Avocado-Papaya Salad with Papaya Seed Dressing

Serves 4-6

This refreshing salad, adapted from a recipe in "Big Small Plates," by
Cindy Pawlcyn with Pablo Jacinto and Erasto Jacinto (Ten Speed Press,
2006) is a great accompaniment to grilled food. The papaya seeds give the
dressing a subtle peppery heat. Don't buy the Maradol papaya as it has
almost no seeds; buy the smaller orange Mexican papaya. The author says
she usually doubles the recipe for the dressing to pass at table, as there
is almost never enough.

1 pound Mexican papaya, ripe but still firm
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tablespoons rice vinegar (unseasoned)
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon sweet Spanish paprika (pimenton dulce)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon toasted ground cumin seeds
2/3 cup mild olive oil
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 cups baby mache, field greens, or butter lettuce, torn
2 avocados, pits removed and skin removed, sliced
2 tablespoons toasted hazelnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped

Instructions: Cut papaya in half lengthwise. Remove seeds, reserving 2
tablespoons for the dressing. Cut the papaya halves in quarters. Holding
firmly on cutting board, run a thin knife between the fruit and the skin
to separate. Cut the fruit crosswise into 1/4-inch slices. Set aside or
refrigerate.

Place the the papaya seeds, lime juice, rice vinegar, honey, paprika, salt
and cumin in a blender. Blend, slowly adding the olive oil, until smooth
and thickened. There will be little black flecks from the seeds.

To serve, dress the greens with a couple of tablespoons of dressing. Place
in center of 4 to 6 salad plates. Alternate slices of papaya and avocado
across the greens. Sprinkle on a few toasted nuts. Drizzle on more
dressing, about 1 tablespoon more per plate. Grind on some fresh pepper.
Pass the remaining dressing in a pitcher at the table.

Per serving: 390 calories, 3 g protein, 20 g carbohydrate, 36 g fat (5 g
saturated), 0 cholesterol, 107 mg sodium, 5 g fiber.


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