Your Perfect Summer Salad

I have an interesting relationship with grapefruits. On one hand they have a tolerable flavor but on the other hand they have, like an anvil’s worth of, bitter pith. This may surprise you since I wrote this recipe and am trying to convince you to make it, but it’s true, I really just don’t like the taste of them.That said, this dish could turn even the most spiteful grapefruit cynic--and I can say that with confidence because I’m one of them--into a grapefruit connoisseur. When paired with jicama (an unsung hero of the root realm that tastes like a starchy pear) and a sweet coconut vinaigrette, the flavors harmonize deliciously.  Jicama is full of prebiotics (also known as “oligofructose inulin”, in case you needed ideas for baby-names) which stimulates the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. Inulin has been noted by the British Journal of Nutrition as having anti-carcinogenic properties by reducing the toxic load in the gut.   Jicama is also surprisingly packed with Vitamin C, which we all know is an essential antioxidant (and also a hit singer who dropped some pretty awesome singles back in the early 2000’s). Graduation, anyone? Enjoy this hydrating summer appetizer out on the patio amidst the sun’s light. If you really want to go all out to rep your newfound love for the polarizing citrus that is grapefruit, you can thumb through Yoko Ono’s “Grapefruit” book while munching. Sounds like a perfect summer day to me!| INGREDIENTS |1 Avocado1 Grapefruit½ JicamaFresh Mint2 tablespoons Coconut Vinegar2 tablespoons Macadamia Oil2 teaspoons HoneyPinch of Sea Salt1 | Combine the vinegar, oil, honey, and salt in a small bowl with a whisk. If using a thicker variety of honey, whisk a bit longer to ensure that it emulsifies with the dressing.  2 | Remove the skin and white pith off the grapefruit. Cut out the individual segments of the fruit and discard the leftovers.  3 | Cut the avocado in half. Remove the pit and skin. A simple way to remove the skin is to make a small incision into the bottom or top of the avocado and peel it away with your fingers. Or, you can simply scoop the avocado out with a spoon. Dice the avocado into small cubes.  4 | Remove the skin from the jicama. (Jicama skin is tough, so it’s best to do this carefully with a knife.) Once you have removed all of the brown skin, dice the jicama into cubes a bit larger than the avocado.  | ASSEMBLY |Place your prepared avocado, grapefruit and jicama into a large bowl and pour the dressing over. Toss until well combined. Place into serving bowls and garnish with fresh mint leaves. Serve immediately.  Serves 1-2.