Friday, August 30, 2013

Green Papaya with Cilantro Vinaigrette

I was really excited to get my first delivery from St Pete Locally Grown.  When we moved, finding a local food source was important to me…and now I have to figure out how to cook the local produce.  So I decided to go on a culinary adventure and order green papaya. 
The green papaya salad I tried first looked a lot like a slaw.  It had shredded green papaya and carrot with a fish sauce vinaigrette of sorts and peanuts on top.  (I found this recipe online here.) ) But I grossly over estimated the amount of shredded papaya I needed, so I ended up with lots of raw material left over.  I have been mulling ideas around for a few days and here is what I did with the leftover papaya.

Green Papaya with Cilantro Vinaigrette

Combine in a large bowl

2 cups peeled, seeded and shredded green papaya
1/2 cup shredded carrot

In a food processor pulse until finely chopped

1 clove garlic

Add and process until well blended

1 cup cilantro leaves
juice and zest from 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon cumin
dash cayenne (or more if you like that sort of thing)
1/4 slightly heaping teaspoon salt

Add and continue processing until all ingredients come together

1/3 cup olive oil

Blend 3/4ths of the dressing into the shredded papaya mixture or more to taste.  Chill for 30 minutes to 2 hours before serving at room temperature.

I put mine on a tortilla with some refried beans, shredded cheese and sour cream.  I think it would rock the socks to add shredded chicken or black beans to the salad and I intend to try it that way next time.

I still have a whole green papaya left over…maybe I’ll try a cold teriyaki green papaya and chicken salad next.  With toasted sesame seeds on top, yumm!

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for your wonderful post, Kim! I'll be sure to point our Facebook customers this way as I'm sure they face the same dilemnas with green papayas. you make it look easy! I hope you will post the results of your "cold teriyaki green papaya and chicken salad". you've got me salivating!

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