Jicama and Orange Salad

A while ago I was listening to an episode of On Being with Krista Tippett in which Krista was interviewing poet Marie Howe and during which, she admitted that though she loves poetry, she often has to force herself to read it—that if she's not feeling strong enough or vulnerable enough, she can't do it. Ms. Howe then wonders if it's because poetry is "made of the material we use every day... the language we use every day." Earlier in the interview, she explained how her students have trouble with one of the first assignments she gives them, which is to make "ten observations of the actual world."

Ms. Tippett: What do you mean... 10 observations of their actual world?

Ms. Howe: Just tell me what you saw this morning like in two lines. You know, I saw a water glass on a brown tablecloth... and the light came through it in three places. No metaphor. And to resist metaphor is very difficult because you have to actually endure the thing itself, which hurts us for some reason.

Needless to say, this section of the interview stayed with me. Because not only do I find poetry hard to read if I'm not in a vulnerable or strong enough place, but I also find myself wanting to gloss over "the material we use every day." 

Case in point, yesterday one of my neighbors saw me walking Mavis up the street without my headphones in and said to me, "Oh, wow. You're not on your headphones."

But recently, I've had no trouble with poetry, and it's definitely not because I'm feeling strong enough. Which, I suppose is all just a roundabout way of saying that I'm going on vacation and I can't remember the last time I felt in such desperate need of one. Soon we'll be in North Carolina, reading books, surrounded by family and a view of the Atlantic.

But before I go, I want to leave you with this vacation-y looking salad. I don't know about you but when I'm serving up a Mexican-inspired entree, I often struggle with side dishes. Well, here's an idea: how about a refreshing jicama and orange salad?         

Have a great couple of weeks and see you when I get back!

p.s. There are still some spots in the 2-day food-writing seminar I'm teaching this August 3rd and August 17th from noon to 3pm. Check it out here and sign up!

Jicama and Orange Salad slightly adapted from The Art of Simple Food

1 small jicama 

2 oranges

3-4 radishes

a pinch of paprika or spicy chile powder (ancho or guajillo)

1-2 limes

salt

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (optional)

Peel the jicama and cut it in half lengthwise. Cut the halves into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Then, cut the slices into 1/4-inch-wide sticks. 

Peel the oranges with a sharp knife, removing all traces of the rind and membrane. Then, slice into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. (Remove any seeds.) Slice the radishes into thin rounds as well. Arrange the jicama, orange and radish slices on a platter. Sprinkle with the paprika or chile powder. 

Make the dressing by whisking together the juice of one lime, the olive oil and salt to taste. Pour over the jicama, orange, and radish. Sprinkle with the cilantro, if using. 

Taste for seasoning, adding more lime, salt, or olive oil. (Mine needed a little bit of everything.)