Strawberry Salsa (Page 896)

• Date: Saturday, November 10, 2007 -- 9pm
• Location: Somerville, MA
• Kitchen: Matty's Apartment
• Fellow Chef: Matty
• Dining Companions: Paps and Russ
• Recipe Rating: A-
  

I was looking for recipes that were quick for dinner last night, and this strawberry salsa fit the bill. It was quite simple: finely chopped strawberries, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro, seasoned with sugar, salt, and lime juice. It was delicious though! The various components were perfectly balanced. The strawberries gave it a lovely sweetness, while the onion brought in a savory note. The jalapeno provided a very subtle kick and the lime juice contributed the necessary acidity. I served it with goat cheese on bread (one of the many suggested serving options in The Book). The mellow goat cheese provided a lovely contrast to the vibrant fruity salsa. We ate this casually with dinner, but it would also make a lovely appetizer by spreading goat cheese on small toasts and topping with this salsa. This recipe was quick and easy, while also being a bit out of the ordinary. It was definitely a winner.

It is the salsa from this recipe.

As usual, I had a very lovely weekend in Boston. As I had planned, I slept and slept and slept! It was amazing. I slept for 10 hours on Friday night, then I took a nap Saturday afternoon, then slept 9 hours Saturday night. I am now feeling very refreshed! And sore -- Matty and I lifted weights yesterday. I have to shamefully admit that I haven't lifted since I moved to Indiana. I have been working out (running, pilates, etc...) but I just haven't been lifting. After achieving my goal of doing a pull-up last spring, I lost motivation. I am going to start again though, and as a first step, I lifted yesterday at the MIT gym. Now I can barely move my arms!

Matty's friends Russ and Paps were also in Boston for the weekend, so we had them over for dinner last night. We had a fun Book dinner (although most of the food was pretty mediocre -- it happens!). I felt a little guilty hanging out with Matty's friends last night, since I never even see any of my own friends on these super-short trips to Boston (sorry everyone!), but he hadn't seen them for a while, and they were only in town for the weekend. Fortunately next semester I am teaching Tuesday-Thursdays, which means that my trips back to Boston will be Thursday night to Monday afternoon, rather than Friday night to Sunday afternoon. That way I will have plenty of time to see my friends in Boston, who I miss very much!

Russ took a picture of Matty and I enjoying some beers.