Aug. 26--During many a staff meeting of those who prepare the pages for the Herald & Review Life sections, we've talked about the fruits and vegetables which are common now that we had little knowledge of at younger ages.
And that's at least one reason we're talking in Cook's Choice today about the jicama (HE-ka-ma) as well as including a couple of recipes using it.
I'd already begun searching for recipes for the root vegetable, sometimes referred to as the Mexican potato, when I received a recipe from a co-worker that was a gift from one of our former newsroom receptionists, Coleen Myers. Cook's Choice some time ago published Myers' good strawberry pie recipe, but today her suggestion is Jicama and Cucumber Salad.
Myers said her recipe choice came about when the family was following a diet program that had quite a few salad recipes and she came across jicama.
"I love them because they have a crunch to them," she said.
She does, however, have a couple of salad comments. This recipe won't be popular among those who don't like cucumbers, she said. And sometimes it's difficult to find a small jicama. So just double the salad ingredients, she suggested. The salad stores and lasts well when refrigerated.
And now, here are a couple more tidbits about jicama from epicurious.com and foodreference.com, among other Web sites. The vegetable has a thin skin that should be removed just before eating. I'm guessing that's why lime juice is in both recipes, perhaps to keep the peeled vegetable from browning when exposed to air. Its taste is somewhere between that of an apple and a water chestnut, so it will be crunchy. Unlike a potato, it can be refrigerated and will last in the fridge a couple of weeks. It can be used raw, baked, boiled, mashed or fried, just like any potato.
And only eat the root, as other parts of the plant may be poisonous.
Jicama and Cucumber Salad
2 tablespoons red onion, diced
1 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/2 pound jicama, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 tablespoons fat-free chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine onion, cucumber and jicama in a bowl. In separate bowl, whisk lime juice, olive oil and broth and pour over vegetables. Add salt and pepper, if desired.
Chill for an hour or so before serving.
Serves 4.
Nutritional data per serving: 55 calories; 21 calories from fat; 2g fat; no saturated fat; no cholesterol; 4mg sodium; 8g carbohydrate; 4g fiber; no sugars; 1g protein; 186mg potassium.
-Source: Coleen Myers
Apricot, Berry and Jicama Salad with Honey-Lime Dressing
8 ounces apricots or nectarines, halved, pitted, cut into 1/2 -inch pieces
1 (1-pint) basket strawberries, hulled, cut into 1/2 -inch pieces
1 ( 1/2 -pint) basket fresh blueberries
1 ( 1/2 -pint) basket fresh raspberries
1 1/2 cups 1/2 -inch pieces peeled jicama
2 teaspoons minced seeded jalapeno chili
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons roasted salted sunflower seeds
Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk lime juice, honey and oil in a small bowl to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour dressing over fruit mixture; toss gently to coat. Divide salad among 6 plates. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds and serve.
Serves 6.
Nutritional data per serving: 141 calories; 41 calories from fat; 5g fat; no saturated fat; no cholesterol; 32mg sodium; 24g carbohydrate; 5g fiber; 16g sugars; 2g protein; 255mg potassium.
Source: epicurious.com; Bon Appetit (June 2002)
amannlein@herald-review.com 421-6976
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