Cowboy Jeffie's Paniolo Papaya Salsa

(Yep, that's me - Cowboy Jeffie - in the photo)

Vacations are not necessarily conducive to blogging, but they are a necessity for sanity in one's life. Two weeks in Hawaii is a heavenly way to celebrate - or avoid - the holiday season. We stayed in an incredible home on the Kona Coast side of the Big Island, with five acres of avocados and fruit/citrus trees. Lemons, limes, oranges, tangerines, guava, figs, starfruit and more were on the property. What we couldn't find outside the house was available at the Kona Farmers' Market. Cowboy Jeffie went Hawaiian as 2008 came to an end. By the way a paniolo is an island cowboy.

Cowboy Jeffie's Paniolo Papaya Salsa

1 medium yellow onion - diced finely
(You may use a red onion to add color and spiciness)
1 papaya - peeled, seeded and diced into 1/4 inch pieces
(mango may be substituted if desired)
2 medium tomatoes - quartered, seeded, cut into 1/4 inch squares
1/2 habanero chile pepper - seeded and diced into tiny pieces
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro - rough cut
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Juice of one fresh lime
Salt to taste
Cilantro to garnish

Prepare all the ingredients as noted and simply dump into a mixing bowl. Do take care in handling the habanero. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after having any contact with the pepper. Stir well before pouring into a serving dish and garnishing with a few sprigs of fresh cilantro. It's best if your salsa sits in the fridge for a few hours before serving - and it's even better the next day. We used the salsa as a compliment to grilled fresh marlin - and with corn chips the following days.

You might also want to check out my other Cowboy Jeffie recipes.

Enjoy!

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