YARD PEST? NO, IT'S DINNER.

"But they're weeds."

My much better half is not, shall we say, "adventurous" when it comes to greens: A "real" salad is built around a wedge of iceberg or chopped romaine. Steamed collards are fine for New Year's Eve, and sauteed spinach can make an occasional appearance at the dinner table. But that's where the love ends. Forget arugula and radicchio, and don't even think about frisee.

So when I pitched dandelion greens for dinner the other night, well, you can probably understand the breathless shock.

Dandelions are an assertive green-just ask any gardener who's had to battle them on the front lawn or in cracks on the driveway. Unwanted, any greens are "weeds."

But have you ever bitten into a dandelion leaf? The flavor is tangy, even borderline bitter, with a definite texture. It's an assertiveness that can work wonders in the kitchen, provided you know how to handle it and pair the greens with complementary flavors.

That night for dinner, I served dandelion greens with bacon, a natural combination. I rendered a few strips of chopped bacon, tossing in freshly chopped garlic-another natural dandelion pairing-just before the bacon crisped. In went a bunch of chopped dandelions, as I stirred to wilt them in hot bacon fat. I finished the dish with a drizzle of sherry vinegar and a touch of maple syrup, the vinegar cutting through the heaviness of the bacon and the syrup helping to tame the bitterness of the greens.

Later at the table, I looked over and saw both our plates were clean. Now it was my turn to be shocked. Success.

Pushing the envelope, I decided to try dandelions in pesto. Using a mortar and pestle {really the only way to make pesto, the grinding releases so much more flavor than the blades of a blender or food processor}, I ground garlic with a little coarse salt, then added pine nuts, working the mixture to a paste. In place of traditional basil, I slowly added chopped dandelion greens, layering the flavors with grated cheese, fruity olive oil and a touch of lemon juice as the bright green pesto came together.

I tossed the pesto with linguine and casually placed it on the table. With each bite, the ground raw garlic and dandelion was balanced with buttery pine nuts and creamy cheese. A pesto with a bit more of a "bite," perhaps, but it worked well with pasta and could easily work as a dip for crostini or vegetables. The verdict? Another winner.

Finally. I decided to go all in with a dandelion salad. Because the greens would be more prominent in this dish, I used tender, new leaves for a gentler flavor. I tossed the leaves with sliced onion, toasted pecans and crumbled goat cheese, sweetening the salad with raisins and blood orange segments, and dressing the salad lightly with sherry vinegar and oil.

I could feel the quiet skepticism as I placed the salad on the table. One bite. Then another. Several slow, thoughtful bites before the silence was broken and the verdict came down.

"You know? I still think they're weeds, but dandelions aren't that bad."

DANDELION PESTO.

40 minutes. Makes about 1/2 cup pesto.

1 to 2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
3 tablespoons pine nuts
3/4 bunch {12 ounces} dandelion greens, trimmed and chopped
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons finely grated pecorino Romano cheese
2 to 4 tablespoons fruity olive oil
Lemon juice, if desired, to taste

Using a mortar and pestle, grind the garlic and 1/8 teaspoon salt to a smooth paste. Add the pine nuts and grind until smooth. Add a handful of dandelion greens and a sprinkling of salt, grinding to break the leaves down to a pulp, until all the dandelion greens and salt are incorporated {this can take up to 30 minutes}, add the cheeses and olive oil, grinding and stirring to combine.
Taste, adjusting the cheese and seasoning if desired.
Add a touch of lemon juice to brighten the flavors if you like. {The pesto can also be made in a food processor or blender, though the recipe will require an additional clove or more of garlic}.

Calories 98
Protein 2 grams
Carbohydrates 5 grams
Fiber 2 grams
Fat 8 grams
Saturated fat 2 grams
Cholesterol 3 milligrams
Sugar 0 grams
Sodium 142 milligrams

SALAD OF DANDELION GREENS, BLOOD ORANGES, GOAT CHEESE AND PECANS.

20 minutes. Serves 4 to 6

2 blood oranges
1 {1-pound} bunch dandelion greens, trimmed and torn
1 cup toasted pecan halves
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fruity olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled

1. Supreme the oranges: Slice off the top and bottom of the whole fruit, then cut off the rest of the peel, carefully following the line of flesh. Slice free each segment over a bowl to collect the juices, separating it from the central membrane. Set the segments and juice aside.
2. In a large bowl, toss the dandelion greens with the pecan halves, onion and raisins.
3. Make the dressing: In the bowl with the orange juice, whisk in the sherry vinegar and olive oil, along with 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired.
4. Add half the dressing to the salad, tossing to coat. Add additional dressing to taste. Gently toss in the orange segments.
5. Plate the salad, dotting the top with crumbled goat cheese.

Calories 413
Protein 9 grams
Carbohydrates 29 grams
Fiber 6 grams
Fat 32 grams
Saturated fat 7 grams
 Cholesterol 15 milligrams
Sugar 16 grams
Sodium 352 milligrams

WILTED DANDELION GREENS WITH BACON.

20 Minutes. Serves 2 to 4.

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 slices applewood-smoked bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 {1-pound} bunch dandelion greens, trimmed and torn into 3-to 4-inch strips
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp and the fat is rendered. The last minute or  so before the bacon is ready, stir in the garlic.
Add the dandelion greens and remove from heat, stirring until the greens are wilted.
Season with salt and several grinds of pepper, and stir in the vinegar and maple syrup.
Taste and adjust the seasonings and flavorings if desired.

Calories 209
Protein 6 grams
Carbohydrates 17 grams
Fiber 4 grams
Fat 14 grams
Saturated fat 4 grams
 Cholesterol 15 milligrams
Sugar 6 grams
Sodium 270 milligrams

Come Out Of Your Shell In The Kitchen.

You can fry them, shir them, scramble or roll them up. Is there a more versatile food at your fingertips? It's that incredible egg, long on the upswing after its battering on the health front.

But everyday eggs can be so, well, everyday, always pleasant and comforting, with a predictability and demeanor that might as well whisper, "It's time to wake up."

But when morning takes on grander importance, for those celebrations when you want to shout, "Welcome!" to the day-whether it's a regular morning or any of the spring gatherings where guests gather around the table-the egg can be dressed for company.

Consider the roulade, a curlicue of egg, cheese and vegetables. Made from a batter that cooks in a jellyroll pan, the eggs become nearly as firm as a crepe, with a topping of good stuff that's added before it's rolled up. The roulade is a bit time-consuming, but it's definitely worth the effort for the "wow" factor alone. And if it's the only dish on the menu that needs some last-minute attention, you are set.

Or think simple but dressed up, on the order of scrambled eggs on bruschetta  The key is in the scrambling {don't do much of it}. Oh, and the cream cheese in the mixture. Add your choice of topping-shrimp, salmon, a bit of lobster-and this will look as good as it tastes.

Whatever the option, morning couldn't taste better.

Bruschetta With Eggs And Lobster.

Serves 8

Note: Bruschetta {broo-SKEH-tah} is a traditional toasted bread topped with something tasty. If you cut the bread on the diagonal, you will get more surface. You can toast the bread an hour or so in advance, but the egg and lobster need to be cooked right before serving. Each 5-ounce lobster tail will provide 4 ounces of meat. There are many alternatives to lobster {see below}. Boursin is a creamy soft cheese with the texture of cream cheese, and it comes flavored with herbs. It's a tasty alternative to cream cheese. For large soft curds of eggs, keep stirring to a minimum.

1 baguette, cut in 16 {1/2-inch} slices
1 garlic clove, peeled
Butter
2 or more {5 ounces each} lobster tails {defrosted, if frozen}
14 eggs, beaten until yolks and whites are well-combined
4 ounces cream cheese, cut into small cubes {or Boursin cheese, see Note}
Fresh chives, chopped
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
Truffle oil, optional

Toast bread in oven or in toaster. Rub one side of each slice with garlic {if you don't like garlic, omit this}. Butter and set aside.
Prepare the lobster: Do this before you start the eggs so there isn't too much going on at the same time. To remove meat from shell, use kitchen shears to make two cuts along the underside of tail {the softer side} and break away the shell. Once the meat is out of shell {before or after it is cooked}. remove the black vein that runs along the tail {pull it out or make a cut along the meat, as you would devein shrimp, and pull the vein out}.

Choice of options for cooking lobster:
*Remove meat from shell and saute whole in 2 tablespoons butter, basting it often, for about 5 to 8 minutes, until cooked through, then chop or slice for the eggs, or..
*Remove uncooked meat from shell and chop into chunks and saute in 2 tablespoons butter before adding to the eggs, or..
*Poach meat in the shell for about 3 minutes in water to which some white wine, carrot, celery, onion, chile flakes, fennel seed, mustard seed, peppercorns, bay leaf, thyme, kosher salt and lemon and oranges have been added. {Bring the water to a simmer before adding the tail.}

To prepare eggs:
In each of two nonstick pans {or one large pan}, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add eggs and turn heat to medium-low. For the largest curds, cook eggs with little stirring, instead pushing cooked part aside with a spatula and allowing uncooked eggs to move into place. When almost done, add cream cheese and stir.
Remove from heat. {Eggs will continue to cook.}

To serve:
On each plate, overlap two slices of toasted bread. Divide eggs and place on toast. Top with lobster and sprinkle with chives, a little salt and pepper. Drizzle a bit of truffle oil over eggs, if using.

Variations {instead of lobster}:
*Smoked salmon, topped with fresh dill instead of chives.
*Cooked crab meat {not the fake stuff, please!}.
*Small or medium-size cooked shrimp.
*Cooked whitefish.

EGG ROULADE

Serves 6 to 7

Note: This calls for a 10-by 15-inch jellyroll pan {a baking sheet with edges}. If you have a different size, just shape the batter on the pan accordingly. I've made two of these at a time, for a group of 12 diners, and I made the batter individually for each. With two roulades, it's a little extra last-minute pressure, but if the rest of the meal is simple, this is doable. Keep in mind that you'll need the full oven if you're making two of these.

5 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons, flour
1 1/4 cups milk
4 eggs, separated
Freshly ground black pepper
Filling {see below}

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the 10-by 15-inch jellyroll pan with parchment paper; either butter or spray it with cooking oil.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Increase heat to high, whisk in the milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often.
Transfer  flour mixture to a large bowl. Whisk in the egg yolks one at a time. Season with pepper.
Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Stir a third of the whites into yolk mixture and fold in the rest.
 Pour the batter onto the parchment paper and smooth out. Bake for 15 minutes, or until firm to the touch.
Meanwhile, prepare any filling that needs to be warmed. Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees.
Cover the egg surface with another oiled or buttered piece of parchment. Invert onto counter, and peel off the parchment on the top.
Sprinkle the egg surface with whatever filling is to be used. Starting on the long side of the egg surface, and using the parchment on the bottom to help, roll up the egg, jellyroll fashion. Place the roulade back on the jellyroll pan, with parchment underneath, and return it to the oven. Bake until any cheese in the filling has melted, about 10 minutes.
To serve, cut into 1/2-inch slices.

Filling Variations:
The filling must be prepared and hot [except for cheese} before it is placed on the cooked egg surface.
Make sure any moisture in the vegetable is gone; heat in a saute pan to assure it.
*Diced tomatoes or roasted red peppers and grated Cheddar cheese.
*Diced sauteed

 mushrooms and Gruyere cheese.
*Cooked, chopped spinach {make sure it's thoroughly dry} and Parmesan cheese.
*Slices of prosciutto and any grated cheese.
*Black beans and diced roasted red peppers.
*Diced ham and grated Cheddar cheese.
*Smoked salmon {lox}, whipped cream cheese {so it's easy to spread}, chives or capers.
*cooked and crumbled bacon or sausage.

Topping Variations:
*Grated cheese or fresh, minced herbs.
*Salsa
*Green chili sauce
*Hollandaise sauce

The Post-Easter Salad Days!

Easter still makes me think of vinegar. A clear wax crayon, drawn onto the white shell, not able to see the childish designs, hoping for the best. Dipping into the colored, vinegary dye with a flimsy wisp of wire shaped like a stop sign. Who decided a hexagon was best suited for Easter egg fishing?

Never worked very well for me. I always ended up with orange and blue fingers.

I loved the colors, though. The bright, almost turquoise blue, the grassy green, the tangerine, and pink the color of flamingos.

We always dyed dozens of hard-boiled eggs for Easter. The next day, my brother and I would race around the backyard, plucking the eggs out of monkey grass, off of fence railings, and in flower pots, filling up our baskets as fast as we could. Easter was the ultimate competition. The prize? I don't even remember. The fun was the race around the yard.

Afterwards, we had all of those eggs, which Mom had to do something with. Deviled eggs were her default, but she often made egg salad, too, which we took to our grandparent's house in Wyoming for a picnic lunch later that day.

Which got me to thinking about egg salad and how homey-and easy-it is. And the perfect way to use the decorated, hunted, and gathered eggs.

In France, where the love of the egg is unsurpassed-you find eggs on sandwiches {Croque Madame], on and in salads, on burgers and mixed into steak tartare, and in the many different types of quiches available at the boulangeries-I've yet to see anything like an egg salad, which seems strange, given, to,  the Frenchies' mayo and mustard-centric culture. How did they miss this eggy fun, I wonder?

But living here has opened me up to the possibilities of combining eggs with just about anything, which is how I came up with these four new takes on egg salad, below. A great way to enjoy your Easter eggs, or a half-dozen hard-boiled eggs any other day of the year.

EGG SALAD TEX-MEX.

Makes enough for 4 tostadas.

6 eggs
1 avocado, chopped
Small handful of cilantro {plus additional for serving}
1 chipotle chile {in adobo} finely chopped
Sea salt
4 corn tortillas
1 lime, cut into wedges {for serving}

1. Cook eggs according to the recipe The Perfect Boiled Egg {page} or utilize 6 hard-boiled Easter eggs, roughly chop the eggs and put them in a bowl.
2. Add the avocado, cilantro, chopped chipotle, and salt to taste. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
3. To serve, preheat the oven to broil. When the oven's hot, toast your tortillas by putting them directly on the rack, making sure to flip them to the other side after about a minute. Be sure to watch them carefully so they don't burn. Spoon one-fourth of the egg salad on each.

Egg Salad Mediterraneo.

Makes enough for 4 sandwiches.

6 eggs
6 cherry tomatoes, chopped
10 artichoke heart quarters {in oil}, chopped
6 fresh basil leaves, chopped {with additional for serving}
8 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise
Sea salt and pepper

1. Cook eggs per recipe The Perfect Boiled Egg {page} or utilize 6 already hard-boiled Easter eggs. Roughly chop the eggs and put them in a bowl.
2. Add the cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, basil, kalamata olives, mayo, salt and pepper to taste. Let rest in the fridge for 2 hours before serving. I like to serve this on toasted grainy bread, open-faced, like a French tartine, with a bit more chopped basil on top.

Egg Salad Frenchy.

Makes enough for 2 large or 4 regular-size sandwiches.

6 large eggs
10 French cornichons, chopped
1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
A pinch piment d'Espelette {optional; see note}
Sea salt and pepper
1 baguette, sliced

1. Follow the recipe to hard-boiled eggs under the page; The Perfect Boiled Egg. Or utilize 6 leftover Easter eggs. Chop the eggs and put them in a bowl.
2. Add the cornichons, mayo, mustard, piment d'Espelette, and salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Serve on a baguette {I like mine toasted} with an additional sprinkle of piment d'Espelette for color-voila!

Note: Piment d'Espelette is a French chile pepper from the Southwest of France, milder than cayenne and without the smokiness of, say, chipotle or Spanish paprika. It can be found in specialty stores. As there is not an American equivalent, if you can't find it, simply leave it out, and the egg salad will still be delicious.

Egg Salad Fancy Schmancy.

Makes enough for about 2 dozen hors d'oeuvres-size toasts.

6 eggs
A small handful of fresh dill, chopped {plus more for serving}
1 tablespoon capers, chopped
1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise
Sea salt and pepper
5.29-ounce box of tiny toasts
3.5 ounces of smoked salmon, sliced into small pieces.

1. Follow the recipe for hard-boiling eggs in the pages under The Perfect Boiled Egg. When they are peeled, grate the eggs and put them in a bowl.
2. Add the dill, capers, mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
3. When ready to serve, spoon some of the egg salad on your tiny toasts, top with a piece of salmon and sprinkle a bit more dill on top.

Note: You can use your already hard-boiled Easter eggs for this to utilize leftover eggs.

HAM LOAF MAKES GOOD USE OF LEFTOVERS.

HOW TO MAKE A LOAF.

A ham loaf requires ground ham, and meat grinders aren't the most popular kitchen appliance. The meat grinder attachment to a stand mixer is a worthwhile investment, but in a pinch, a food processor will do. Just remember, s food processor will be chopping the meat instead of grinding it, so the loaf may have a coarser texture than one made with ground ham.

Some butcher shops stock ground ham, and others will grind some for you on request, which means it is possible to make a ham loaf outside the leftover boundaries of a major ham-eating holiday. If you go searching for a recipe you're likely to find fairly simple ones that call for equal parts of ground ham and ground pork, with some eggs, bread or cracker crumbs and milk. These are fine, but for my taste, they lack a certain oomph, relying completely on the glaze for taste. The recipe I have developed calls for a bit more spice in the mix, as well as some quick cooking oats, which hold moisture better than bread crumbs.

Because leftover ham is typically on the dry side, ham loaf often isn't as moist as a good meatloaf, so the oats and the ground pork go a long way in adding moisture. I prefer a ratio of more ham to pork, but if you don't have a lot of leftover ham, using equal parts of ham and pork still will produce a fine loaf.

The rest is as simple as putting together a meatloaf. So give my recipe a try and don't be surprised if your friends start to wonder if you were originally from Pennsylvania.

HAM LOAF

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

1 3/4 pounds ground ham

1 3/4 pounds ground pork

1/2 cup quick cooking oatmeal

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

1 small chopped onion

3 eggs, well beaten

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

2 teaspoons yellow mustard

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 cup milk, more if needed

For the glaze:

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

In a large bowl, combine ham, pork, oats, bread crumbs, and onion. Using clean hands, mix until combined.

Add allspice, pepper, dry mustard, yellow mustard and parsley to eggs and mix well with a fork. Add egg mixture and milk to meat mixture and continue mixing with hands until well combined.

Mixture should be moist and very soft. If too dry, add up to 1/2 cup of extra milk.

Form into one large loaf {or two smaller ones}. One large loaf should fit perfectly into a 9-by-13-inch rectangular pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine glaze ingredients and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Mixture will be thin.

Pour about one-third of glaze over ham loaf. Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes. Uncover and pour remaining glaze over loaf, basting frequently until glaze begins to get thick and sticky and ham loaf is browned and cooked through completely, about 30 minutes longer for a large loaf.

Note: Can be made with 1 1/2 pounds each of ground ham and pork. Raw ham loaf freezes well. Thaw loaf in refrigerator and bake according to instructions above.

When Tomatoes Fail, Citrus Adds Zing To Salads.

The cook's year can be divided in two: tomato and non-tomato. But sometimes, even the best-intentioned, most locavore-crazy among us so crave a sweet, tart bite in our salads that we break down and grab one of those cottony out-of-season tennis balls. You've done it too. Don't try to deny it.

In some cases, though, there's an easy alternative. Because happily for us, beneficent nature has ensured that the not-tomato months pair up perfectly with the drowning-in-citrus ones. And in a lot of dishes, a little bit of citrus will give you just what you were hankering for-certainly a lot better than an out-of-season tomato.

This is not a universal solution by any means. I'm trying to picture laying a slice of grapefruit on top of my hamburger. But it does work out often enough that it's worth exploring.

The first time I tried it was more or less by accident. It was dinner time, and I had some lettuce and some cheese. And not much else. But, wait, my neighbors Floyd and Carol had dropped off a snack of tangerines-perfectly balanced between tart and sweet. What if I put some of those in the salad along with some hazelnuts? I tried it first with crumbled blue cheese, which seemed kind of a natural because they are so often served together. Wrong! The citrus seemed to bring out every bit od bitterness in the Gorgonzola. And when you taste the cheese that way, there is actually quite a lot. Then my husband suggested trying the same salad with some fresh goat cheese. Amazing! The combination, dressed with a vinaigrette made with hazelnut oil and Champagne vinegar, harmonized perfectly. {Hint: When making a vinaigrette with hazelnut oil, cut it with an equal amount of canola or another neutral oil-it's just too rich on its own.}

And then my little cook's mind started racing. What other combinations might work? There's the now classic combination of beets and blood oranges, of course. Though you're just as likely to see navels, Cara Caras or even grapefruit, all used to great effect and demonstrating that, though citrus are different from each other, they're not that different. For recipe purposes, use what you have, they're fairly interchangeable.

A couple of nights later, faced with the happy dilemma of having some leftover Dungeness crab {I have no idea how that happened}, I shaved some fennel very thin and made another salad with wedges of pink grapefruit and some torn-up arugula from my garden.

The only trick to this salad is cutting the grapefruit it's called "supremeing" in kitchen parlance {you have to say it like a Frenchman or it sounds like you're doing Diana Ross imitation}. You slice off the top and bottom of the whole fruit, then cut off the rest of the peel, carefully following the line of the flesh. Then you slice free each grapefruit segment, separating it from the tougher membrane. This isn't necessary with more tender citrus, such as tangerines, but with grapefruit and oranges, it's a good idea. And once you get the hang of it, it's a nice little Zen exercise.

Those are just a couple of examples. I have to admit that at this point I have the feeling I've just scratched the surface. I'm sure I'll find some more. We've still got a couple of not-tomato-er, citrus-months left.

TANGERINE, BUTTER LETTUCE AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD.

Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

1/3 cup hazelnuts
2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
Salt
2 teaspoons minced shallots
3 tablespoons hazelnut oil
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 pound tangerines, peeled, broken into segments and stripped of any pithy strings
1 head butter lettuce, cored and torn into bite-sized pieces {about 4 cups}
3 ounces crumbled goat cheese

1. Toast the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet in a 400-degree oven until they smell toasty, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately cover with a damp kitchen towl. Let stand 10 minutes, then wrap the hazelnuts in the towl and rub to remove as much of the papery skin as possible. Chop coarsely; you should have about one-fourth cup.
2. Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, one-half teaspoon salt and shallots in a small bowl and let stand 10 minutes to let shallots soften. Whisk in the hazelnut and vegetable oil.
3. Combine the hazelnuts and butter lettuce in a large bowl. Pour over just enough of the dressing to moisten lightly, tossing gently. Season to taste with more salt if necessary. Arrange the lettuce on a platter in a low mound.
4. Add the tangerines to the same work bowl and toss to coat lightly with any vinaigrette remaining in the bowl. Scatter the tangerines over the top of the lettuce. Scatter the crumbled goat cheese over the top and serve immediately.

Each serving: 265 calories; 7 grams protein; 8 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 23 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 16 mg cholesterol; 257 mg sodium; 5 grams sugar.

Pink Grapefruit And Fennel Salad With Crab.

Total time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

2 pink grapefruit
1 head fennel
1/4 red onion
Salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup torn arugula
4 ounces lump Dungeness crab meat

1. Peel the grapefruit and cut it into sections: Using a very sharp knife, cut off the top and bottom of the grapefruit, so it will sit flat on the cutting board. Starting where you see the pink grapefruit separate from the pith, cut away one section of peel and pith, following the line of the fruit. This will expose the underlying fruit. Continue cutting away sections of the peel and pith until only fruit remains. When you're done, go back over the fruit, removing any traces of pith.
2. Working over a small bowl to catch the juice, slice the fruit into sections-make a cut between the fruit and membrane, then do the same on the other side, freeing pure fruit. Repeat until you have removed all the fruit from the membrane. Squeeze any juice from the remaining membrane into the bowl. You will need about 2 tablespoons.
3. Quarter the fennel length-wise and remove the trianglular core at the center. Use a mandolin or a very sharp knife to slice the fennel as thin as possible, about one-eighth inch; you'll have about 3 cups, lightly packed. Do the same with the red onion; you'll have about one-half cup. Combine the fennel and red onion in a large bowl.
4. Add one-half teaspoon salt and the red pepper flakes to the reserved grapefruit juice and whisk in the olive oil.
5. Toss the fennel with just enough of the dressing to lightly moisten it. Arrange the fennel on a platter in a low mound.
6. Add the arugula to the same bowl and toss to moisten it; you may need to add another teaspoon of vinaigrette. Arrange the arugula on top of the fennel.
7. Add the grapefruit and crabmeat to the same bowl and toss very gently to avoid breaking up the citrus or the crab. You want it barely moistened; if you need, add another teaspoon of vinaigrette. Arrange this on top of the arugula and serve immediately

Each serving: 224 calories; 8 grams protein; 18 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams fiber; 14 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 21 mg cholesterol; 284 mg sodium; 8 grams sugar.

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