French Orange & Olive Salad – a great substitute for tomatos when they aren’t in season

Citrus salads are a great substitute for tomato salads when tomatoes are tasteless and not in season. It's a perfect winter salad to have in your repertoire.

It’s a hastily made, colorful salad that I found in one of Pierre Franey’s 60-Minute Gourmet cookbooks many years ago.  At our house, we call this “Pierre’s salad.” Pierre Franey was a French chef who ran the kitchen at Le Pavillon restaurant in New York City for years. Pierre went on to write newspaper columns for the New York Times, penned some of my favorite cookbooks, and worked alongside his dear friend Craig Claiborne, who, along with Julia Child, taught my generation how to cook.

If you can find two different color oranges, so much the better. A blood orange with a navel orange would be very pretty. This salad is easily transportable and assembled right before serving. If you’ve a frequent reader, you might remember this salad from a couple of years ago.

French Orange and Black Olive Salad 
Salade d’Oranges et Olives Noires- adapted from 60 Minute Gourmet by Pierre Franey – serves two, easily doubled or tripled

1 each large navel orange and large tangelo, or two large navel oranges
8 black imported black olives, pitted & cut in half or slivers if large (I used Kalamata)

Vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
½ teaspoon finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 heaping teaspoon freshly chopped fresh rosemary (optional, but delightful)
Slivers of red onion
Chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Trim off the ends of the orange and tangelo. Peel them, then cut into quarter inch slices and put them in a mixing bowl. Add the olives.

To make the vinaigrette, place the paprika, garlic, vinegar and oil, chopped rosemary, salt and pepper in a small jar with a tight lid and shake well. Pour the vinaigrette over the oranges and olives and toss well. Sprinkle the slivers of red onions and chopped fresh parsley over the oranges and serve. Easily doubled or tripled.

Printable recipe

Our orchid has just started to bloom this year. It was a gift from my Valentine three years ago.

This will be shared with Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm, Miz Helen’s Country Kitchen Full Plate Thursday, Food on Friday at Carole's Chatter, and Foodie Friday at Simple Recipes.   

Have a great week everyone.