Easy Grapefruit, 1940’s Style

Winter citrus is great.

This winter, I’ve been trying to dig deep into all the things that are special about winter. One of those is citrus fruit, which comes into season in Florida and California during January and February.

I’ve been enjoying Imperfect Produce, which rescues “ugly” fruits and vegetables that don’t fit grocery standards, and sells them cheaply to consumers. On impulse, I added a grapefruit to my weekly box of perfectly delicious, but sometimes weird-looking, produce.

This grapefruit was banished because of its discoloration.

 

Every couple of years, I get seduced by how pretty grapefruit is, and buy one. It’s not my favorite citrus, but it’s grown on me over the years.  I decided to try something I remembered seeing in several vintage cookbooks: Broiling it.

I looked to Thoughts For Food, which is a collection of Depression-Era/WWII (it has a couple editions) recipes and menus.

Thoughts For Food, 1946

The book has several grapefruit recipes, but this is as simple as it gets.

Broiled grapefruit
Cut grapefruit in half, core, remove pits and white skin. Cover with orange marmalade and place under broiler ten minutes.
Broiled grapefruit with marmalade.
Ta-da!

It was simple and delicious, with a side of toast.

Now I need a grapefruit spoon.