime
piece of ginger, grated
quality olive oil
raw, peeled shrimp (optional)
Marinate the shrimp in half the juice of the lime and a tsp of ginger while you prepare the rest of the salad. Peel and section half the grapefruit and leave the pieces in chunks. Slice and cube the avocado.
Make the vinaigrette: combine juice from a few remaining sections of grapefruit and the other half of the lime with ginger, salt and pepper and whisk in olive oil. Mix the vinaigrette with the salad greens and put on plates.
Scatter the grapefruit and avocado chunks over the salad. At this point you can also add sunflower seeds, roasted hazelnut pieces or slivered almonds. Cook the marinated shrimp in a little butter until pink (about 3 minutes each side) and add to the salad just before serving.