Avocado Salad with Citrus Island Vinaigrette

Cheri Clotiaux Stringer (originally from a Caribbean cooking class at Faraday’s Kitchen Store)

Yield: 4 servings

This salad is from a Caribbean cooking class I took this summer. The chef certainly looked Caribbean — a beautiful young black woman with skin the color of caramels and dreadlocks covered with a bandana. But wouldn’t you know it, she was from Beaumont, Texas! I loved all of her recipes and have made all of them more than once since the class, including this one, so I’m sharing. (July 2006)

Vinaigrette
1/2 navel orange, juiced
1 lemon, juiced
1 lime, juiced
2 Tbsp champagne vinegar
1 small shallot, minced
1 cup olive oil
Salt to taste

Salad
4 cups mixed salad greens
1 large avocado
1 large navel orange
1/2 of a jicama, juliened
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 lime


Vinaigrette: Mix all ingredients and shake vigorously.

Salad: Peel the jicama by cutting off the top and bottome and peeling with a potato peeler. Peelthe stringy outdide layer off the jicama. Cut into 1/4 inch slices, then cut the slices into think strips. Slice the strips in half. Place about 1/3 cup of salad dressing in a small bowl and add 1/2 tsp chili powder and marinate for 4 hours or overnight.

Place one cup of salad greens on each plate. Peel the oranges with a sharp paring knife, removing the white layer of pith. Cut oranges in 1/4 inch rounds. Place an orange round on each plate. Peel avocados and slice into strips. Squeeze lime juice over avocados to prevent browning. Arrange 3 avocado slices on each salad. Top with marinated jicama and drizzle each salad with vinaigrette.