It wasn’t until college that I really gave grapefruit a try; I started with bottled 100% juice and then moved to eating halves with my breakfast occasionally. I can safely say that I quickly became a convert and have been buying grapefruit ever since. If you haven’t tried it (or haven’t tried it in awhile) there isn’t a better time than now. Citrus season is in full swing; grab a bag of these babies and segment away!
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Eat What:
-More than half the world’s grapefruit come from just four states in this country: Arizona, California, Florida and Texas
-Thinner-skinned varieties (from Florida and Texas) tend to be sweeter, juicer and less pulpy than thicker-skinned kinds
-Grapefruits got their name from the way they grow–like grapes in clusters
Eat When:
-Grapefruit from Texas and Florida are in season now (December-June), those from California and Arizona are in season from July to October
-Choose heavy and blemish-free fruits; store in the fridge up to six weeks
Eat Right:
-One grapefruit has 100% of the RDA of Vitamin C
-Pink and red grapefruits have almost 20 times more Vitamin A than white fruits
-Grapefruits (and other pink and red produce) are high in Lycopene, which fights oxygen free radicals (compounds that cause cell damage)
Eat More:
-Try broiling your grapefruit half for breakfast!
-Toss segments into a salad; grapefruit complements ingredients like shrimp, salmon, avocado and green onions
-Try peeling and segmenting like an orange (leaving the outer membrane intact), eat with sandwiches for lunch
Grapefruit Tart with Oatmeal-Brown Sugar Crust
(I saw this in the current issue of Cuisine at Home and thought it was one of the the most creative recipes around. All too often grapefruit is relegated to breakfast or a salad, but never a dessert. I would have made this already, if my husband would eat it. I’m still brainstorming an excuse to whip this up…)
1 3/4 C Old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. minced grapefruit zest, divided
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick (8 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/3 C sour cream
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 C fresh grapefruit segments
Coarse sea salt
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Pulse oats, flour, 1/2 C brown sugar, 1 Tbsp. zest, ginger, and salt in a food processor. With the machine running, drizzle in butter until clumps form.
3. Press mixture into bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch square or round tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake crust until firm, about 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
4. Combine cream cheese, sour cream, 2 Tbsp. brown sugar and the remaining 1 Tbsp. zest in a bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread mixture over crust. Line grapefruit segments on top of filling in rows. Sprinkle with sea salt just before serving.
Nutritional Information: 12 servings
277 cal, 16g fat (9g sat), 31g carb., 2g fiber, 4g protein
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Holly R. Layer received a B. A. in Journalism from Penn State and served four years in the U. S. Air Force before deciding to go back to school to become a Registered Dietician. She loves running, reading, fine stationery, colorful kitchen gadgets and ALL things food-related. An avid cook and baker, you can find her in the kitchen most days whipping up something yummy. Too bad her husband, Andrew (an East Aurora native) is the pickiest man alive! You can find her at www.thefrozenpineapple.com.