Salsa Cruda is literally, "Raw Salsa".  This is a very simple salsa to make, involving very few ingredients.  The use of Shiso came about by accident, when we realized that we had every herb in the kitchen, minus cilantro.  Instead of wasting, we decided to throw in the shiso and see what it would be like.  We immediatly fell in love with the combination.  We find this salsa cruda to be very versatile, as it is perfect over salad, beans, rice, and of course, with chips.   You can make this 100% local as well, since many domestic farms now produce tomatillos and spicy peppers.

Ingredients:

12 tomatillos, husked (soak in warm water and then remove husk) 

1-2 serranos (roughly chopped)

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup shiso leaves (also known as sesame and perilla) (or cilantro of course!), roughly chopped

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt to taste

To make the salsa, simple blend all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor.  It is a good idea to roughly chop everything before hand, so that the blade can catch everything evenly. Makes about 2 cups. This salsa can stay in the fridge for about 1- 1/2 weeks. 

This ceviche focuses on the often ignored Pomelo.  When researching
grapefruits for our Cold Care episode, we discovered that grapefruits
are actually the hybrids of pomelos and oranges. Many people are unaware of this big and beautiful citrus, so we decided to highlight it in a refreshing ceviche.  You can use whatever white-fleshed fish you find locally. 

For 1 side of a medium snapper you will need approximately:

1 cup of a combination of freshly squeezed lime juice, lemon juice, and orange juice

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 pomelo

1/2 tsp. pomelo zest

1 or 2 more limes

1 serrano chile, halved lengthwise and then in thin pieces

¼ cup red onion, sliced paper-thin

1 pomelo

Small handful cilantro

Rinse the snapper with water and pat dry. Using a sharp fish filet
knife, slice it into thin strips and place in a non-reactive container.
Pour over the citrus juice and toss in the garlic. Let the fish “cook”
in the citrus juices for 2-4 hours in the fridge.

Peel the pomelo with a sharp knife, removing all of the white pith. Use a small knife to remove the fruit sections.

Soak the red onion in a small bowl of water for 10 minutes to remove its sharpness.

Take the fish out of the fridge, drain it of the citrus marinade, and
toss with the juice of the limes, Serrano chile, red onion, pomelo
pieces and zest, and a real good shaking of salt. Roughly tear up the
cilantro, toss, and serve.

Serves 6 as a party appetizer.

Goes well with chips or toasted pita.

This recipe is a winner all around.  It is warming, healthy, and delicious.  We have made this on several occasions, and have always gotten requests for the recipe.  Feel free to add other vegetables and herbs as you see fit. 

2 cloves garlic

2 scallions

½ medium onion, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil or creamed coconut*

1 ½ tablespoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, toasted and cooled

2 cans lite coconut milk

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cups fresh pumpkin, peeled and cubed

1 red bell pepper, seeds removed, medium dice

1 14-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

Garnish: fresh cilantro

Combine the garlic, scallions, onion, and ginger in a food processor. Grind until they form a smooth paste.
Heat up the coconut oil and/or creamed coconut in a medium-sized heavy bottomed pot. Add the paste to the oil and fry for a few minutes on medium-high heat, stirring well.
Add the curry powder to the frying paste and cook for a few more minutes.
Pour in the coconut milk and add the mustard seeds. When the mixture comes to a boil, turn down to a light simmer, and stir in the tomato paste.
Add the pumpkin and red pepper and simmer, covered, for about 20-30 minutes, or until the pumpkin is fork tender.
Stir in the garbanzos and let simmer for a few more minutes.
Turn off the heat and serve over rice, garnished with cilantro.

Serves 4

*Creamed coconut is a Caribbean product that can be found in some specialty markets.

For the Crab:
½ lb Dungeness crab meat
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon sesame oil (or olive oil if you don’t have sesame)
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Mix together the crab, ginger, sesame oil, lime juice, and rice wine vinegar in a small bowl and keep cold until ready for use.

For the Rolls:
12 rice paper rolls
½ peach, sliced in thin strips
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, de-seeded, and julienned
1 carrot, peeled and julienned
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut in thin strips
1 cucumber, peeled and cut in thin strips
1 handful fresh cilantro
a few sprigs of mint or shiso leaves
¼ cup toasted cashews or peanuts, crumbled

The idea here is to have all of the vegetables and peach cut in the same way, so they can line up together inside the roll. Try to get them all to be about 5 inches long, and cut in thin strips. Place the peach, red pepper, carrot, avocado, and cucumber side by side on one long plate (as in an assembly line). Have the herbs rinsed and ready on another plate, as well as a third small dish with the toasted nuts.

Dip the rice paper rolls 1 or 2 at a time in a bowl with hot water. Remove them one at a time, and place on a cloth towel. Spread out so it is the full circle, and dab with the cloth to dry off any excess moisture. They should be slightly damp, but sticky.
Place one piece of peach and each vegetable in the center of the circle. Top with a few pieces of herbs, the crab, and finally the nuts. Bring up the bottom flap to cover the bottom of the veggies, fold over the top, and then roll in each side to seal.
Repeat with the remaining rolls and serve with the dipping sauce.

Makes 12 rolls.