Cucumber Pear Salsa + 2 More Combos
On my farmer’s market visit last week, I could see the changing seasons in the available produce. Late summer brought in pears, while crisp cucumbers were making their end of season appearance. In my region, it was still very hot, as our summer finally felt like summer after having a very mild season. I thought I would combine my market finds and make a nice cucumber pear salsa that sounded refreshing in the late summer heat.
I’m always trying to think of different ways to prepare fresh seasonal produce. If I’m only going to enjoy them a few months out of the year, I don’t want to get tired of eating the same thing over and over again. Plus this way, I know I won’t let that fresh food go to waste. There are many ways to absorb ethylene gas and extend the freshness of your produce.
Air flow basket with carbon filter made from coconuts
This salsa is super easy to make and can be prepared in less than 10 minutes. The best part is you can create an entirely different recipe just by changing one ingredient!
Another fun thing about this recipe is that you can leave out a few of the ingredients if you don’t care for them, or you simply don’t have them in your kitchen. It will still taste great! I am all about simplifying my real food recipes. This salsa would go well with chicken, fish, on a salad, or as a dip with corn chips. It is very versatile for the whole family.
Ingredients
- 1 pear diced
- 1 medium cucumber diced (or same ratio as pear)
- 1/3 cup corn
- 2 tbsp cilantro or dill (finely chopped)
- 1 avocado chopped (optional)
- 1 tbsp onion diced (optional)
- ½ tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
- ½ tbsp plus ½ tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop, dice, mix…and it’s ready! And that one ingredient that changes the whole recipe is.....
- ....I already listed the second version of the salsa. Have you ever noticed that people either love cilantro or they just avoid any recipe with it? There is no middle ground with cilantro. I happen to love it. If you add dill instead of cilantro, then you get a whole new experience! When I was trying out these herbs, I was torn on which version I liked better. I like them both equally!
Now let’s get into the last combo. So you know how those pears have been sitting in the fruit bowl waiting for you to eat them and they are getting soft to the touch? This is the perfect time to slice them up and toss them into water or green tea (hot or iced). The flavor will be nice and ripe …and delicate.
I’ve been really getting into flavoring my drinks…the natural way. I find I drink more water this way or you can switch to alkalizing green tea to energize yourself instead of processed, acidic energy drinks. You can infuse just about any fruit in a drink. Take that detoxifying infused drink on-the-go with an Infuser Water Bottle. Fresh mint leaves pair well with this combo too!
This post was FEATURED on Mostly Homemade Mondays, a place to share frugal, home grown, & self-sufficient living!
