Chef's Recipe

Ingredients for Spicy Pear Salsa

Ingredients for Tropical Fruit Salsa

Yield: Approximately 3 cups

• 2 firm but ripe Anjou or Bosc pears (about 1 ¼ pounds total), peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch cubes
• ½ cup finely chopped red onion
• ¼ cup (about 2 medium) jalapeno, deseeded, deveined, and finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Yield: Approximately 2 ½ cups

• ¼ cup peeled, chopped pineapple
• ¼ cup finely chopped mango
• ¼ cup seeded and finely diced papaya
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• 1 medium jalapeno, deseeded, deveined, and finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• ¼ cup chopped scallions
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Cut the preparation time by substituting drained canned pears for fresh.

In a medium glass or ceramic bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the cilantro and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Season with sea salt and pepper. Stir in the cilantro and serve immediately.

Any leftover salsa makes a terrific marinade for grilled shrimp.

In a medium glass or ceramic bowl, combine all the ingredients except the cilantro and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Stir in the cilantro and serve immediately.