Mango Salsa →

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2020

Sweet, spicey, tart, crunchy, this salsa is a perfect compliment to the richness of grilled salmon. Try it and you’ll be hooked!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 10-ounce mango, peeled, pitted, diced

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

• 1/4 cup chopped red onion

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

• 2 teaspoons minced seeded serrano chili

• 1 teaspoon grated lime peel

• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in small bowl; mix in 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Season salsa with salt and pepper.

Rhubarb Chutney →

Mid-Spring to early Summer is rhubarb season here in the Connecticut Valley. Widely grown in the cooler climes of North America and Europe, anyone who grows rhubarb is already aware of the culinary delights of the brightly colored, tart, and slightly bitter fibrous rhubarb stalks as well as the toxicity of rhubarb leaves. Here in New England, I grew up eating sweet-tart custardy rhubarb desserts and strawberry rhubarb pie. Delicious! This recipe has been a project to expand my use of rhubarb from strictly desserts into the realm of a savory-fruity condiment to pair with meats, especially Spring lamb or pork. After trying multiple recipes for Rhubarb Chutney, Florence Fabricant’s recipe in the food section of the New York Times came closest to what I was looking for and provided the starting point for what became the finished recipe. Like many chutneys, it’s easy to make and will keep for several weeks in the fridge. Give it a try the next time you cook lamb or pork. I hope you enjoy it.

Yield about 1 ½ cups
Ingredients:

• 2 cups coarsely diced rhubarb (about 1/2-3/4 inch length)

• 1/4 cup chopped red onion

• 1 1/2 cups demerara sugar (or light brown sugar)

• 1/4 cup lemon juice + zest of ½ lemon minced

• 1/4 cup cider vinegar

• 1/2 tart green apple, peeled and diced to about 1/4 inch

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (Craisins)

• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, or half a 3 inch cinnamon stick

• 5 black peppercorns

• 4 whole cloves

Preparation:

1. Place freshly cut rhubarb, sugar, and lemon juice in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a simmer and add the remaining ingredients. (Note: Previously frozen fresh rhubarb loses its crunchiness, so you can add all the ingredients at the same time if using thawed frozen rhubarb.)

2. Continue to simmer 15-20 minutes, until the rhubarb is tender and the mixture has thickened.

3. The chutney will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.

Adapted from: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/7308-rhubarb-chutney
@FlorenceFabricant

Pineapple-Mango Salsa →

Pineapple Mango Salsa
Yield about 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 cup peeled diced ripe mango

• 1 cup diced pineapple

• 1/2 cup diced sweet red pepper, or cubanelle pepper

• 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

• 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

• 3 tablespoons lime juice

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1/2 jalapeno pepper finely chopped

Preparation:

Combine all the ingredients and refrigerate at least an hour for flavors to meld.

When visiting family in San Antonio over the holidays, we couldn’t find cranberries to go with our holiday Turkey, so I decided to let the rich Mexican culinary tradition of Texas inspire me. Instead of my traditional cranberry relish, I came up with this colorful Pineapple-Mango Salsa using readily available ingredients from the local supermarket. I chose to use ripe yellow Ataulfo (Honey) mangoes because the larger more common red/orange Haden mangoes were not ripe. If you don’t want to buy and clean a whole pineapple, look for fresh, cleaned, and cored pineapples in the refrigerated fruit section of your supermarket. The sweet-tart, savory taste and crunchy texture with a hint of heat from the jalapeño in the salsa complement rich poultry dishes like roast turkey or grilled chicken. It’s a natural fit with spicy grilled shrimp, barbecue pork spare ribs, or as a side with roast or seared duck. If you don’t like cilantro, fresh mint would be a suitable substitute. Lesson learned: “When cooking in Texas, remember the Alamo and be open to cooking as the Mexicans do.”