All things citrus

So we finally had to succumb to the first cold of the season. Catching a cold seems to be quite inevitable when people everywhere around you are coughing and sneezing, and we spend more time indoors than during the warmer months of the year. All you can do is hope that in some miraculous way you won't get what everyone else is having. Unfortunately we weren't saved from it this time and so we've spent a good few days getting better. Coughing and sneezing, just like everyone else.

If there is any benefit of having a cold during this time of the year, however, it is that you certainly have the abundance of winter citrus fruit to give you that extra kick of vitamin C when you most need it. With a woollen blanket wrapped around me, I've been cradling a cup of hot lemon drink with a healthy dollop of raw honey and some grated fresh ginger and it has been as good as gold. This simple citrus salad is the second best thing to have when winter citrus fruit is at its best. It is beautifully sour, just the way I like it, and had I had some fresh yuzu, I would have thrown that in too.

Winter Citrus Salad

(Serves 2)

1 poorman's orange or grapefruit

1 Navel orange

1 Meyer lemon

1 lime

2 mandarins

1 tablespoon good extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon raw honey

small knob fresh ginger

1. Finely grate the zest of the lime and the orange and set aside. 

2. With a sharp knife, peel the rind and the white pit of the poorman's orange, orange, lemon and the mandarins. Discard the pips and cut the fruit into thin slices. Arrange the slices on a platter. 

3. For the dressing, whisk the lime and orange zest, along with the juice of the lime, one tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, honey and grated ginger in small bowl. Drizzle the dressing on the fruit and serve.

Last, but not least, here's a link to a special little interview I did recently with the Australian SBS Food. I am always happy to bring Finnish food on the culinary map and I it is such an honour to be featured on the SBS Food!