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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Friday, July 4, 2008 The Forum: Tomato-less salsa turns out A-OK By Judyrae Kruse Herald Columnist First it was fast-food burgers, then spinach, and now it's tomatoes. Unlike the big scare with the burgers and spinach, though, the source of the recent countrywide salmonella outbreak has apparently yet to be determined to any acceptable degree of certainty. Bottom line? Those in the know who should know at this stage of the game are evidently still unable to issue a firm yes or no on tomato safety, leaving some of us leery about eating any. Yet, at least. So just what, you might be wondering, do tomatoes have to do with celebrating the Fourth of July? In a word: salsa. To be on the safe side, many cooks will opt out of making a batch this year, even though salsa is always a crowd pleaser. Oh, woe? Oh, no. Not at all. If you're willing to fly in the face of convention and make a tomatoless version, you can still have your salsa and eat it, too. First, here's a how-to that somebody special just gave me. "This looks really good," she said, "so I thought I would pass it along. I've made pretty much this same recipe with mangos instead of watermelon, and it was really, really good." She also mentioned this salsa, just like the regular stuff, goes down well with tortilla chips, but is also a terrific topping for grilled chicken or fish. A second no-tomato option, taken from "Hay Day Country Market Cookbook," is made with jicama and avocado. It, too, is good with corn chips, as well as salmon, chicken breasts, shrimp or scallops and uses firm avocados, not soft ones. TWO-PEPPER WATERMELON SALSA 3 cups chopped peeled, seeded watermelon 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper 1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno pepper 2 tablespoons lime juice 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 1 tablespoon chopped green onions 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well and serve. JICAMA AND AVOCADO SALSA 2 cups peeled, diced jicama (1 small jicama) 1/2 cup minced red onion 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced 1-2 green serrano chile peppers, to taste, minced (2 make a hot salsa) 1/3 cup fresh lime juice 2 tablespoons orange juice 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro 2 firm ripe Hass avocados, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped 1/2 teaspoon kosher (coarse) salt In a large bowl, combine jicama, onion, garlic, peppers, juices and cilantro; toss. Add avocados and salt and toss gently but thoroughly. Serve immediately or refrigerate . Pack in airtight container, top with a slice of lemon or lime, and place plastic wrap over the entire surface to prevent avocado from browning. The next Forum will appear in Monday's Time Out section. Meanwhile, have a super good Fourth of July!

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