Summer Salad

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sunkist Growers for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Need a new tasty, fresh, summer salad idea?

It’s yummy, healthy, and super easy to make… I like to call it rainbow salad!

All you need is:
• 3 Sunkist® Valencia oranges, segmented and zested
• 20 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 lb. tub Bocconcini mozarella
• ¼ cup Opal (purple) basil, shredded into small pieces
• 20 whole wheat crackers
• Salt to taste
• ¼ cup fresh rosemary
• ¼ cup fresh thyme
• 1/8 cup fresh oregano
• 1 ½ cups extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. black pepper

What to do:

(makes 10 servings)

• Cut the Bocconcini into halves.

• Zest the Valencia oranges using a micro plane or fine grater and set aside. To segment the oranges, cut off the top and bottom.

• Lay the orange on a flat surface, using a paring knife remove the skin and white pith. Carefully cut and release each segment from between the membranes and set aside.

• In a blender, add the olive oil, orange zest and fresh herbs. Pulse until blended, continue to blend on medium speed until the herbs and zest are finely chopped, add the pepper and pulse quickly. Pour into a jar or plastic container. Leftover oil can be kept refrigerated for up to one month and used as a marinade for fish, poultry or vegetables.

• Toss the orange segments, cherry tomatoes, Bocconcini and basil lightly with ¾ cup of orange scented herb oil and season with salt.

• To Serve: Top each cracker with the mixture and serve.

Why are the oranges a little green?

Don’t let the green rind fool you… these suckers are ripe!

I recently learned that occasionally Sunkist oranges “re-green” in the summer months. When Valencia oranges ripen on the tree, they turn a bright orange color but warm temperatures may make their skin reabsorb chlorophyll as they hang on the tree. This causes the orange color to look a little green. Don’t worry, the color does not change the taste! They are still as sweet and tasty as ever.

To find out more about why green is good when it comes to Sunkist oranges check out this video:

Sunkist Valencia Oranges Re-greening Video

Want additional Sunkist citrus recipes? The easy pull down menu makes it simple to choose what type of meal, what type of citrus, and how much time you have to create the perfect dish Don’t forget about the presentation of your dish or beverage… add a lemon twist to make any dish prettier.

Now that you have a tasty meal idea… let’s talk table decor I love the idea of using some combination of lemon, oranges, and limes in centerpieces or even as place card holders! Y’all know my feelings about Young House Love… have you seen how they used lemons and limes at their wedding? Cute, inexpensive, smells yummy… what more could you want!

Enjoy