citrus breakfast salad with spicy chile granola

SERVES 2 TO 4 AS A BREAKFAST, WITH ABOUT 4 CUPS (400 G) GRANOLA LEFT OVER I made this salad for the first time in the woods of the Russian River Valley and ate it on a porch overlooking the trees while wearing a bathrobe. I isolated myself in an A-frame cabin for five days to write, but first loaded up on ingredients at the farmers’ market in San Francisco. I made it with avocados, and you can do that too. If you want to save time, you can use store-bought artisanal granola here. Yogurt for serving blood oranges, Cara Cara oranges, grapefruit, and Satsuma mandarins (your favorite mixed citrus)

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

PREP: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Step 2

Slice and segment the citrus (see Styling Tip, opposite).

Step 3

COOK: In a small pot over medium heat, bring ⅓ cup (75 ml) olive oil and 3 tablespoons red pepper flakes to a simmer and then remove from the heat. Swirl in 1 teaspoon cinnamon and let sit for a few minutes (the longer it sits, the spicier it will be; I like to let it cool to room temperature). Strain into a large bowl though a fine-mesh sieve; remove 1 tablespoon or so of the spicy oil and set aside for drizzling later.

Step 4

To that same large bowl with the spicy oil, add 3 cups (265 g) oats, ½ cup (85 g) buckwheat, ½ cup (about 75 g) seeds, ½ cup (50 g) almonds, ½ cup (120 ml) maple syrup, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 2 egg whites. Combine with a wooden spoon or your hands until everything is mixed and moistened.

Step 5

Transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake, rotating and mixing every 15 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant, 25 to 30 minutes.

Step 6

ASSEMBLE AND SERVE: Arrange the citrus on your plate or plates. Scatter with a handful of granola and top with a spoonful of yogurt (use the back of your spoon to give it a nice swoop), if desired. Drizzle with the reserved spicy oil and sprinkle with flaky salt. Save any remaining granola in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Step 7

STYLING TIP Any time I’m using a variety of citrus I try to prepare each differently for visual appeal. Using a sharp knife, I remove the pith and peel from larger oranges such as navel, blood, or Cara Cara and slice some into rounds and others into supremes (see this page). For tangerines and mandarins, I peel them and separate the segments to scatter on top.