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5A Wednesday, February 27, 2013 ��� Daily News County Fare & tasty fresh Seeded brown bread with an Irish twist Grapefruit, good for every meal I love a good Honey Crisp or Macintosh as much as the next person. But I���ve been eating and cooking with apples since September, and even the biggest fan of the Fuji needs something different at this point in the year. Luckily, the markets are bursting with refreshing and versatile grapefruits. If you thought that grapefruit was just for breakfast, you���ve been missing a big kitchen opportunity. There���s still time to make a grapefruit and avocado salad, a spicy grapefruit and mint chutney or a grapefruit custard tart before the season ends in early spring. Grapefruit is a decidedly New World fruit. Discovered in Barbados in the 17th century, it is believed to be an accidental hybrid of the orange and the pummelo, which was brought to the West Indies from Indonesia early in the 1600s. Most grapefruit available today comes from either Florida or Texas. Naturally, natives of the Sunshine State prefer Florida-grown Ruby Reds, claiming that grapefruits from their state have thinner skins and a higher sugar content. Texans are loyal to the Red Star, which they boast is 10 times as red as any Florida variety. As a Long Islander, I impartially choose what is available and on sale when I���m at the supermarket. Ripeness is more important than origin when it comes to choosing a good grapefruit. How do you know if a grapefruit is ripe? It should be firm but slightly springy when gently squeezed. Looks aren���t everything. Discolorations and scratches are not an indication of taste or texture. Look for fruit that feels heavy for its size. Heavier fruit has a thinner skin, and thus more juicy flesh. Avoid grapefruits with soft spots at the stem end, which indicate decay. Store them at room temperature if you are planning to eat them within a few days. In the refrigerator, they will keep for two weeks. Growers of red and pink grapefruits swear otherwise, but blind taste tests generally indicate that white, pink and red grapefruits are equally sweet. Scientists give a slight nutritional edge to red and pink varieties, which have a little more lycopene (a cancer-fighting antioxidant) and vitamin A. But even white grapefruits are nutritional powerhouses, rich in immunity-boosting vitamin C, cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber and DNA-repairing flavonoids. Recently, grapefruit has gotten some bad press because of its interactions with a number of medications, including widely prescribed statins. There are chemical compounds in grapefruit that can boost the potency of certain drugs, increasing the chance of an accidental overdose. Most of these cases involve large amounts of grapefruit juice, and generally people can tolerate a few grapefruit sections with their medications. But it is better to be safe than sorry, so check labels and ask your doctor before you make a bulk purchase. Because of its flavor profile ��� tart and sweet at the same time ��� grapefruit can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. A salad of grapefruit and fennel in a mustard vinaigrette is a lively way to start a late winter meal. Or arrange grapefruit sections and thinly sliced prosciutto over baby arugula and drizzle with olive oil. Briny sauteed scallops or shrimp pair well with sectioned grapefruit, as does lobster. Fish or chicken tacos can be garnished with a grapefruit salsa. A pound cake made with grapefruit juice and zest is a nice change from plain old lemon. SPICED GRAPEFRUIT COMPOTE To section a grapefruit while removing the tough membranes, follow these steps: With a sharp chef���s knife, cut off the stem and blossom ends and stand the grapefruit on one of these cut ends. Cut away the rind and bitter pith. Slice into one section along the edge of one membrane. Cut along the other side of the section near the opposite membrane and remove the section. Repeat with the remaining sections. 3���4 cups water 3���4 cup sugar 1 cinnamon stick 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced 4 pink grapefruits, peeled and sectioned 1. Combine water, sugar, cinnamon stick and ginger in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened, 25 to 30 minutes. 2. Place grapefruit sections in a large mixing bowl. Pour syrup through a strainer and into the bowl. Serve immediately over pancakes, waffles, hot cereal or ice cream. Or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days and rewarm briefly (don���t boil) in a microwave before serving. Makes 6 servings. On a trip to Dublin last summer, my husband and older daughter spent an afternoon studying the ���Book of Kells,��� my younger daughter browsed the racks at Topshop, and I spent a couple of hours at the charming Avoca Caf��, sipping tea and devouring an entire loaf of the place���s signature seeded brown bread. The combination of obvious healthfulness and luxurious richness was unforgettable, and I���ve had it in the back of my mind ever since to re-create this perfect quick bread in my own kitchen. Finally, I gave it a try. I began with the recipe in the ���Avoca Caf�� Cookbook,��� but learned quickly that it would require some tweaking. First of all, there was the issue of flour. Avoca���s brown bread is made with two parts white flour and 3 1���2 parts coarsely ground whole meal flour, which can be mail-ordered from specialty baking websites such as The Baker���s Catalog, but is difficult to find in local supermarkets and healthfood stores outside Ireland and England. This flour is relatively low in protein and flecked with wheat germ. Quick breads baked with whole meal flour have a soft, crumbly texture and nutty flavor. Substituting regular American whole wheat flour resulted in a tough bread with a tight crumb. To get a more authentic and pleasing result, I used two parts white flour to 11���2 parts whole wheat, and some extra wheat bran and wheat germ for texture. Then there was the issue of seeds. The Avoca recipe contained a combination of sunflower, sesame, flax, poppy and pumpkin seeds. I happened to have the first three in my pantry, so I stuck with those. I didn���t feel bad, because this combination lent plenty of nutritional value, as well as flavor and crunch. Sunflower seeds are rich in folate, vitamin E and minerals. Sesame seeds add calcium and a cholesterol-lowering fiber called lignan. Flaxseeds have become famous for their heart-healthy omega3 fatty acids. And the oils in all of these seeds gave the bread the rich flavor I craved. Any combination of seeds will work, as long as you add about 7 tablespoons total. Avoid roasted seeds, which lose much of their heart-healthy oils when processed. The technique couldn���t be easier. Mix together the dry ingredients, add the milk and a few tablespoons of molasses, and stir. The dough came together in five minutes flat. As with all quick breads, minimal handling is important for the best result. Stir just until the dough comes together. Overmixing will toughen it up. At Avoca, the bread is baked in a loaf pan, but I wanted my bread to look as well as taste Irish, so I shaped it into a round and then cut an X into the top with a sharp knife to give it a traditional WE ACCEPT FOOD STAMPS WE FEATURE BLACK CANYON ANGUS BEEF 8049 Hwy 99E, Los Molinos, CA 413 Walnut St., Red Bluff ��� 528-8000 T-F 10 am-5:30 pm ��� Sat. 10 am-4 pm facebook.com/redbluffgoldexchange www.redbluffgoldexchange.com CUSTOM CUT MEATS AT NO EXTRA CHARGE ���Your Family Supermarket��� NO CARDS REQUIRED FOR EVERYDAY LOW PRICING OR SALE ITEMS We appreciate your business - and we show it! HOURS: 7AM - 9 PM DAILY Prices good February 27 thru March 5, 2013 384-1563 Meat Specials We Accept EBT USDA Choice Small Size Fresh USDA Choice Smoked Beef Rib Steaks Pork Spareribs Foster Farms Boneless Beef Chuck Roasts Ham Hocks Bagged Fryers $ 599 $ 199 lb. $ 129 lb. $ 349 lb. Tilapia Fillets $ 199 lb. $ 299 lb. lb. 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Whisk together flours, wheat bran, 1���4 cup wheat germ, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir in sesame, sunflower, and flaxseeds. Add milk and molasses to bowl and mix with a spatula until just moistened. 3. With floured hands, shape dough into a ball and transfer to baking sheet. Pat gently into a 7inch round and sprinkle the top evenly with remaining 2 teaspoons wheat germ. Using a very sharp knife, cut a shallow ���X��� in the top of the loaf. Bake until well-browned and when tapped on underside it sounds hollow, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings. serve with corned beef and cabbage on March 17, St. Patrick���s Day. 2 cups unbleached allpurpose flour 1 1���2 cups stone-ground whole wheat flour 1���4 cup wheat bran 1���4 cup plus 2 teaspoons wheat germ, divided 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sesame seeds 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sunflower seeds 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon flaxseeds 2 cups whole milk 3 tablespoons dark (not blackstrap) molasses 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. soda bread shape. I cranked the oven temperature up to 400, so the bread would rise quickly and develop a thick, crunchy crust. A sprinkling of wheat germ on top added to the craggy, rustic look of the baked bread. Perhaps the most difficult thing about making this bread is the final step: Allowing it to cool at least one hour before eating it up. SEEDED BROWN BREAD Slathered with butter (try Irish Kerrygold for maximum authenticity) and marmalade, this bread is perfect for breakfast or afternoon tea. But it could just as easily be served alongside a stew for a hearty winter dinner. Or save it for next month and 2 for $ 500 Natural or Keystone Beer 2 for $ 500 $ 599 $ 179 Pepsi Soft Drinks Sierra Nevada 2 Liters 2 for$300 +crv 12 packs $ 30 packs 1699 +crv $ 6 packs 699 +crv $ 399 +crv Find us on Facebook! facebook.com/nuwaymarket