Multi-faceted Fruit

I must admit I've been lazy in the kitchen lately. Why is it that I feel least inspired to cook during the time when the most ingredients are available? Over the last few days I took a highly scientific poll and the results are overwhelming . . . I am not alone in this.


So, I've decided to take this laziness and turn it into an opportunity to take you on a tour of my beloved greenmarket. I figure you eat first with your eyes, so it can't hurt to start looking in the right direction.



I find that I'm a bit of an impulse shopper. No, not the kind of person who buys gum and trashy magazines while in line at the bodega. My impulse buys generally involve produce. (I am fully aware of the nerdiness contained in that statement.) I find myself wandering from end to end of the farmers market, peering to see who has the best tomatoes, the crunchiest cucumbers, the leafiest greens. I forget that there is only one of me and that all I really came to pick up today was a dozen eggs and some blueberries.



Each time I show up with only one bag, sure that it will be nearly empty when I leave, and later find myself hobbling awkwardly down the sidewalk so as not to crush the peaches, tomatoes, salad greens, blueberries, black raspberries, bread, and eggs in my now not-empty-at-all bag. My shoulders slump under the weight of the honey, maple syrup, new potatoes, fava beans, fresh squeezed juice, and compost. How does this happen to me?



How do I so easily get drawn in by the colors and shapes and forget that I am only one person, with one stomach? What am I going to do with all this food?! It's times like these that demand a little creativity. They say necessity is the mother of invention. I think they had my shopping trips in mind when they came up with that.

Last week I found myself overloaded with peaches and strawberries and nothing interesting to eat for dinner. In the freezer I had some salmon, and on the counter a few little new potatoes that hopped into my bag at the market, begging to be smashed with a bit of butter, salt, and pepper. I needed a way to liven this meal up.



As is often the case, I happened to have the food network on as I was preparing to cook. As luck would have it the host of the moment was making a mango salsa. I had no mango, but I did have berries, peaches, and some fresh cilantro. It was worth a shot.

I diced up the fruit, along with a shallot, threw in half a jalepeno, some cilantro and lime juice. Voila, the perfect acompaniment for fish, and (this is the best part) a clever way to disguise my impulse purchases!


Fruit Salsa

2 small peaches, peeled and diced
1/2 pint ripe strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered (depending on size)
1 good handful cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1 large shallot, minced
1/2 to 1 jalepeno, seeded, ribbed, and diced (vary amount depending on how spicy you want your salsa)
pinch of salt and pepper

Toss ingredients in a bowl. Taste for seasoning. This salsa lasts one day in the fridge; after that the fruit gets a little slimy. Don't hesitate to use whatever fruit you have on hand, such as pineapple, mango, kiwi, blackberries, etc. This recipe is just a little encouragement to get your creative juices flowing.

(I apologize to anyone who may have made this recipe in the last two days; I mistakenly wrote that I used a whole red onion, when in fact I used a shallot. Didn't mean to give you a recipe for onion salad with a little fruit mixed in!)