This "salsa" is actually a sort of fruit salad, but it does contain the quintessential salsa ingredients, lime juice and jalapeño peppers. The jalapeños are certainly unexpected, but they have an interesting way of intensifying the sweetness of the pineapple.

　　

Ingredients

Makes about 2 cups

　　2 cups fresh pineapple cut into 1/2-inch cubes

　　3 tablespoons thinly slivered fresh mint or lemon verbena

　　1 to 2 jalapeño peppers (preferably red), seeded and minced (for a hotter "salsa," leave the seeds in)

　　2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or more to taste

　　1 tablespoon light brown sugar, or more to taste

　　

Step 1

Place the pineapple, mint, jalapeño(s), lime juice, and brown sugar in a nonreactive mixing bowl, but don't mix them until 5 minutes before you are ready to serve. Taste for seasoning, adding more lime juice and/or brown sugar as necessary.

　　

Variation:

Step 2

Slivered mint keeps this "salsa" in the realm of a salad. If you really want to push the limits try substituting chopped fresh cilantro for the mint.

　　Raichlen's Indoor! GrillingWorkman