Intro
In the weeks leading up to my trip to Morocco it was the tagines and fragrant spices that I anticipated. Thoughts of fatty, braised chunks of lamb studded with apricots and warming harissa made the days before I left move at a pace that would make a snail appear as a sprinter.
As one can expect, the food did not disappoint. There was couscous so perfectly prepared that my satisfaction in the store bought version has been crushed. A sweet and savory b’stilla laced with chicken and showered with cinnamon and powdered sugar and a chicken tagine with french fries – that’s right, FRENCH FRIES!! – sealed my love for this vibrant country. But it was the Moroccan breakfasts that I most long to recreate now that I’m home.
Fresh squeezed orange juice greeted me nearly every morning and woke me up more effectively than three children jumping on my bed ever can. Beyond the juice there was an assortment of breads. Some resembling airy pancakes, others seemed to enjoy a leisurely bath in hot oil before settling into their position of my breakfast. With the breads there was always Amlou, honey, and assorted fruit preserves. Speaking of fruit; the hot Moroccan sun does wonders to intensify the sweetness. Bananas are nearly half the size and twice as sweet, grapes taste of candy, and the citrus requires no additional sugar to tame its pucker.
Proving that point was this salad. A simple salad made up of no more than four ingredients in stunning jewel tones and sweet, slivered dates. Its beauty drew me in but the taste left me pining for its presence during the days that followed.
Segmented grapefruit sat next to bright bites of lemon. The tartness took me by surprise as I had never simply eaten a bite of lemon, except maybe as a child to somehow impress other with my sustainability against the harsh sourness. With the addition of the dates, the entire bowl was perfectly sweet.
And then there’s mint. The herb that I had once relegated to tea and little else. Even refusing to allow it to be a final course garnish as it never made sense to me to add something for the color when the flavor was not wanted. Now there is rarely a day that goes buy when I don’t reach for the emerald leaves.
I’m home now and citrus season is in full swing along with the desire to enjoy a bit more fruits and vegetables ridding myself of nearly an entire month where sugar and butter made up the bulk of my diet. No regrets here, but it did leave me longing for the freshness of a salad such as this one.
The sweet milk granita is purely optional but turns this salad into a stunning, and healthful dessert. I love the ease of turning this sweet cream into a granita. After stirring the ingredients together I add it to a metal cake pan and pop the whole thing in the freezer. Every thirty minutes, or whenever I remember, I simply give the mix a quick stir with a fork to break up any large ice chunks, until the mixture is well-frozen. The resulting granita is flecked with vanilla beans, light ice crystals and a soft texture that melts into the crevices of the segmented citrus that it’s scooped over. You can also churn this mix in an ice cream maker if you want a smoother texture. The choice is yours.
When the presence of fry bread and fresh squeezed orange juice are missing from my mornings, this salad fills the void and reminds me of what Morocco tasted of.
Grapefruit Salad with Sweet Milk Granita
Grapefruit Salad
Inspired by a salad enjoyed at Heure Bleue Hotel in Essaouira, Morocco
Makes 4 smallish servings.
While I loved the puckering tang of the lemon in this salad I do prefer the much gentler sourness that comes from a Meyer lemon, so I’ve used that here instead.
2 large grapefruits, segmented
1 meyer lemon, segmented
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh mint
1/4 cup thinly sliced dates
Combine the citrus segments and the mint. Add the dates just before serving.
Finish with a small scoop of Sweet Milk Granita if you desire.
Sweet Milk Granita
adapted from pastrychefonline.com
I love the simplicity of this granita and the fact that it doesn’t need an ice cream maker. The resulting texture is light, with flaky ice crystals that melt freely into the citrus. Usually I would oppose this texture when cream is involved but for this it works. If you prefer a perfectly creamy texture feel free to churn in an ice cream maker.
1 cup (9 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 1/4 cups (9 oz) hot water
1/2 vanilla bean, split
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
In a medium bowl combine all the ingredients and stir well. If you are using an ice cream maker, chill this mixture completely before churning.
If turning into a granita add mixture to a metal pan (I used a 9″ square cake pan – the bigger the pan the faster it will freeze). Let sit in the freezer for about an hour initially then break up mixture and any formed ice crystals with a fork every 30 minutes until completely frozen. This process will give the desired light texture with uniform ice crystals – the mark of a well-made granita.
Best served the day it’s made.
*If you happen to forget about the granita and it freezes solid you can either remelt and start again or you can process in the mix in a food processor to break up ice crystals.
Will definitely try the salad!
The colors are absolutely stunning. It looks like such a vibrant city, and your photos really do it justice. I love the simplicity of the salad, and dates are one of my favorite foods right now. I’m in luck that my Meyer lemon tree is weighed down with fruit right now…I have a feeling it will all be used soon.
@Deanna – A Meyer lemon tree?! Let’s be friends.
you had me at condensed milk.
This sounds so fresh right now, just what I need too! I never would have thought of this combination before, but it does kinda make complete sense, thanks for sharing!
Love ruby red grapefruit. Though my current grapefruit application involves gin + hansen’s ginger ale. Looks like I need to try it in dessert!
@Victoria – Grapefruit and gin?! I like you.
This sounds absolutely splendid!
That is a stunning grapefruit! What vibrant color! And such a fresh salad. Looks and sounds lovely – and I love the addition of the granita.
I have never heard of a sweetmilk granita – eager to give it a try!
Wow, first of all your pics are great. You have a well designed blog. And secondly, I all of a sudden love grapefruit because of you. Love the recipe!
Molly
convertible baby cribs
nursery bedding
Your photography is breathtaking!
What a lovely salad/dessert! Gorgeous photos, as well. This is just what I need to begin my morning. The addition of lemon segments is terrific, too. Thank you for sharing!
You have left me hungry for food and travel! Your writing and pictures are a joy. Thank you!
What a simple and delicious-looking citrus salad! Gotta buy some grapefruits and try this recipe out.
favorite! this granita just blew my mind.
So delicious looking, and THE thing you want to eat after christmas holiday! Beautiful pictures!
Your photography is simply stunning. These photos and recipes leave me wishing I had not already gone to the grocery store!
You captured grapefruit’s beauty perfectly. I added it to salad on the weekend too, and it pretty much made my life. Go, go grapefruit!
Your photography is literally breathtaking. Is there any special type of light box/setup that you do for these photos or is it simply using your film camera that brings out such vibrant colors? I need to know!!!
@Jack – I am fortunate to have giant windows. During the Winter in Seattle we have about 10 minutes of daylight (this may be an exaggeration) and I use them wisely. I shoot about a foot away from the window with the light coming in from the side. Sometimes I’ll use a piece of white board to bounce light in on the other side. These photos were shot using a Canon 5d Mark II. Thanks for your kind words.
how funny! i’ve been wondering what to do with all the grapefruits and lemons on my table, and i have a box of dates i almost threw out yesterday. this salad is a fabulous idea.
Simply beautiful!
This is so beautiful. I love your photos and recipe creation. A jewel of a salad, without a doubt. You do great work!
Just wanted to say I’ve been following your blog for a couple of months, and I made this for a dinner party tonight, and it was more delicious than I could have imagined. Thank you so much!
@LASingh – I LOVE hearing this. Thank you!
What a refreshing looking salad…just lovely!
Gorgeous, gorgeous salad! Coincidentally, even though it’s Winter here in Canada, I just made a citrus salad myself…but of course, not quite as fancy as yours! That milk granita sounds divine!
This is just marvelous! I’d never thought to use condensed milk in this way… but I have to try this ASAP!
Oh, that salad is calling to me. It just made the weekend short list! Thanks, as always, for the inspiration!
Oh man, isn’t it amazing how traveling awakens your palate and makes nothing at home seem good enough? But then, there’s that struggle and delight to re-create what we tasted so far away. I can’t wait to bite into a little bit of your Morocco. Oh, and did I mention, you’re pictures are lovely.
Incredible pictures, they make me want to hop on a plane right now! This sound spectacular as well.
This would bring an amazing bit of sun in to my rainy Portland day!
Okay, the grapefruit salad looks amazing (wonderful photos as always) but what really has me hooked is the Sweet Milk Granita. Yum!
This is a terrific salad, thank you SO much! I found it needed just a dash of salt, but YUM.