Hot For The Picking

This time of year is bittersweet, sweet because most of the gardens bounty is ripe for the picking and bitter because it means summer is coming to an end.

On a brighter note fall is just around the corner and it brings with it crisp air and an abundance of apples, corn and squash to console us through the winter.
I had only planted a couple of jalapeno plants at the beginning of the season and to my surprise these plants are producing dozens and dozens of peppers. So here is a really nice salad that combines a little bit of everything; hot, sweet, tangy, crunchy but most of all delicious.

Jalapeno, Jicama and Mango Salad

1 small Jicama sliced thin, adds a nice crunch to the salad but can be omitted.
4 ripe mangos
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
4 fresh jalapenos, seeded and sliced fine
1/4 c. light oil
1/8 c. of apple cider vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste
Dash of sugar to taste

Peel and slice the mangos and Jicama and combine mango, jicama, onion slices with the jalapenos. Make a dressing by stirring the oil, cider vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar together. Mix well and let stand for at least 2 hours before serving.

Hee-Kah-Mah...........Jicama

Igb/flickr

A girlfriend of mine turned me on to this glorious root back in the seventies and I have loved it ever since. I have had it in a variety of ways but the majority of the time I eat it as a snack (recipe below). The only thing I sometimes change is using lime instead of lemon or I may leave out the chili powder. It’s a great low- cal snack. Jicama is mostly water, Jicama is high in Vitamin C, low in sodium, low in fat and has only 45 calories per cup. I think it tastes like a cross between a water chestnut, potato and a pear with a really nice crunchy texture. It’s a terrific little vegetable and easy to find in most produce sections. Try Jicama in salads, Jicama is especially good mixed with certain fruits especially oranges. You may also cook Jicama just treat it in the same way as you would a potato.

Jicama Snack

1 Jicama

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. chili powder

Peel Jicama, cut into slices, sticks or cubes, arrange slices on serving plate. Drizzle with lemon juice, sprinkle with salt and chili powder, best when chilled.

I put them in a Ziploc bag or plastic container and take them with me; they are a great on the go snack.