Jicama Radish Watermelon Salad: Mexican-Inspired Dinner Party - Part 2

Part 2 of my Mexican-Inspired Party recipes from an event I catered a few weekends ago.  This one is a Jicama Salad with Radish and Watermelon topped with Cotija Cheese.  I wanted to do a play on Mexican Vegetables - which typically aren't such a mainstay of the Tex-Mex or Taqueria style foods that we have been finding on menus of late.  One finds likes of re-fried beans, fry breads, nachos, tortillas. There is also the occasional radish and lime slices, along with lettuce, some tomatoes and onions.  I've yet to be served a full salad or vegetable medley at the places we've dined here in the East Coast, or even out in the Southwest where the real and great Mexican foods are to be found.

As I lay no true claims to fully understanding the nuances and simplicities of Mexican-influenced cookery, I went on my instincts, cookbooks and research.  Jicama is a tuber, like a potato. Crunchy, starchy, slightly sweet - it tastes like a cross between a Russet potato and a water chestnut.  It works well raw in salads and is even tastier fried like a French Fry.  Very versatile  and a little goes a long way.  Radishes add the bite and colour; watermelon is the sweet note. I pickled the red onions to tame the bite and added the Cotija cheese for its saltiness. 
A little bit of each vegetable goes a long way.  If you use only a handful of each item it will make a substantial salad.  Serve it over iceberg lettuce wedges, along with some extra limes.  It can be made ahead and will hold well for a day or two - but add the cheese at serving.

Jicama Radish and Watermelon Salad Ingredients:

• 1 Small Red Onion (1 cup) - thinly sliced
• 2 Tablespoons Red or White Wine Vinegar or 2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
• 1 Small Jicama - (about a cup's worth) peeled and Julienne
• 4 Radishes - tops removed and cut into thin slices
• 2 Cups Seedless Watermelon - Diced
• 1 Lime - Zest and Juice (about 1/4 cup juice)
• 1/4 Cup Cilantro - Rough Chop
• Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper - to taste
• 1/2 Cup Cojita Cheese - Crumbled (a Hard, Dry Mexican Cheese. If you
• cannot find it, substitute a dry Queso Fresco, which is similar to Feta cheese)
• Olive Oil for Drizzling (preferably a Spanish Olive Oil!)

Directions:

1. Peel, core and slice the red onions and put into a non-reactive bowl, then sprinkle with a pinch of salt and the 2 tablespoons of vinegar or lime juice. Macerate for 10 to 15 minutes and set aside. This will help “tame” the acidic bite of the raw onion! 
2. Peel and slice the jicama and place into a mixing bowl.
3. Slice the radish and dice the watermelon, adding both to the bowl with the jicama.
4. Add in the zest and juice of the lime and cilantro, tossing to combine.
5. Season the salad to taste with a pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. When ready to serve, remove the red onions from the vinegar, adding to the jicama salad (discard the vinegar). Crumble the Cotija cheese over the salad and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Serve immediately.
   

Mexican-inspired Dinner Party - part 1: Grilled Guacamole with Oranges

A few months ago, I was asked by my friend, Donna H., to donate my cooking services (cooking class and a meal) for a charity fundraiser silent auction.  Her friend, Judy, runs after school programs in Camden for kids to have gym/sports/events to do after school.  It keeps kids focused, doing something positive and off the streets in what is without argument, the most violent and depressed city in America.  How could I refuse to offer my services for a worthwhile and kid-centric cause? I couldn't.  I donated a cooking class and dinner party for 6 people, at their home, within an hours drive from Collingswood.  After I made up the flyer, I sort of forgot about the donation.  A few months later I was contacted by the winner and he asked if we could organize the event in May.  The family that bid on the item at the silent auction lives in Collingswood - about 2 miles from my end of town.  

We quickly decided on a Mexican-inspired menu, since Jay and Jodie, had recently been to Mexico on vacation.  I love Mexican food and frequently cook Mexican-inspired food. My salsas are sort of "famous" (! says me!), and I make a mean fajita and sloppy Jose medley.  I couldn't wait to create a fun simple menu for this party.  Jay and his wife, Jodie, are fun, laid back people.  Foodies, into good wine and spirits and happen to be in the food industry.  Jay's family owns a fabulous restaurant supply company in Philly - so while I didn't personally know him, I was familiar with his company.  A few email exchanges back and forth and the date and menu were set.  I opted to make a modified Rick Bayless version of grilled guacamole (with my own tweaks of course!); Margarita Chicken (a tequila, lime, garlic and cumin marinade fiesta!); Jicama, Radish and Watermelon Salad with Cotija Cheese; and for dessert - Mexican Chocolate Pots de Creme (Mexican Chocolate, Chipotle and Cinnamon).  Muy Delicioso!

cleaning the guacamole bowl out -
I got a small taste before this bowl was EMPTIED!

I'll be posting each of the recipes over the next week or so, since there are four to share (the Pots de Creme is a Mexican version of my low-fat pots de creme found here.)  Today's offering was definitely my favorite of the whole menu - Grilled Guacamole with Oranges.  It's unique but not bizarre and easy enough to make. You grill onions, jalapeño, garlic and tomatoes then diced and added to the avocado.  Everyone at the party loved it - cleaning out the very large bowl in which I made the guac! This, along with the other menu items will be sure to be a part of my new favorite party menu.

Grilled Guacamole with Oranges (adapted from Rick Bayless)

• 4 Garlic Cloves - Peeled
• 1 Jalapeño - stemmed & de-seeded if desired
• 1 Small Red Onion - sliced in half-moon slices, 1/4 inch thick
• 2 Plum Tomatoes - washed & cored
• 1 Large Navel Orange - Zested (reserve) and Supremed (Orange segments removed from skin and pith)
• 1 Lime - Zested and Juiced
• 3 Medium-Large Ripe Avocados - pitted and flesh scooped from skin
• 1/4 Cup Cilantro - Rough Chopped
• Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper - to taste
• Olive Oil - for drizzling

Directions:

1. Grill the garlic, jalapeño, onion and the plum tomatoes, charring them over an open flame, the stove top or on a grill pan.  The garlic, jalapeño and onion should start to become soft and charred; the tomato should char and soften but not fall apart.  Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on heat source and how hot your grill surface is.  Set the vegetables aside to cool.
2. While the vegetables are cooling, zest the orange (reserving the zest) and supreme the segments, cutting away the skin and pith of the orange.  Use a work bowl to catch the juices. Use a sharp thin knife and cut the orange segments from between the white membranes that divide them. Cut the orange segments in half and add them to a bowl to catch the orange’s juices.  Zest and juice the lime as well, adding the zest and lime juice to the bowl along with the orange zest, segments and juices. Set aside.
3. Cut the avocados in half, removing the pits and scooping out the flesh.  Place the avocado into a mixing or serving bowl.  Pour in the orange segments and orange juice and lime juice.
4. Add in the chopped cilantro.
5. When the grilled vegetables are cool enough to handle, chop/mince them - mince the garlic; small dice the jalapeño (work carefully! and wash your hands immediately after handling the jalapeño!); small dice the onion and small dice the tomatoes.  Add all the vegetables to the bowl with the avocado and cilantro.  Stir to combine and mash half of the avocados - but leave it on the chunky side.
6. Season to taste with Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper.  Drizzle some olive oil over the top and serve immediately with tortilla chips.  If serving later, cover the surface of the guacamole with plastic wrap touching the surface.  Refrigerate until ready to use - but use within a few hours of making.  For hotter/spicier guacamole, add in the seeds of the jalapeño or a few dashes of hot sauce. Serves 6 - 8.

Collingswood Farmers Market Opening Weekend 2013

Opening Weekend at the Collingswood Farmers' Market

The 2013 Collingswood Farmers' Market opened this past weekend.  I dashed out of the house hoping to catch the ribbon cutting ceremony at 8 am.  I either missed it by a minute or blinked and was too busy looking at something else (like locking up my bike) because I didn't see the ceremonial cutting.  Oh well.  I did take a lot of great photos and bought a lot of vegetables, breads, plants and flowers.  The market was as great as I remembered it to be on my very first opening day last year.

Favorite shots of the day

This year's market brings a few folks from my old stomping grounds of South Philly - Green Aisle Grocery and Market Day Cannel.  I was also pleased to see Momma's Homemade Applesauce and Hot Sauce! I met these fine and kind folks at the Ocean City Farmers' Market last summer.  Their foodstuffs are so tasty and delicious.  It will be wonderful to be able to buy their foods and sauces in C-Wood if and when they can be regular vendors here!

Favorite vendors from last year have returned too - the best bread (and only decent) source in Collingswood, Wild Flour Artisan Bakers, Viereck Farms (cannot wait for the strawberries and tomatoes!) as well as Spring Dale Farms and their good pies and cider donuts.  Nate was excited to see King Kettle Korn with the dollar boxes of kettle corn! Yum.

I had such a good visit to the market at 8 am, that I was able to go home, drop off my goods, get Nate dressed and return for a late morning once around again!  2nd trip to the market enabled me to buy some herbs and 6 huge healthy geraniums for the garden.  I definitely did my part to keep a lot of cash well-spent in the local small business stream!

Dogs of the Collingswood Farmers' Market

Cooking for a Cause and a Spinach Basil Pesto Recipe

I had the opportunity to do a cooking event at my church out in Wallingford, PA.  It was Friday night, April 19th.  The church does a monthly event for kids and their parents, ice cream socials, cooking classes, art projects.  This month's event was a garden and cooking event.  We had the kids and their parents plant tomato plants and flowers.  Everyone got to take their plants home for their gardens.  I was asked to cook a dinner and dessert using seasonal vegetables.  I cooked a meal, gave a little talk about what's in season and how to use the vegetables and then we ate dinner and had dessert.  

Naturally, I cooked enough food to feed, oh, I don't know, about 40 people! I think we had 15 people, maybe 20 at most.  There were left overs for days on end.  Now, in my defense, I do cook a lot and often make way more than any event needs, but...I was told to expect at least 35 people.  I shopped, prepped, cooked and schlepped food for two days! Ugh! It was for a good cause. And the folks in attendance did enjoy what I made.  And even though I missed Liz's opera opening night of Magic Flute (my first opening night in 9 years that I've missed), I was doing God's work.  

On the menu was a vegetable pasta salad with homemade spinach and basil pesto; fresh salad with sunflower seeds, craisins and cheese; rolls and butter; and for dessert, strawberry rhubarb crisp.  I used as many in-season vegetables as I could, utilizing what's fresh, local and available now.  While I tend to cook as light and fresh as possible for my eating, I realized that I was feeding people I didn't know - going too light and fresh might not taste as good to other people as it does to me.  Therefore, I worked within different but still healthy parameters.  

My tips for making pasta salad healthier are: Swap out white pasta for whole wheat, high fiber or pasta with a serving of vegetables in it; Use light cheese instead of full-fat.  Add in more veggies, but cook them - roast, sauté, grill or steam them to bring out their natural sugars and sweetness; when making pesto - add in spinach to stretch it, make it greener, amp up the vegetable quota; skip nuts; blanch or roast the garlic to tame it; use less cheese, or add it as you need it, instead of when you're making the pesto.  The pesto will keep longer and stay fresher.

For my pasta salad - I grilled the asparagus, sautéed the peppers, and steamed the green beans.  Everything tasted a bit sweeter. The pasta salad worked great cold and could be heated up as well.  I used a combination of whole wheat pasta and vegetable pastas.  

I'm posting my recipe for Spinach Pesto.  It's fairly similar to my basil oil - though I don't separate the oil from the herbs, nor do I use as much basil and oil, but the idea is similar - just oil & the leaves - leaving out the unnecessary stuff until you really need it.

The strawberry rhubarb crisp recipe can be found here (take out the All-Bran Flakes and add in an extra 1/2 cup of oatmeal)...

Spinach Basil and Parsley Pesto:

• 2 Bunches Basil (about a cup loosely packed)- cleaned, dried and leaves removed from stems
• 3 Cups (loosely packed) Fresh Spinach Leaves - cleaned, dried and any woody stems removed
• 1/2 Cup Parsley - cleaned, dried and stems removed
• 2 - 3 Garlic Cloves - blanched in hot water to tame it
• 1/2 to 3/4 Cup Olive Oil
• Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper - to taste
• 1/2 Cup Grated Cheese - such as Parmesan, Locatelli or Pecorino Romano

Equipment Needed:

• Food Processor or Blender
• Rubber Spatula
• small sauce pot and sieve or fine mesh strainer

Directions:

1. Clean the spinach, basil and parsley. Set aside
2. Blanch the garlic in hot boiling water, boiling the garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Run under cold water to cool before adding to the pesto ingredients.
3. Add the spinach, basil and parsley, and blanched and cooled garlic into the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment or into a blender.  Pulse a few times to get the leaves to start forming a paste. Keep the the lid on the blender or food processor and the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil in a slow stream through the pin-hole or removable lid of the blender or food processor.  The mixture should form a paste.  If need be, turn off the machine, and scrape down the sides of the work bowl. Replace lid and turn the machine back on and continue adding in the oil.  The mixture should be thick, not runny, but should also be a bit loose.  
4. Scrap out the pesto into a bowl, then season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5. When ready to use, stir in the finely grated cheese.  Adding it as you need it will help the pesto keep fresh longer.  Store the pesto tightly covered and refrigerated.  
6. Pesto without the cheese added to it can be frozen for up to 3 months.  This pesto will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 week.  Adding the spinach to it will help maintain its intense green colour. Makes 1 cup.  Add more of each, spinach, basil, parsley, oil, as needed.  My recipes, as usual, are a casual affair.  I usually toss in ingredients until I think they are where I want them to be!

Findings: Clover Market

Nate and I took a wander out to Ardmore, PA, a few weekends ago.  I had learned of a flea market/vintage/Etsy/Craft Fair event that happens once a month April-May-June and then again in the Fall, called, Clover Market.  It was such an amazing find - about one hundred vendors selling everything from vintage antiques to up-cycled and recycled crafts and furniture.   There were people selling hand-made clothes, printed cards and posters, jewelry and baby items.  Tin roof tiles, vintage buckets, bottles, baskets and bicycles.  We spent a few hours walking around, checking out the sights and perusing the stalls.

Nate and I had the day to spend on our own, Liz was working all day at her various jobs, so I figured the drive out to the suburbs of Philadelphia might be a good way to spend the morning for us.  Nate was such a good boy in his stroller, being patient and not begging to get out to run around.  He didn't grab at items and he ate snacks and lunch without much prompting.  He was even helpful in selecting a gift for Liz's birthday - we found an old stained glass window pane for our house, along with an old square tin bunt pan with 3 vintage square citron glass bottles.  Clover Market bills itself as Lucky Finds for the Home.  I'll say!

The next Clover Market will be on May 19th - Make your plans now to go there.  It's worth the trip.