Ugly Veggie

Have you ever seen a jicama? Brown, hairy, sort of shaped like a squat rutabaga. My family eyed it warily yesterday when I took it over to my brother and sister-in-law's for dinner last night. She was making enchiladas so I decided to make a jicama salad.

I only used half of the jicama. (It was a 2-pounder; I almost wonder, if I could have found a smaller one, would it have been sweeter?) I peeled off the brown skin and cut it into sticks. It's kind of a cross between an apple and a potato, with a kind of starchy potato texture and crunch, but a little bit of sweetness and juiciness. I tossed the sticks with lime juice, salt and chile powder and added some cucumber sticks (peeled, seeded and cut in sticks). It's a nice, fresh side for something as rich as enchiladas.

I also made some guacamole; so easy! Avocado, lime juice, cilantro, tomato, salt, chile powder. Now that I know how easy it is, I'll do it more often.