Jicama
Memorial Day weekend arrives with the unofficial beginning of summer, bringing sunshine, barbecues, beaches, pool parties, and plenty of delicious food, but beneath the festivities is something far more meaningful: a time to remember and honor the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country and the freedoms we cherish. There is certainly room for celebration, but I always like to pause amid the hamburgers and fireworks to remember the reason this holiday exists in the first place. Here in New York City, a beautiful holiday weekend is the perfect excuse to wander through the Union Square Greenmarket, where colorful fruits and vegetables seem to wink at you from every table. I adore farmers' markets because they encourage a little culinary curiosity while allowing us to support local growers and bring wonderfully fresh ingredients home. I consider myself something of a food explorer, always looking for an unfamiliar ingredient that might inspire the next delicious creation. This time, my discovery was jicama, pronounced “HEE-kah-ma,” a crisp Mexican root vegetable with thin brown skin and snowy-white flesh that tastes somewhere between a water chestnut and a pear. Jicama is wonderfully refreshing and provides dietary fiber, vitamin C, and potassium, making it a particularly clever addition to a light summer dessert. Even better, its flesh stays beautifully white after cutting rather than quickly turning brown, which makes it a natural star for entertaining when you want your presentation to remain picture-perfect. Native to Mexico and also known as Mexican turnip or yam bean, jicama is traditionally enjoyed raw with lime juice and chile powder, a wonderfully simple combination that lets its crisp texture shine. For my Memorial Day creation, I decided to let nature provide the colors and created charming red, white, and blue skewers with strawberries, jicama, blueberries, and fresh mint—no artificial coloring required. The strawberries and blueberries contribute vitamin C, fiber, antioxidants, and a beautiful burst of natural sweetness, while fresh mint adds a cool, aromatic finish that makes each bite taste like summer. Served chilled, these colorful skewers make a refreshing, low-fat dessert or snack and provide a bright counterpoint to the richer steaks, burgers, ribs, and hot dogs often making an appearance at the holiday grill. For food safety, keep the fruit skewers refrigerated until serving, especially when entertaining outdoors, and don't leave perishable foods sitting in the summer heat for extended periods. Most importantly, remember that only the jicama root is edible—the skin, seeds, vines, and flowers are toxic and should never be eaten, so peel the root thoroughly before preparing it. Enjoy the sunshine, gather with the people you love, savor the beautiful food, and take a quiet moment this Memorial Day to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we may enjoy the freedoms we have today. Enjoy!
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Chefs Knife
- Mellon Baller
- Colander
- 8 Wooden skewers
Ingredients
- 1 medium Jicama peeled, seeds removed, and made into balls with a melon baller
- 1/2 pint Strawberries washed, hulled and halved
- 1/2 pint Blueberries washed
- 1/4 cup Fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- Prepare Jicama by peeling and removing the seeds. Cut out round shapes using a melon baller
- Wash, hull, and halve the strawberries.
- Rinse the blueberries
- On skewers or sticks, alternately thread jicama, strawberries, blueberries, and garnish with mint leaves for presentation.
Nutrition
Calories: 117kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 2gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 9mgPotassium: 399mgFiber: 11gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 193IUVitamin C: 75mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 2mg
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