The redundancy of “simple green salad” seems to be unavoidable, but as the seasons change, there is an endless possibility of salads that can manage to be interesting and still very simple. This is a good example; Bibb lettuce dressed with supremed Ruby Red grapefruit, blood orange, shaved jicama, and tart citrus vinaigrette.

Choose healthy looking, mature heads of lettuce with a good weight, as these tend to carry the most tender interior leaves. I prefer the lettuce that is sold living, that is, with the roots intact, and contained in a private dome. Bibb lettuce is named after its developer, John Bibb, it is a butterhead lettuce, and the variations may be labeled as butter or limestone lettuce. One head of Bibb lettuce usually serves 2 people.

Obviously, this is not so much a recipe, but a suggestion to the effect that basically any citrus can be used. However, the contrast of the edge-of-bitter Ruby Red grapefruit, and the depth of blood orange make for a perfect combination. If you aren’t familiar with jicama (which has become very widely available), it is a tuberous root, with a turnipy exterior. Inside, the root looks similar to a raw potato or pear, and has a starchy, crisp apple-like flavor.

The salad’s composition is simple; remove the core from each head of lettuce and separate the leaves, removing any pieces that are less than perfect, as well as the tough outer leaves. Delicately wash the leaves in a bowl of cold water and spin-dry. Because the leaves are fragile, it is best to assemble each salad individually as opposed to tossing it. Arrange the citrus segments and jicama directly onto the plated lettuce, I shave jicama right onto the salad using a long vegetable peeler, but if you prefer a crunchier consistency, julienne works well. Finally, drizzle the salad with citrus vinaigrette and finish with a sprinkling of appropriate fresh herbs (if you like), and a small pinch of salt, serve immediately, the last step being the most important.

VERY Simple Citrus Vinaigrette

I understand that these are not the usual proportions for typical vinaigrette, but in this case, the dressing works well in the direction of tangy citrus juice, rather that creamy emulsification.

2 tablespoons highest-quality Champagne vinegar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed citrus juice (I use half lemon, half grapefruit)
1to 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt

To the vinegar, citrus juice, and salt, slowly add the olive oil, combine using a small whisk or fork.