Citrus Salad with Blonde Ale Vinaigrette

I’m very excited to feature my first guest post. Beer Bitty is a website dedicated to creating recipes which feature craft beer as a primary ingredient. Heather, the gal behind the site, is a home cook and home brewer with a passion for slow food and craft beer (and a great food photographer, in my opinion).

Here’s her recipe and description, enjoy!

The San Diego Farmers’ Markets have been filled with citrus lately, which means I’ve been coming home with more grapefruit than I can eat for breakfast. To help clean out my fridge, I created this salad. It combines oranges and grapefruit with tangy goat cheese in a bright vinaigrette made with blonde ale. The recipe is also incredibly quick and easy to make, whether for lunch or as a midweek dinner accompaniment. Serve alongside a witbier with prominent orange flavors, or use as a substitute to the blonde ale if that’s what you have on hand.

Ingredients

• 1 head of butter lettuce
• 1 fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
• 1 grapefruit
• 2 blood oranges
• 1 navel orange
• 4 oz. goat cheese
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1/3 cup blonde ale or witbier
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
• salt & pepper

Steps

1. Whisk together beer, oil, and vinegar in a bowl. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

1. Supreme the citrus and slice segments in half.
2. Rinse & dry the lettuce; chop or tear into 2 inch x 2 inch pieces.
3. Toss lettuce and fruit with ¼ cup vinaigrette, adding more if needed.
4. Plate and top with almonds, sliced fennel, and crumbled goat cheese.