This week we received a box of fresh, ripe mangoes as part of a Fruit of the Month club that someone generously gave us over the holidays. I cut open one of the mangoes to sample with my youngest daughter and it was like eating sweet candy. I knew we had to use these up soon because they were so ripe so I immediately thought of Mango Salsa.

What’s On Hand Mango Salsa

Mango salsa is one of those dishes that is very versatile and can be made with what you may have on hand in the refrigerator, my favorite kind of recipe.  I happen to have a most of the ingredients needed for this recipe except I did have to borrow a fresh lime from my neighbor.

I even had a jicama, a legume that looks like a turnip but is sweet and crispy and is popular in Mexican cuisine that I cut up into small chunks and tossed in. Jicama tastes like a cross between an apple or pear and water chestnuts.  Found in most supermarkets today, it is an edible root that you may want to play around with.

Versatility

We served this batch of mango salsa with roasted fresh salmon and tonight I’m thinking of grilling or pan-frying some chicken breasts to serve with what’s left. Of course it would be great with tortilla chips, a stir-fry or how about a mango smoothie.

On tip I would offer is to not overwhelm the salsa with mango. I have been served mango salsa in restaurants where all you taste is the mango. The batch I made last night was balanced nicely with plenty of mango but also with the other ingredients so there were layers of flavors. I was very pleased with the overall flavor.

The Reluctant Gourmet’s Mango Salsa

Ingredients

Here’s what I added to my mango salsa, but you can experiment with lots of ingredients. Lot’s of folks like to add chile peppers to spice it up, but since I was serving it to the kids, I left them out.

The size of the dice really depends on your own personal preferences. Do you like it chunky or finely diced? I like to finely dice the onion and chile pepper if included but leave the mango and jicama a little larger.

• 2 fresh & ripe mangos, peeled & pit removed and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• ½ red onion, finely diced
• ½ jicama, peeled and diced
• ½ bunch of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• juice from a whole lime
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

Alternative ingredients:
Jalapeño chile, garlic, cucumber,  avocado, apples, black beans, corn,  fresh pineapple

How to Make Mango Salsa at Home

After you cut up all the ingredients, combine them in a bowl and squeeze the line juice on top. Season with a little salt and pepper, stir, then taste. You can adjust the seasoning by adding a little of this or a little of that to make it more or less hot.

If you use fresh ingredients, it’s going to taste great right away but if you let it sit an hour or more and let the flavors meld together, it’s going to taste even better. I’m betting it is going to be incredible tonight with chicken.

I served this mango salsa with salmon and fresh local corn and a glass of 2008 Cloudline Pinot Gris from Oregon.  Simple, easy and absolutely delicious.

Related Topics

Mango Salsa with Black Beans

Creamed corn is a sweet and silky treat. Corn has natural thickeners in it - they don’t call it “corn starch” for nothing—so this dish doesn’t need any additional thickeners. If you are used to either making creamed corn with added starches or you usually just buy it canned, you owe it to yourself to try this easy and classic version.

The real trick to making creamed corn is in how you slice the kernels off the cob. You want to release as much of the starches as possible to thicken the dish, and the best way to do this is to “shave” the tips off of all the kernels on your first pass, and then cut the remaining part of the kernels off in the second pass. After you slice off all the kernels, scrape down the cob with the back of a chef knife to get as much of the pulp and milk as you can.

As always, you can jazz it up with herbs and spices. This is just a great basic recipe to get you started.

Creamed Corn

Ingredients:

• 1 small yellow or white onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 6 ears of corn, shucked and cleaned
• ½ cup water
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• A heavy pinch of sugar (optional—omit if your corn is very sweet)
• ½ cup heavy cream

Slice kernels off the cobs as described above.

Heat a saute pan over medium-low heat until hot. Add the butter and swirl to coat the bottom.

Sweat the onion with salt and pepper until softened and translucent. Don’t let them brown, so adjust the heat down if the onions are starting to take on color.

Add the corn kernels and all the pulp and milk you scraped off of the cobs along with the water. Add a pinch more salt and pepper and the sugar (if using). Bring to a boil, stirring constantly and mashing the kernels against the bottom and sides of the pan to extract all the starches.

Add the heavy cream and reduce slightly until thick and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Eat creamed corn as is, or stir in some minced fresh herbs.

Related Topics

Cooking Corn on the Cob

Creamy Corn Soup Recipe

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Jersey Sweet Corn

How to Cook Corn on the Cob

Cooking Corn on the Cob

The corn on the Jersey shore is the best I’ve ever had—sweet and tender and bursting with flavor.  I thought it would be nice to give you a few ideas of ways to serve corn that might be a little bit out of the box.  Before we go adding all sorts of ingredients though, I should add that when your corn is wholesome and fresh, sometimes less is more.

In that spirit, here are a couple of ways to enjoy your sweet corn the way it comes off of the stalks—on the cob.

Steamed Corn on the Cob

4 ears of corn, shucked and cleaned of silk
Water
Fresh herbs (optional)
Salt
Pepper
Butter

Fill a large pot with about 1” of water.  If you would like, add some fresh herbs to the water for additional flavor.  Bring the water to a boil.

Place ears of corn in a steamer insert or metal colander and carefully place in the large pot.  Cover and let the corn steam for 5-10 minutes, depending on how soft you like the kernels.  If your corn is very fresh and sweet, you really only need to steam it long enough to heat it.

Serve with softened butter and salt and pepper, to taste.  You could also use herbed butter or garlic butter—any kind of compound butter would do.

Grilled Corn on the Cob
4 ears of corn, husks still on
Water
Fresh herbs (optional)
Salt
Pepper
Butter

(Optional first step) Bring fresh herbs to simmer in enough water to cover the ears of corn.  Cool and proceed.

Soak the corn in salted water for about 30 minutes before grilling.  You will probably have to weigh the corn down with a plate or some cans to keep them submerged.

Set your gas grill to medium-high, or use one layer of charcoal in a charcoal grill.

Place the ears of corn on your grilling grate and cover.

Let grill for 5-10 minutes, and then turn the ears.  Keep grilling and turning the ears.  The husks will get crisp and browned and might even flare up occasionally.  That’s okay—you won’t end up with burnt corn.

Once the ears are browned on all sides, about 30 minutes or so, carefully take them off the grill.  Wearing oven mitts, pull the husks and silk away from the corn.  Serve with softened butter or compound butter and salt and pepper, to taste.

Related Topics

Creamy Corn Soup Recipe

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Jersey Sweet Corn