Wednesday, May 25, 2011

BFF - Big F*&%ing Fruit

"The Jackfruit is the largest edible fruit grown on trees in the world." This is a quote from the back of a bag of Danielle Premium Hand Cooked Chips. I picked up a bag of these snacks recently out of curiosity. I had never tried Jackfruit and I love crunchy snacks. It turns out I really like jackfruit, it has a wonderful mild pineapple flavor without the tropical overtones of a passion fruit or guava.
The Jackfruit got me thinking about that quote... and big fruit. I consider the watermelon the biggest fruit in my occidental diet. My youngest son loves Watermelon. I rarely buy a watermelon because they are TOO BIG. Sure now adays you can buy small mini watermelons, but I'm already averse to watermelons after years of not being able to pick a perfect one. Why buy when you can't be assured you won't pick the mealy mushy one that isn't sweet? Then there is the problem of being stuck with 5 lbs of BAD fruit!??!
But since my son loves it, sometimes I bring one to a party so we can get rid of it all in one day, whether it's good OR bad. We went to a party recently and brought one, but the hostess had bought one too and already cut hers - Oh No!!
I brought the beastly huge fruit home. We cut into it the next day and for the first time in years, I had picked a good watermelon! Sweet, juicy, crisp! Now we had to find a way to eat it all.
Internet to the rescue, searched for watermelon salad, read up a bit and created my own using up some other great seasonal produce I had on hand. It's simple but complex enough to become addicting. Not too sweet, not quite savory so it will pair well with grilled meats. This simple salad is a great way to use up a bunch of that BFF!

Watermelon & Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:
2 lb. Ripe, sweet Watermelon flesh, cut into 3/4" cubes
1 large Cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4" cubes
1 lb. Jicama (small one or 1/2 of a BFF) peeled, cut into 3/4" cubes
1/2 bunch Cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
1 juicy Lime (or two)
2 Tablespoons Agave Nectar or Honey or Sugar

Method

Combine the cut fruits and vegetables in a large bowl. Combine the lime juice and agave. Taste and add more lime or agave to your liking (less sweet watermelon may need more sweetener, more sweet watermelon, more lime). Pour the dressing over the fruit. Stir gently to coat. Sprinkle with the cilantro. Put in the refrigerator for an hour or so to let the flavors combine.