Florida Citrus Garden Salad Recipes

FLORIDA CITRUS BARS

Steps:

• For the crust: Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang for easy removal.
• In the bowl of a food processor, add the vanilla wafers, butter, granulated sugar, zest and a pinch of salt. Pulse until the mixture is a very fine crumb and is starting to clump together. Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Chill the dish in the freezer while you make the filling.
• For the filling: Add the cream cheese, condensed milk, confectioners' sugar, grapefruit zest, lemon zest and orange zest to a large bowl. Whip together with an electric hand mixer until completely combined and there are no clumps of cream cheese. Fold in the whipped cream. Remove the crust from the freezer and pour in the filling, using a spatula to smooth it into an even layer. Return to the freezer and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• For the topping: When the filling is set, remove the whole bar from the baking dish and place on a cutting board; removing the parchment. Decorate the top with the orange, grapefruit and lemon rounds, then carefully slice into bars. Serve immediately.

FLORIDA CITRUS GARDEN SALAD

Steps:

• Microwave limes for about 30 seconds to release essential oils, and set aside to cool.
• Turn on the blender and through the feed-tube, add the parsley, chives, honey, rice wine vinegar, and fresh ginger, and blend together until a smooth paste has formed. At this point the limes should be cool enough to squeeze. With the power on, add the lime juice through the blender feed-tube, and then very slowly add the oil and water until the mixture thickens and can coat the back of a spoon. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside in refrigerator until needed. (When chilled, the dressing should resemble something like mayonnaise.)
• In a large bowl, toss lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and grapefruit with enough dressing to coat.

FLORIDA CITRUS PIE

Steps:

• For the Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Toast until fragrant, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool slightly, then finely chop. In a large bowl (or a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), whisk together butter, egg yolk, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. Stir in flour and walnuts to combine, then knead mixture with your hands a few times to form a soft, pliable dough.
• Press dough evenly into bottom and up sides of a standard 9-inch pie dish. Prick at 1-inch intervals with the tines of a fork; refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes or, covered, up to 1 day.
• Bake crust 15 minutes; if it's puffing in places, flatten it with the bottom of a dry measuring cup. Continue baking until crust is golden brown and set, 10 to 12 minutes more. Let cool on a wire rack.
• For the Filling: Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt to combine. Whisk in juice, 1/3 cup water, and egg yolks until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Boil 30 seconds; remove from heat. Stir in orange zest, lemon zest and juice, and butter until smooth. Immediately pour into baked crust; smooth top. Let cool slightly, then refrigerate until cold and set firmly, at least 4 hours or, loosely covered (once cold), up to 1 day. Cut into wedges and serve cold, with whipped cream.

CITRUS SALAD

Steps:

• Place lime slices, tangerine sections, navel orange, and grapefruit in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the lime zest, mandarin orange zest, shallots, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Pour over the fruit. Arrange dressed fruit atop romaine lettuce to serve.