I spent part of the recent holiday break in Florida, where I visitedMixon Fruit Farms为他们的一个树林。当我年轻的时候,我的grandparents would send my family a box of citrus from Mixon every Christmas season. Back then, it was barely a roadside fruit market. Today the farm features a cafe, a general store filled with sundry items—though strangely not bug spray or sunscreen—and even an endangered wildlife refuge. And while all of that was lovely—especially the creamsicle soft serve—I was really only there for the grapefruit.
Armed with several pounds of grapefruit—plus some tangelos and two different varieties of oranges—and a better understanding of the plight of the wild alligator, we headed home. And while I'd like to say that Icooked and baked the fruitinto many a homemade meal, we mostly just ate them straight out of the peel and then went out to a restaurant for fish. Because when you're only in Florida for a few days, that's what you do.
If Ihadmade something with those grapefruits, however, I would've started with this shortbread. The buttery cookies are perfumed with vanilla extract and that wonderfully floral grapefruit zest. A simple grapefruit juice and powdered sugar icing is then spread over the shortbreads, followed by a roster of pink toppings like Himalayan pink salt, dried rose petals, and cracked pink peppercorns. If you don't have any of those on hand, simply mix1/3 cup sugarwith2 teaspoons grapefruit zest, as inthis recipefor lemon sugar, and top the shortbread with this sweet, aromatic mixture instead.
If you're cleansing this January—or just sick of shelling out for cases of Pamplemousse La Croix—save your grapefruit peels to add to this DIY version. It's so simple it's barely a recipe, but making your own definitely saves $$$ and keeps you from having to constantly run to the market to replenish your quickly disappearing seltzer stash.
For dinner, pick up some fresh fish from the market and take it home for a simple pan-seared preparation. On the side, quick-pickle shallots in grapefruit juice and then blend them into a fragrant dressing for cabbage and avocado slaw topped, of course, with some of those ruby-red segments.
For a perfect after-dinner treat, or lazy-day snack, try these boozy gummies. With a Campari-infused grapefruit layer and a Grand Marnier–infused pomegranate layer, they have just enough alcohol to make you feel like you're on vacation—but not enough to remind you of those college days spent siphoning sketchy jell-o shots out of some guy's grungy fridge. Although the sanding sugar here is optional, it adds a satisfying crunchy counterpoint to the chewy candy, so I highly recommend it.
During grapefruit season, I like to make as many citrus salads as possible. There is literally nothing in the world that's better than combining different types of citrussegmentsin a bowl, tossing with a pinch of salt, eating the fruit, and drinking the juice that's left over. This salad takes that concept one step further by drizzling the fruit with a dressing made with cider vinegar and sage. The sage gives the vinaigrette a surprising herbal freshness that's wonderfully complementary to the fruit, and a final dash of cinnamon adds warming spice. And now that I'm back in New York, that extra warmth is sure going to come in handy.
