The spicy sweetness of this Mexican salad is super-refreshing and delicious as long as you have ripe fruit; vary the ingredients depending on what you find. Really, any fruit is suitable, from oranges and apples to pineapples and papayas; peaches and melons are wonderful summer options.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1 medium jicama (less than a pound), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

　　1 cucumber, peeled, seeded (page 170), and diced

　　1/2 cup fresh lime juice

　　Salt to taste

　　2 cups fresh fruit in bite-sized pieces, peeled and seeded if necessary

　　Cayenne or pure chile powder, like ancho or New Mexico, to taste (the dish should be at least slightly hot)

　　Chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

　　

Step 1

Toss the jicama and cucumber with the lime juice and salt in a nonreactive bowl and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the fruit.

　　

Step 2

When ready to serve, toss in the fruit and cayenne. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then garnish and serve.

　　

Fruit Salad “Salsa”

Step 3

To use this salad as a sauce for grilled or broiled fish, chicken, or pork, similar to Xec (page 615), omit the jicama and add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.