Grapefruit, Olive, Onion, and Basil Salad

The first part of this story starts with me having a grapefruit addiction...I eat them almost everyday lately. My mom buys me a big Costco bag of them, and I go through it in about 2 weeks. I just cut one in half, sprinkle a bunch of salt all over it, and then go to town cutting out each wedge, and digging them out with a spoon. Then, once all the slices are gone, I'll sprinkle more salt into the juice left at the bottom, and scoop that out as well. 

The second part of this story, is the time when I saw this recipe on Food Network, with Giada making this weird salad, consisting of grapefruits, red onion, basil, oil and balsamic vinegar and black olives...yes, olives. I was kind of weirded out by it, but figured the olives added a nice amount of saltiness to the dish that it needed. Giada was right, this salad is delicious. I had two helpings. 

If you're one of those people who eats a grapefruit with sugar, stop what you're doing and start using salt, and then make this salad. I think people who like sugar on their grapefruit are weird. You should just get over the fact that you have no taste and knowledge of how sourness and saltiness are a match made in heaven. I'm sort of embarrassed to say that I'll stand over the sink eating a lemon sprinkled with salt sometimes. Back to the salad...go make it before grapefruit season is gone!

Here's the recipe adapted from Giada

Ingredients: 

• 2 grapefruits, trimmed of skin and cut into large slices
• 1/2 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup pitted chopped black olives (we didn't have any so I used these fancy Sicilian green olives we had. Even Kalamata olives would be great. Use what you have)
• 1 bunch basil, leaves thinly sliced (about 1 cup) (I didn't have any fresh basil, so I used basil from a tube and mixed it in with the dressing. Do what you have to do)
• 3 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 
  
• Directions:
• 1. Place the grapefruit slices in a slightly overlapping pattern on a serving platter. Sprinkle the onion slices over the grapefruit. Then sprinkle the olives. Top with the basil. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar and olive oil over the salad. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.