Pepper Salad

I went to the grocery store the other day specifically to buy jicama.  I don’t know why, but I suddenly decided I needed to make something with jicama in it. Or maybe I just like saying jicama.  This dish has jicama in it. Would you like some jicama?

Anyway, I did what I always do and ended up with about a dozen more items in my cart than I needed, but it all looked so good…. how could I ever regret buying lovely, fresh produce?  Turns out the whole trip was pretty easy to regret.

There were only 2 cashiers working and about a kajillion people in line, so I decided to go to the self checkout since it seemed to be moving faster.   Or it was until I got there.

I scanned my jicama, and the machine(who shall be known as Hal for reasons that will become obvious) announced to everyone within a four state area that I had purchased jicama, so I put it in the bag. Before I could even reach for the second item though,  Hal ordered me to “PUT THE ITEM IN THE BAG!”  Whaaaaat?  I looked in the bag, and sure enough, my basketball sized jicama was nestled securely in the bottom. I shuffled it around a bit, hoping to convince Hal that I had followed his instructions.

Apparently, Hal didn’t like me questioning his authority though and began demanding(loudly, and not without a small amount of hostility lacing his tone) that I “put the item in the bag.”  Arghhhhh!

Aware of the crowd behind me growing more hostile by the minute at the delay, I took the jicama out intending to scan it again, but now  “Hal” instructed me to replace the item I had removed. Grrrrrr.

I could feel the crowd behind me growing homicidal, so I called for help.  About a millisecond before the crowd became an ugly mob, a cashier arrived, I explained the problem, she scanned her card, punched in a magic code and told me to finish scanning my order.  And then she disappeared.

Once again, I was at Hal’s mercy, and was ordered about: I put the item in, took the item out, put the item in and shook the bag all about….I did the hokey pokey and turned myself about….and saw the Disney-sized line of people behind me, some of whom I’m sure were now wielding pitchforks and torches.

This time when I finally flagged down a cashier, I made her stay till I was finished, or before I killed Hal, whichever came first. Hopefully, this salad was worth it.

Ingredients:

• 2 green peppers, cut in strips
• 2 orange peppers, cut in strips
• 2 apples, cut in strips (not necessary to peel)
• 8 medium radishes, cut in strips
• 2 cups of jicama, cut into strips

Dressing:

• 2 Tablespoons lime juice
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons chopped mint

Directions:

1. Make the dressing by combining all ingredients in a jar and shaking well.  Set aside.
2. Put the peppers, apples, radishes and jicama in a medium bowl and pour the dressing over.  Stir well to combine.

Enjoy!