Jicama and Corn Slaw with Avocado

This was the very first recipe I ever posted on this blog. The name of the post was “Dinner July 31st, 2010” and also included instructions for making chipotle black beans and frying sweet plantains. I’m reposting this jicama slaw because, 8 years later, I’m still making this salad every summer. Also, the original post had no photos. Also, my sister was probably the only person who ever read that post.

I plan on making this salad with the kids who participate in Run a Luncheonette Cooking Camp next week. This will be my fourth year working with Brooklyn Apple Academy and a group of young people to create, cook and serve a gourmet meal at the historic Sunview Luncheonette in Greenpoint Brooklyn. Each year, we try to choose a specific cuisine that we are interested learning more about. The first year we did a lot of dairy food science (making meringues, fruit curd, popovers, fresh ricotta). Year two was all about Asian food (I learned how to make daifuku!). Year three was gluten-free AND vegan (sorry there are no links. I was too busy to blog last summer). This year, we are going to focus on foods from Mexico, Central and South America. Hopefully, I will be better at making things out of Masa Harina by the end of the week. This salad is a crowd pleaser. I’m really dedicated to getting kids to try out unfamiliar vegetables and this one has both jicama and tomatillos! Added August 12th- My plan was foiled due to a lack of jicama availability! But, we made this exact recipe with red cabbage instead of jicama and it was a big hit!

This recipe is one of many that came to me from my cousin Gary and his wife Constance. They are amazing cooks and excellent human beings in general. I highly recommend Cousin Gary’s Curried Lentil Salad and their recipe for Smoked Salmon Hash with Fresh Herbs.

This salad is very forgiving. I can’t always find tomatillos but it’s still good without. The original recipe called for cabbage and romaine instead of pineapple and that would still be good (and even cheaper). I would not advice trying to make this with canned pineapple or with a pineapple that is not ripe. A ripe pineapple SMELLS like pineapple and the leaves come out easily from the top when tugged.

JICAMA AND CORN SLAW WITH AVOCADO

Tomatillo Dressing

3-6 tomatillos, husked, rinsed and roughly chopped
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
5 tablespoons lime juice
1 jalapeno minced (if you don’t like spice, remove the seeds and the inner white membrane)
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
6 Tablespoons of vegetable oil

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and process into a smooth dressing

1/2 cup scallions minced
3/4 cup seeded diced tomatoes
about 2 and 1/2 cups peeled and shredded jicama
3/4 cup corn kernels
1 avocado diced
1/4 cup feta or cojita cheese crumbled (optional)
about 2 and 1/2 cups chopped fresh pineapple

Toss the scallions, tomatoes, jicama and corn in the dressing. This can be done in advance. Add the avocado, cheese and pineapple right before serving.

MORE SLAWS!