Weeknight Kitchen: Shrimp, Mango, and Avocado Salad Trying to get into the habit of posting this stuff up again Courtsey of the SplendidTable.org Dear Friends, Since I always think of mangoes as being the peaches of the tropics, this recipe made good seasonal sense to me. If you don't live in mango territory, sweet ripe peaches or nectarines can stand in gracefully. The brilliance in this recipe is pureeing the fruit into the Asian dressing. If you can double up on this part of the dish, do because the mix will keep several days in the refrigerator. Nearly anything you put it on will shine, including a "coleslaw" of Napa or regular cabbage. Food writer Amelia Saltsman etches a portrait of a market in this book; granted it is an exceptional market in one of the most fecund parts of the world. Beyond the recipes, there is much information on produce and insights into what makes a market work. Like that duck that seems to drift effortlessly on the pond and in reality is paddling like mad beneath the surface to keep up, the inner workings of farmers' markets are studies in real world sustainability. Shrimp, Mango, and Avocado Salad Excerpted from The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook: Seasonal Foods, Simple Recipes, and Stories from the Market and Farm by Amelia Saltsman. Reprinted with permission from Blenheim Press, Santa Monica, CA. Copyright 2007 by Amelia Saltsman. Makes 6 servings 1 large mango, cut into 1/2-inch dice (see Cook's Tip) 2 tablespoons canola or other mild cooking oil 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar Grated zest and juice of 2 limes 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Thai chile paste 1 pound shrimp, grilled or boiled and peeled 1 large head butter lettuce, torn 1 cup sugar snap peas, strings removed and cut into bite-sized pieces 3 green onions, including several inches of green, thinly sliced 1 Reed or other avocado, cut into 1-inch cubes 1 cup small cherry tomatoes, preferably Sun Gold, stemmed 1/2 cup each fresh mint and basil (preferably Thai or opal) leaves, torn 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, torn 1. To make the dressing, put one-fourth of the mango, the oil, vinegar, lime juice, fish sauce, and chile paste in a blender and process until smooth. You should have 1 cup; set aside. 2. Place the shrimp, lettuce, peas, green onions, avocado, tomatoes, remaining mango, lime zest, basil, mint, and cilantro leaves in a large bowl. Toss the salad with just enough of the dressing to coat well. Reserve the rest for another use; it will keep refrigerated for up to 1 week. How to Choose Mangoes: Seek out fragrant, smooth-skinned fruits that give a little (like a ripe avocado) when cupped in your hand. Ripe mangoes will keep on the counter for up to 1 week, and in the refrigerator for up to 1 month with some dehydration (skin will start to shrivel). Cook's Tip: To peel and cut a mango, stand the fruit on one end and, using a serrated knife, cut from top to bottom, running the blade close to the large, flat pit. Turn the mango and repeat on the opposite side. With the tip of your knife, cut a 1/2- to 1-inch crosshatch pattern into the flesh without cutting through the skin. Push the skin side upward to expose the cubes and cut them away from the skin. Use a spoon to scoop out any remaining flesh, and cut away and usable flesh attached to the pit. LYNNE'S TIPS Reed avocados are available in summer and early fall in some parts of the country. Their thick, pebbly skin remains green when ripe, unlike other varieties that turn dark. As with all avocados, it is ripe when it yields to gentle pressure when held in the palm of your hand. The Hass variety is a good substitute. Thai basil has small leaves on purple stems, a licorice scent and a spicy, stronger flavor than the more familiar sweet basil. Opal basil has pretty purple leaves and stems and a clove-like aroma. Less common varieties of basil like these are often available at farmers' markets during the summer and early fall. Shop Asian markets for ingredients like fish sauce and chile paste. You'll find a larger selection and often lower prices. One reliable brand of fish sauce has three crabs on the label. Once opened, store both in the refrigerator where they will hold easily for six months. THOUGHTS FROM LYNNE Viana La Place is one of those cookbook authors who wouldn't know how to write a disappointing recipe. Her latest book is My Italian Garden: More Than 125 Seasonal Recipes from a Garden Inspired by Italy (Broadway Books, 2007). It's one to have now when produce is so prime and so plush it's practically irresistible. Next spring you might want to use the book for new ideas for the garden. Have a great week, Lynne
Can I just say that cilantro is known to the non-Hispanic world as coriander or dhania. I hate it (the fresh greens ... I'm OK with the ground seeds) to my palate it is like sucking on a stale washcloth (never mind I have a vivid imagination). Aside from the coriander, though the recipe sounds yummy.
I know what you mean about coriander, Mirelly. I'm not really a fan of most herbs I guess (icky tummy). when we went to Florida 2 years ago, you wouldn't believe the trouble we had in restaurants trying to order food with minimal herbs, or without a herb garnish - ya know like the pasta and pizza meals that come with it sprinkled, umm COVERED in herbs? How could I make it any clearer - pasta without the herb garnish? When it arrived, guess what it came with? These were freshly prepared by the way, so not sure why they insisted. That reminds me of when I was in Italy some years ago too - posh hotel chef refused to cook a simple, plain old spaghetti with sauce for me, he said it was an insult to his skills as a chef! But I don't care if he can cook a meal fit for a queen with all the trimmings - I just want a plain spaghetti in sauce kthx! In the end he decided to cook omelette with vegetables, almost every night for the fortnight. I had to leave the hotel to get a taste of Italian pasta and found it in street cafes for like next to nothing in cost, but oh so yummy. Josh, any vegetarian recipes?
I love herbs! The more the better! Hugz, I like to make individual pizzas for Witch Baby and her friends. Super easy! Put a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet (that way, there's almost no clean-up, just throw the paper away when you're done). Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. While the oven's heating, take one tortilla per person and cover it with pizza sauce (we like the kind in the squeeze bottle, but any kind will do, you can even use spaghetti sauce if you like). Cover with shredded mozarella and your choice of ingredients. Ideas: Chopped tomatoes Garlic Sliced mushrooms Olives Turkey pepperoni Bell peppers Pineapple Bake for 7 minutes once the oven's hot. Let cool for 5 minutes. Cut into fourths and serve. Kids love making their own and it's so easy. You can even buy preshredded cheese if you're feeling exceptionally lazy.
LOL I used to do something similar when I had a sudden excess of homemade bread going stale on me ... All done under the grill (broiler) ... yum. And I always use tons of herbs ... anything except the horrible coriander/cilantro. (I just found out that I am not alone ihatecilantro.com is real and there's an unresearched genetic reason as to why some people find it tastes horrible ... apparently, )
I've got no grudge against herbs in general, but I can't stand parsley. I really don't understand why people like to put it everywhere in there food. ON the food is OK because it leaves hardly any flavour behind (and it looks pretty which is why people do it, I suppose). My dad and I used to watch Rick Stein's cooking show and his food is LOADED with parsley. I call him the Parsley Man. Oh, and thanks for that SBW! I'm gonna try it. We always seem to have lots of tortilla lying around, wasted if we don't eat tacos every week (which we don't, BTW :silly.
Parsley have a very specific taste. I like it - but not TO much... It's also very high in minerals: iron and vitamin C, so it's good for you. I like to use herbs in cooking, but they are used as spices - not as a main ingredient... For the moment I can't come up with a dish here. All my cooking i by feeling and what I prefer to use that day. (So far no one has become sick or disliked anything I've cooked) Id I look a recipe up - I use it as a base and I can't help but alter it slightly, as it's always something needed I don't have at home... lol Also my cooking are very basic most of the times.... I've never experimented with expensive food stuff - as I could never afford buying it. lol But this Josh is right up mine and Paul's street. We love seafood things and avocado. Tip! NEVER give a guinea pig avocado - it kills them!
