mango salsa

Mangoes. Tropical. Summer. Welcome to my little spot of paradise. Except for bills, crazy traffic, mean people and the daily struggles that occur-life can be pretty good. If you let it. So, instead of complaining about what I cannot change- I will share my little paradise with you.

I live in Florida. I have my whole life. We have mangoes and avocados growing everywhere, in addition to papaya, starfruit,citrus and tamarind. I once went on a stroll before breakfast and came back full. True story. I just kept happening upon all sorts of bountiful fallen fruit. Yum.

So, despite the 99.9% humidity and 96° heat- I embrace our tropical-ness. It’s hot-but yummy.

Now, our Florida mangoes are different from these:

these are Hatian mangoes- I love them; if you aren’t fond of the stringy texture found in some Florida mangoes-give these a try. They are smooth like butter- and taste like sugary vanilla flowers.

Ever wonder how to cut em?

Like this:

now, turn it inside out

instant dices.Nice-

Now, on with it- mangoes are so versatile. Like avocados- they are capable of going sweet or savory. My salsa is a little of both. Oooo- I have a recipe for mango bread pudding. I will have to make that for y’all. Just remembered that.

For the salsa:

1 diced mango

1/3 c finely diced onion

1/3 c diced red pepper

1/3 c diced jicama (optional)

1/3 c fresh cilantro

1 tbs olive oil

2 tbs lime juice

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp crushed red chili peppers

mix in a bowl and serve over grilled fish, chicken or pork.

*jicama is a tropical root crop with a crisp texture similar to raw potatoes, it is slightly sweet with an apple-cucumber flavor. Excellent raw in salads and salsa or cooked in soup. When it is cooked it takes on a more starchy flavor. Here is what they look like:

I hope you enjoyed this. If you prefer, I can complain about bills and psycho exes, and how it’s soooo hot here. But- food has so much more to offer. thanks for coming by. 🙂