Photo: www.limoneira.com. — *Photo:* *www.limoneira.com*.

Wreaths aren’t just for the front door anymore! This palate pleasing, festive salad is sure to be a hit at your holiday table.

Wondering which wine to serve alongside? The main concern with choosing a wine to go with salad is to make sure that the acid in the wine meets or exceeds the acidity of the salad dressing. In this case, it’s especially important since the salad itself has pieces of lemon and orange in it.

Brighter styles of wine (ie, those with higher acidity) will hold their own next to the sourness of lemon and vinegar. A few white wines to consider in this category include Riesling from Alsace (a region of France known for racy white wines), Chablis (the leanest and most mineral Chardonnay of all), and Sancerre (based on the zesty Sauvignon Blanc grape of the Loire Valley).

Red wines with suitable acidity are harder to come by, but Pinot Noir from Burgundy (typically an invigorating wine with tart red fruit flavors) or Beaujolais Villages (made from the high-acid, fruit-driven Gamay grape) should do the trick. These lighter-bodied, zippy reds are a great match to a tart dressing, but won’t overwhelm the delicate flavors of a salad.

Note: This recipe calls for Meyer lemons, which are sweeter than regular lemons. If you cannot find the Meyer variety, substitute tangerine segments for the Meyer. For the dressing, 4 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice can be substituted with 2 tablespoons of regular fresh-squeezed lemon juice and 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed tangerine juice.

Christmas Wreath Citrus Salad

Makes 6 appetizer-size portions

Salad Ingredients

5 ounces of salad greens (other greens, like a spring mix, can be substituted)

2 Meyer lemons, peeled and segmented (see note above on substituting regular lemons)

2 navel oranges, peeled and segmented

3/4 cup pistachios (shelled, roasted and salted)

3/4 cup pomegranate seeds

1/4 cup hemp seeds

Dressing Ingredients

4 tablespoons fresh-squeezed Meyer lemon juice (or 2 T tangerine juice and 2 T regular lemon juice)

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon champagne vinegar

1 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

Pinch sea salt & black pepper

Directions

1) Whisk together lemon juice, honey, champagne vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until the salt has dissolved and the dressing is emulsified.

2) Place greens on a large serving platter and arrange oranges, Meyer lemons, pistachios, pomegranate and hemp seeds over the greens in a circular pattern, like a holiday wreath! Leave a spot in the center to add a small dish for the salad dressing. Dress salad just before serving.