Tammie has been making this regularly at home for the last few weeks. It’s delicious and not difficult at all to do!
Start with fresh pineapple. Cut off the skin and cut the fruit into roughly one-inch cubes. Cut a cucumber into similarly sized pieces—we have lots of nice local ones coming in here. Seed a jalapeño and mince it. Chop some roasted red peppers. Mix them all in a bowl. Drizzle on some good olive oil. Add a well-made white wine vinegar, or try it with the KATZ Gravenstein Apple Cider Vinegar. If you prefer the salad a bit sweeter, add a little of your favorite honey to the mix. Add some Turkish Marash red pepper flakes (or some of the Oaxaca chile flakes we get from the folks at Épices de Cru up in Quebec), some torn fresh basil leaves, and some chopped fresh parsley. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Let the whole thing rest for at least an hour so the flavors meld. It can also rest overnight. The cucumbers get softer, but the flavors come together ever more effectively.
You can eat the pineapple salad just like that. Or, I like to add slices of ripe avocado on top. Great, too, with fish, pork, chicken, or steak. Refreshing to eat, it’s very versatile in that it can serve as a salad, a side, a main course, or even a nice dish on a brunch buffet.
