Monday, January 27, 2014

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.



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.

31 comments:

  1. Absolutely beautiful salad Sam. And I'm so impressed that your orchid is blooming. I'm been nursing mine along since I received it for my birthday last year. I'd be thrilled if it bloomed again.

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  2. I can always count on you to make the most wonderful salads, Sam. Oranges are especially good right now and I love that you have combined them with briny Kalamata olives. I think this would be delicious with a simple roasted chicken. Congrats on getting your orchid to bloom. It never works for me.

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  3. A delightful salad! So fresh and flavorful.

    Your orchid is fabulous!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  4. What a lovely salad with a fresh taste! Of course, the photograph is a work of art....it is hard to eat artwork but I think I could make an exception! Delicious....

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  5. That is absolutely gorgeous Sam! What pretty colors to brighten up a cold winter day-enjoy:@)
    PS-Major congrats on the orchid! Let's just say the one I had was very unhappy...

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  6. We just had this the other night but used Honey Bells - it was delicious.

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  7. This is like SUNSHINE in the cold winter day! The salad looks very beautiful and delicious, Sam.

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  8. My husband is not a salad fan but I think even he would like that. Have a good day Diane

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  9. This looks so delicious!! Want to make this tonight. :)

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  10. That looks wonderful. I did a citrus post today too - great minds think alike.

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  11. I love onions with Citrus Sam..and your Valentine picked a beauty:) Twice!

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  12. This is a really lovely winter salad - so fresh and seasonal!

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  13. This is so pretty and sounds delicious Sam - the citrus from the market is just wonderful right now.

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  14. Beautiful salad. I'm thinking that vinaigrette would work well on greens as well. Congratulations on your orchid blooming. Sadly I've never had any luck having mine rebloom

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  15. What a nice memory your post has invoked. Years ago (25?), I joined a friend in Philadelphia for "The Book and the Cook". It was an annual event that paired diners with cookbook authors. Our host and preparer of the dinner we signed up for was Pierre Franney. It was a delicious and delightful evening. I believe his salad would brighten up our deep midwinter gloom!!

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  16. Your salad looks delicious, sunshiny perfect! I never would've combined oranges with olives, but it sounds great and I will have to try it. Thanks for the recipe. The orchid is gorgeous!

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  17. Dear Sam, I am a big fan of this salad. I love oranges with the vinegar and seasonings. Blessings dear. Catherine xo

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  18. I keep forgetting how much I love citrus salads. I'm longing for real summer tomatoes, so this would really brighten up my winter blahs. Cara Cara oranges are all over the place, so I'd use these. Love the contrast of sweet and briny. Beautifully done.

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  19. Citrus is in season! Who needs tomatoes! This is a beautiful salad.

    And cheers to your orchid blooking :-)

    Velva

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  20. What a beautiful bright salad to enjoy in winter, Sam! I love oranges. I imagine using regular and blood red oranges would be very pretty.

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  21. Lovely Sam, I am on the lookout for blood oranges this time of year. Your orchid is beautiful.

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  22. I love the combination of oranges and olives. Like you, I was and still am a big fan of Franey and Claiborne. The orchids in Florida are all starting to bloom. The one I have here in Georgia, by the kitchen sink, is full of lovely yellow blooms. What a gift!

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  23. Love this combo, sweet and salty, and the fact that it can sit awhile.

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  24. I really enjoy winter salads with fresh citrus! Yours looks so refreshing to me right now and the olives are a nice 'twist'. What a gorgeous orchid!

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  25. This does look good -- I'm making an orange, fennel and olive salad tomorrow for a company dinner but I'll have to try yours for I've got a whole bag of oranges!

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  26. Hi Sam,
    I made your Salad the other day and it is fabulous we will be having it often! Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a great weekend!
    Miz Helen

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  27. Really unique citrus salad and so in season.

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  28. Now, this sounds really different, but yummy! I like the juxtaposition of flavors.

    xoxo

    Sheila

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  29. Love this salad! We make a similar citrus salad using blood oranges. Yours is amazing too!

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  30. Gorgeous salad and I love that vinaigrette! Rosemary with citrus sounds quite interesting and a combination I've never had.

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