This colorful, citrusy salad may evoke summer, but it’s made with ingredients that are in season in early winter and through the spring, according to Greens’ executive chef Katie Reicher, whose new cookbook “Seasons of Greens” (Weldon Owen, $45) comes out April 22. It’ll add a lovely pop of brightness to your next spring feast.

INGREDIENTS:

1 large red beet

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (60 ml) light olive oil

2 tablespoons golden balsamic vinegar

2 medium blood oranges

1 Cara Cara orange

1 navel orange

1 Oroblanco grapefruit or pomelo

3 to 4 small Satsuma mandarins

1 to 2 avocados

Flaky sea salt, for garnish

1 Belgian endive, leaves separated and core removed

For the Chimichurri (yields 1 1/2 cups):

1 large bunch curly parsley

1 bunch oregano

1 bunch chives

1 cup (240 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup (60 ml) red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon minced garlic

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon chile flakes

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Start by cooking the beet. Place the beet in a small saucepan that is deep enough to cover the entire vegetable. Cover the beet with water and place on the stovetop. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a strong simmer and cook until the beet is fork-tender, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, prepare the beet marinade by combining the sugar, salt, olive oil, and golden balsamic vinegar together in a bowl.

While the beet cooks, begin preparing the oranges and grapefruit.

On a clean cutting surface, using a sharp knife, slice across the top and bottom of each piece of citrus so that the flesh is exposed. Then, place the citrus on the cutting surface on one of the flat sides to hold it in place. Cut away the skin and pith carefully, so that the bright flesh is exposed. Be careful not to cut away too much of the flesh with the pith.

Next, prepare a mixture of orange slices and “supremes.” You can use whichever citrus for either cut, but each citrus can only be cut into one or the other. I prefer to slice the citrus that have smaller, tighter segments and cut supremes of the citrus that have larger, more defined segments.

To cut slices, simply slice the citrus crosswise to create little wheels. To cut supremes, take the skinless citrus and hold it in your nondominant hand. Place the bowl with the beet marinade underneath you as you work to catch the excess juices. Using a paring knife, cut away each segment from the inner membranes by slicing as close to the membrane on either side of the segment as possible, then push the segment out with the side of the knife. Repeat this process until all of the segments have been removed from the core. Squeeze the core well over the bowl to collect any remaining juices.

Next, prepare the mandarins. Peel the mandarins with your hands as you normally would to eat them. Dip the peeled mandarins in water for a few seconds, then use a paring knife to remove the stringy pith. Once the mandarins are cleaned, separate them into individual segments.

When the beet is cooked to fork-tender, remove it from the cooking water and let it cool for a few minutes on a clean cutting surface.

Once cool enough to handle, use a tea towel or gloves to rub away the skin of the beet. Then, slice the beet into 1-inch (2.5-cm) chunks and place in the prepared marinade. Stir to combine and let sit for at least 10 minutes.

Make the chimichurri. Start by preparing the herbs, beginning with the parsley. Pick the leaves from the stems and place them on a cutting board, being careful to pick out any yellowed leaves. Chop the parsley with a sharp knife until the parsley is incredibly fine, then add to a small bowl. Next, remove the oregano leaves from the stems and chop finely. Add to the bowl with the parsley. Discard the oregano stems. Slice the chives as thinly as possible and add to the bowl of herbs.

Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix until the herbs have been fully incorporated into the oil and vinegar mixture. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Store for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer.

Related Articles

Recipe: Roasted potatoes with dill and garlic

Streamlined Neapolitan meatballs are made with panko breadcrumbs

Eggs too expensive? Here’s how to bake without them

‘Fricos’ are tasty rounds of cheddar and Parmesan cheese

A salmon stir-fry makes an easy weeknight dinner

Assemble the salad. Place the citrus wheels flat on a large serving plate. Leave space in between the wheels and vary the color and sizes of the citrus as you lay them out. Top these citrus segments with the mandarins and “supremes.” Next, top the citrus with the beets, then drizzle the entire salad with dollops of Chimichurri. Slice the avocado into thin strips and neatly fan over the citrus. Salt the avocados lightly with the flaky salt and garnish with endive leaves. Serve immediately.

— Courtesy Katie Reicher, “Seasons of Greens” (Weldon Owen, $45).