Kitchen Report

Red, white, and blue dishes make a Fourth of July picnic feel festive. Combine strawberries, jicama, and blueberries into a salsa for blue tortilla chips or as a topping for grilled chicken or fish.

Main Street is looking festive as ever here in Chatham, Mass., on Cape Cod where the Fourth of July is as a big a deal as Christmas. Even shoppers on July 3rd where decked out in their red, white, and blue outfits. By the time the Chatham A’s (Anglers) baseball game was underway as the sun set and the fog rolled in, the parade route was already lined with folded up lawn chairs, left by parade goers staking out their spots for the two hour parade on the Fourth.

We are supposed to be feeling the effects of tropical storm Arthur today, so backyard picnics may be a wash, but that just means the festive spread will be taking place inside today.

This salsa combines the red, white, and blue of strawberries, jicama, and blueberries with a bit of heat from jalapeño. It’s delicious on a piece of fish or as a side for corn chips.

Jicama, (pronounced “hicama”) is a sweet-tasting Mexican turnip that will add an element of surprise and crunch to your salsa. I had no trouble finding it at the local grocery store but if you are stuck you can always use an apple to for the white element in this salsa.

Happy Fourth of July!

Red, white and blue salsa
Adapted from Two Peas & Their  Pod

1 cup strawberries
1 cup jicama, peeled and diced
1 cup blueberries
1 to 2 tablespoons jalapeño, seeded and minced
1/3 cup cilantro, minced
Juice of 1 lime
Salt, to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Serve immediately or chilled.

Related post on Kitchen Report: Red, white, and blue shortcakes, Red, white, and blueberry truffle, Chocolate covered strawberries with popping sugar, Fourth of July supper: New England poached salmon