A jicama…what an obscure size and shape to imagine! So 17 inches it is. What to do with a jicama? Cold, juicy, sweet, and crunchy this is a vegetable that is often overlooked in the grocery store and in my mind. I love serving this in a salad during the hot days of summer. Pair it with juicy orange segments, creamy avocado, spicy peppers and shallots-it makes a wonderful salad on it’s own or paired with a meal. Tajin adds a flavor profile reminiscent of Mexico so, I often serve this with carnitas tacos or carne asada.
Dressing:
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup lime juice
2 small garlic cloves, diced
½ Serrano chili finely chopped
1 tablespoon Tajin
1 teaspoon salt
Salad:
¼ cup toasted pepitas
1 small jicama
2-3 mini Persian cucumbers
2 navel oranges
1-2 heads little gem lettuce
1 shallot
1 Serrano chili
1 avocado
Herbs of your choice for sprinkling on top
4 teaspoons Tajin
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Make the vinaigrette:
In the jar of an immersion blender or in a standard blender, purée the oil, lime juice, garlic, serrano chile, tajín and salt until smooth and emulsified. (Alternatively, combine the ingredients in a jar, cover and shake well to combine.) Set aside.
Prepare the salad:
Heat the pumpkin seeds in a small skillet over low, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a small plate and set aside to cool.
Using a sharp knife, trim the ends and peel off the brown skin from the jicama. Trim and peel the pineapple. Cut the jicama and pineapple lengthwise in half. Using a mandoline or a sharp chef’s knife, cut the jicama, pineapple and cucumbers into very thin slices (about 24 slices of jicama and 16 slices of pineapple). Using a sharp knife, remove the peel and pith from the oranges, then cut them into 8 slices each. Separate the leaves of the lettuce (you should have at least 20). Thinly slice the onion into rings and save the small ones from the center (save the remainder for another use). Thinly slice the serranos. Slice avocado in half and remove pit. Cross hatch cubes with a knife.
Divide the jicama slices among 4 large plates, followed by the pineapple, cucumber and orange slices. Top with the lettuce leaves, then 2 or 3 red onion rings each, the avocado cubes,toasted pepitas and serrano slices. Sprinkle with the herbs and flowers, if using, and finish with the tajín, a drizzle of dressing and some flaky salt at the end. (Alternatively, layer the ingredients on a large wide platter.) Serve any remaining dressing on the side.