Crab citrus salad dishes up dinner in 30 minutes

With summer coming, it's nice to put a bright plate of salad on the table. This one comes from Andrew Swallow, chef and co-founder of Mixt Greens, a San Franciscan "eco-gourmet" quick-service chain.

During a kitchen session at The Post, the personable 33 year old reminded us that attention to details and a commitment to sustainable food make a difference in a no-cook meal such as this - starting with the work bowl. "No wooden salad bowls," he says. "Use ceramic instead," to keep the flavors clean and residue-free. Be kind to your greens, as in, crisp them in ice cubes and cold water. Skip the oil in a vinaigrette by using fruit purees instead.

And most important, don't overdress the salad. Tossing individual portions as you go is the best way to keep things in order. Proper composition is why this 20-minute salad takes 30. It's time well spent.

The creation is from his first cookbook, due out at the end of April and already posting impressive pre-order numbers. (Its 70 or so salad recipes are riffs, not replicas, of what's made in his restaurants.) The Dungeness crab and ripe passion fruit he finds so easily in California were harder to come by in D.C., so the recipe's adapted a bit. We do have Cara Cara navel oranges now, which you can find in larger grocery stores. They are tart and sweet - a perfect match for the red grapefruit and radishes on the plate.

Serve with crusty bread and a glass of Riesling. Adapted from Swallow's "Mixt Salads: A Chef's Bold Creations," with Ann Volkwein (Ten Speed Press, April 2010).

Crab and citrus salad with fruity Vinaigrette

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients

1 ripe mango (may substitute 2 tablespoons passion fruit puree)

1⁄4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

2 tablespoons champagne vinegar

1 tablespoon agave nectar

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 small heads butter lettuce

1 pound crabmeat (preferably Dungeness or lump blue crab; do not use claw)

About 3⁄4 ounce chives (1 clamshell pack)

10 red (round) radishes

2 Cara Cara oranges (see headnote)

1 ruby red or white grapefruit

2 ripe avocados

Steps

Peel or cut out about 2 tablespoons of mango flesh and place in a blender, along with the orange juice, vinegar and agave nectar (reserving the remaining fruit for another use). Puree just until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a liquid measuring cup. (The yield is a scant 1⁄2 cup.)

Discard the exterior lettuce leaves, then wash and dry the remaining heads, separating the leaves. If the lettuce is not crisp, place in a bowl of water and ice cubes.

Squeeze the crabmeat to remove excess measure. Pick over to remove any bits of cartilage.

Snip or finely chop the chives to yield about 51⁄2 tablespoons.

Trim the radishes and cut into very thin slices (preferably using a mandoline, if you have one) to yield 1⁄2 cup.

Peel the oranges. Cut in half, then into bite-size chunks to yield 11⁄2 cups.

Peel the grapefruit and cut in half, then into bite-size chunks to yield a generous 1 cup.

Peel and pit the avocados. Cut into bite-size chunks to yield about 11⁄4 cups

For each serving, place one-quarter of the lettuce leaves in a mixing bowl, along with 1 tablespoon of the chives and one-quarter of the radishes, oranges, grapefruit and avocado. Add 11⁄2 tablespoons of the dressing and toss gently to coat. Taste, and add salt and pepper as needed.

Transfer to a serving plate and top with one-quarter of the crabmeat.

Repeat to create the remaining 3 portions. Drizzle equal amounts of the remaining dressing over the portions, then garnish with the remaining chives.

Serve immediately.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 383 calories, 28 g protein, 34 g carbohydrates, 17 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 113 mg cholesterol, 378 mg sodium, 12 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugar