Jack Fruit Three Ways

My youngest son Sam is on a mission to try a new fruit whenever possible.

This means picking something exotic from the produce section at our local grocery store and trying it out. Sam's quest is known by our regular cashier and the produce manager. They often give us tips and previews on what we'll find inside a small spiky orb or a giant bumpy-skinned melon.

Some of the delicacies we've tried this summer are:

Passion fruit.

Dragon fruit.

Prickly pear.

Rambutan.

And then there is the Jack Fruit. At just $2, this baby supplied us with enough fruit for more than a week. It took some work, but it was totally worth it.

If you're a vegetarian, you might eat jack fruit all the time, as the yellow bulbs inside this behemoth can be used as a meat substitute in tacos and many slow cooker dishes. The seeds are edible, too, if you cook them.

The fruit is somewhat firm and tastes like a cross between a mango and a peach.

We went online to learn how to open this baby and harvest the edible parts. This video from Instructables.com was pretty helpful. A note if you watch the video: Do not be deterred! Our jack fruit was not as sticky as predicted and we were able to pry it open with just a knife.

It took me, Sam and my husband about an hour to remove all the fruity pods and seeds from the tough shell. We tackled the job on our patio to make clean-up easier.

Cut the jack fruit in half, and then into quarters.

Once your jack fruit is in quarters, you can start peeling away the stringy white pulp to reveal the yellow pods.

The jack fruit.

Jack fruit seeds can be seasoned and cooked.

The aftermath of our work.

Jack Fruit Salad

Once your jack fruit is ready to use, you can dice it into a fruit salad with strawberries and some mint.

Jack Fruit Salsa

Jack fruit holds up really well in a salsa, adding a sweet note.

2 cups jack fruit, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, diced
1 bunch green onions, sliced
Juice of 1 lime
2-3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir to combine. Chill or serve right away with tortilla chips.

Jack Fruit Fries

If you like sweet potato fries, you'll love this side.

2 cups jack fruit, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a medium bowl, toss sliced jack fruit with the oil until the fruit is well coated. Spread jack fruit on a large cookie sheet, leaving space between each piece of fruit. You may need two cookie sheets depending on the size of your pans.

Roast for 10 minutes, then flip fruit pieces over with a spatula and bake for another 10 minutes or until fruit is crispy and browned.

Remove from oven and let cool. Add more salt if needed. Enjoy!

Strawberry Salsa

It's strawberry season out here in Central Illinois, which means a trip to the local you-pick berry farm. This year the timing worked out quite well as my Mom and Dad were visiting. We loaded my boys into the car and headed out for a little adventure.

After 30 minutes, we had two boxes overflowing with strawberries. About 30 pounds worth, to be exact.

What's better than berry picking with Grandma and Grandpa? Eating the fruits of your labor – and all the goodies you can make with fresh strawberries.

These babies are so much sweeter than those in the grocery store. We used them in numerous ways: strawberry milkshakes, fruit salad, strawberry smoothies, freezer jam, strawberry sauce and piled on top of angel food cake with whipped cream.

After freezing enough strawberries to fill three giant ziplock bags, I decided to try strawberry salsa.

Say hello to your new summertime appetizer and topper for grilled chicken, pork, steak or seafood. Slightly sweet and spicy, this salsa is fresh and pretty to look at, too.

I've made multiple batches already, as an easy way to use up all those berries.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Strawberry Salsa
**Note: Adjust amounts to your personal taste

2 cups strawberries, chopped
1 or 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeño slices, chopped
or
1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeds removed, chopped
1/2 of a red onion (about 1/2 cup), finely chopped (or substitute green onion)
2/3 to 1 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
1 yellow, orange or green bell pepper, chopped
Juice and zest of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: If using pickled jalapeño slices, toss in a few teaspoons of the brine to spice things up a bit more.

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.

Serve immediately or chill for 30 minutes or more to let flavors develop.

I served strawberry salsa with tortilla chips and grilled scallops and shrimp.

Grilled Corn Salsa

The sweet corn is at the market and it tastes so good cooked on the grill.

Erin's Corn, Avocado & Tomato Salad and Amy's Chili Lime Corn Salad are delicious ways to make the most of summer produce. This salsa is how we do corn at my house, when we aren't eating it straight from the cob.

I always cook a few extra ears when I make grilled corn in case someone wants seconds — and so I have enough leftover to whip up this side dish.

The combination of lime juice and fresh corn is a taste I just can't get enough of. Yellow or red bell peppers add some crunch, but since my husband is not a huge pepper fan, I usually leave them out.

We like to eat this salsa with chips or pair it with tacos, grilled meat or fish.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Grilled Corn Salsa

3 ears of grilled corn on the cob
1 pint yellow and red grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon lime zest for garnish
Optional: 1 bell pepper, any color, diced

After the ears of corn are cool enough to handle, slice kernels off the cob and place in medium bowl. Hint: Use a bundt pan (shown below) to catch the kernels as you slice them off the cob.

Add tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, bell pepper if using, and lime juice. Add salt and pepper and stir to combine. Sprinkle with lime zest.

Serve immediately or refrigerate for 30 minutes or more. A little chilling lets the flavors combine and really boosts the taste of this salsa.

Amy's Guacamole

When Andrea wrote of her family's love for tacos and her DIY Taco Seasoning, I got a craving for my guacamole. I make this guacamole a lot, especially in the summer. It is one thing that everyone in my family loves. I'd make it more, but none of us has any self control. We all basically stuff our faces. You have been warned.

XOXO,
Amy

PS: The garlic is what makes my guac different from others. Feel free to make this your own. Maybe add cilantro or raw onions. Maybe use homemade salsa if that's in your wheelhouse and you have the time.

Amy's Guacamole

Avocados
Garlic
Salsa (your favorite jarred variety)
Kosher salt
Lime (Lemon will do if you are out of limes)

NOTE: All quantities are approximate. How much you use of anything depends on your own taste and how many you are feeding.

Peel 3-4 avocados and place in bowl. Add 1-2 cloves of minced garlic. Add kosher salt and salsa to our liking. Add juice of one half or whole lime. Mash and  combine using a potato masher. Taste and adjust the seasonings -- namely salt and lime juice -- as needed.

When I made this guac last week, my older daughter Lucy was my helper. She insisted on taking what she called the "transition pictures," which show the various steps in the prep. Here they are.