A Passion for Pineapple

As you make your way through the produce section of your local supermarket over the next month or so, don’t be surprised at the sight of large, fresh pineapple displays with some great sale prices to match.  This is because pineapples are in season right now, making them plentiful and at their most flavorful.  It’s true that pineapple is readily available year-round and quite popular in both canned and frozen forms, but if you’ve never bought the fresh variety because it seemed too daunting a task to tackle the prep work, don’t let that scare you away.  Fruits & Veggies–More Matters features Michael Marks, Your Produce Man, in a few how-to videos that will show you how simple the prep really is.  Your Produce Man demonstrates both how to peel and cut a fresh pineapple so that you can store this juicy fruit in your refrigerator and enjoy it fresh or use it in a recipe.



While I love enjoying pineapple alone or in a fruit salad, there is another way that I’ve discovered using pineapple and that is by balancing its sweet flavor with other spicy or savory flavors.  One example of this is Pineapple Salsa.  This recipe is really flexible as you can use it as a dip for tortilla chips or, as I like to do, as a topping for grilled chicken or fish.  It’s got a lot of the traditional salsa flavors (tomato, red onion, jalapeno), but then the added pineapple gives it an unexpected and pleasant sweetness, which offsets some of the spiciness of the jalapeno.  Now that the days are beginning to turn warmer, you might want to consider breaking out the grill and giving this recipe a try.



Pineapple Salsa

1/2 pineapple, chopped
1/3 medium red onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, deseeded and diced
1 large handful parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
cracked black pepper to taste
salt to taste (optional)

Mix all ingredients together and serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

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