Caribbean Appetizer

Mango Tomato Salsa
(Makes 4 cups)

A beautiful, sweet and tangy salsa. Serve it with our sweet potato chips and roti, or along side our jerk pork and chicken recipes.

4 medium tomatoes (seeded, finely diced)*
2 large ripe mangoes (peeled, pitted finely diced)
1 medium sweet red pepper (finely diced)
6-8 scallions (chopped)
2 large cloves garlic (crushed or minced)
1/2 tsp. habanero or Scotch Bonnet pepper (seeded, diced)
2 T fresh parsley (chopped)
2 T fresh cilantro (chopped)
pinch dried, crumbled thyme leaves
4 oz. pineapple juice
2 T apple cider vinegar
2 T lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix thorougly. Cover and chill for 4 hours before serving.

Serve with Sweet Potato Chips and Roti. Also serve as an accompaniment to our Grilled Jerk Chops and Jamaican Chicken recipes.

* To seed a tomato, quarter it, then while holding each quarter in your hand, squeeze or scoop out the seedy juice, leaving only firm pulp. Now you're ready to dice.

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Tips & Glossary

Caribbean cuisine is an exquisite blend of African, Asian, European, and Carib Indian (the area's original inhabitants) foods. Dishes are highly seasoned, either with a dry rub or marinade —or both. Below are some typical ingredients found in Caribbean food.

Callaloo: young leaves of either the taro root plant or amaranth; used widely in Caribbean cooking. Spinach can be used as a substitute.

Spices: Allspice, bay leaves, black pepper, chives, chili peppers, cilantro, cinnamon, coconut, curry powder, escallion, garlic, ginger, lime, mace, nutmeg, onion, oregano, sugar, thyme, orange, tomato paste, vanilla, cayenne (red) pepper.

Jerk: Jamaican cooking method in which meat is rubbed, prior to grilling, with a blend of seasonings, often firey hot.

Jerk is also the name of the seasoning (from Spanish charqui, or dried meat). You can buy jerk in most grocery stores (even McCormick makes it), or can make and store your own.

• 1 T each—onion powder, garlic powder, dried chives, brown sugar; 2 tsp. each— (ground) allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon; 1 tsp. each—sage. thyme, salt, black pepper, cayenne (or more to taste). Mix thoroughly and store in a tightly covered jar.

There are thousands of versions; figure out what flavors you like most and add or subtract accordingly.

Typical meats: goat, pork, chicken, and some beef (though beef has tended to be expensive).

Fish: varieties that abound in surrounding waters, some familiar to us—grouper, cod, tilapia, blue marlin; others not so—200 species of jack, chip-chips (tiny clams), casadura (primitive armored catfish).

Native plant foods:
• ackee—peach-looking fruit with pulp like scrambled eggs
• annatto (achiote) seed
red coloring or flavoring agent w/ slightly sweet peppery taste.
• cassava root (taro root)
• malanaga root
• scotch bonnet peppers
• breadfruit—fruit used like a potato in salads, stews, even whipped.
• passion fruit

More familiar foods:
bananas and plantains, okra, yams, papaya, mangoes, coconut, yams, sweet potatoes, rice, beans, corn and cornmeal.