Grapefruit Mint Bars

I am going to tell you a little secret about me.

I don’t like citrus.

Growing up, my yard had a tangerine tree, a navel orange tree, grapefruit, kumquat, and tangelo.  Every year, at some point or another, we had piles and piles and bags and bags of citrus.  I had to eat grapefruit for breakfast.  We would have fresh orange juice a few times a day.  The kumquats… we ate whole.

When I went to my grandparents house, and thought I would have a break…

I was wrong. Dead wrong.

My grandfather scared the crap out of me as a child.  (Obviously, I look back and realize he was showing his love for all of us.)  But, at the time, I would have preferred a ghoul in the closet compared to having my grandfather upset with me.  Every morning, he would wake up, squeeze a fresh glass of orange juice for each of us, and leave them in the fridge for us to take as we woke.

Grandpa would check throughout the morning to see how many people were awake and how many glasses were taken.  If the number were off… he would be on a mission to find out who hadn’t had theirs.

Opening that fridge was dreadful for me.  If there were six people staying at the house, there were six glasses.  Thirteen people, thirteen glasses.  The worst… when I would visit by myself and stare at this lone glass of orange juice waiting for me to take it.

Most visits, I could kindly ask my cousins to drink my juice for me.  But, on days I was visiting alone… I had to drink it.

I know it seems odd to be complaining about a glass of fresh orange juice.  This is probably a rarity, nowadays, but was commonplace for my childhood. Citrus is a big part of the BF’s family, too.  There is a certain point during every visit that an orange or a tangerine is peeled.  Inevitably, someone offers a slice to me and I, kindly, so no thank you.  I think everyone thinks I am a wee bit odd.

I wish I understood why I am so adverse to a simple slice of fruit. I was just so inundated with citrus, that it wasn’t a pleasure for me.  It was a burden.  I got no joy out of peeling and eating or juicing the orbs of brightly colored flesh. To this day, when I see a big pile of “insert the citrus here”, I think.. “oh crap, is it that time of year again?”

Although, at present, the only citrus I like are lemon and limes.  Interestingly, the only trees we didn’t have.

Also interesting, this dessert may have opened the door just a little to liking grapefruit.

But just a little.

It may be the fruit that I used, (which was given to me by the BF’s father from a tree in his yard).  There is no tartness.  There is no bitterness.  Honestly, this may be one of the most refreshing items I have had in a very long time.

It may be the dish that is the gateway to having more citrus in my life.

maybe.

For this recipe, I combined and adapted two recipes into one.  I based the crust and the idea of adding an herb from A Sweet Road, but used a whole grain pastry flour.  The filling is from Veganomicon.

 grapefruit mint bars