we have a whole slew of soups & good warm, wintery dishes to share with you, but the weather is just so nice & warm that i just can’t bring myself to write about them right now.  i’m sure winter will be back to it’s regular bone chilling self soon enough.  we’ll get to them then.

until then, it’s time for something a little lighter & fresher, which can be a real challenge in the winter, since there isn’t a ton of produce that’s in season.  this recipe contains two things that are though: jicama & avocado.

& now i’m sure some of you are all “what’s jicama?”.  pronounced hee kah ma, it’s a mexican root vegetable with a subtly sweet flavor & a texture that kind of reminds me of a raw potato.  it pairs really well with savory flavors & a little heat, like the ingredients of this salad.  & it’s delicious.

JICAMA SALAD

serves 6-8 as a side, about 4 as a light meal

1 clove garlic, smashed & pasted with a generous pinch of kosher salt
1 lime, zested
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 big squirt sriracha
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup frozen corn kernels, defrosted
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 15oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 cup jicama, peeled & diced
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup scallions, sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
salt & freshly ground pepper

1. in a large bowl, whisk together the garlic paste, lime zest, lime juice, orange juice, cumin, sriracha, & olive oil until well combined.

2.  add the corn, bell pepper, black beans, jicama, avocado, scallions & cilantro.  toss gently to coat with dressing.  add salt & freshly ground pepper to taste.

from the crisper whisperer, serious eats