My family adores pico with blue corn chips. It’s one of my kid’s favourite snacks and it’s usually gone before I can get a taste. Sometimes I make a secret bowl and hide it in the back of the refrigerator just so I can have my own. Pico is the perfect spring and summer side to bring to picnics or family gatherings. I like to experiment a bit with my pico, but I have found that there is a basic formula, and if you get that right while experimenting with the add-ins, it will always turn out delicious.
Pico Base Recipe
- 1 TBSP fresh chopped cilantro
- 2 TBSP fresh lime juice
- 1/4 inch to 1 inch of a jalapeno
- 1/4-1/2 medium mild onion finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- Mix it up… taste and adjust anything based on your own preference.
Rhubarb-Strawberry
- 1/4 cup baked rhubarb, finely chopped (Toss in 1 TBSP honey and bake at 350 on a baking sheet covered with parchment for 15 minutes)
- 1 3/4 cups strawberries, finely chopped
Tomato, Corn and Bean
- 1 cup tomato
- 1/2 cup corn (look for heirloom/organic)
- 1/2 cup black beans (properly soaked and cooked first)
Blueberry- Peach
- 2 peaches, chopped
- 1 cup blueberries
Plain Ole Tomato
- 2 cups tomato (I mixed it up by combining 4 different types of baby heirloom tomatoes)
Tips for Great Pico
- Use your taste buds… taste along the way and if something is off (like a too strong onion or a too spicy pepper) then adjust the other ingredients. I stick pretty close to the above formula, but sometimes my tastebuds require some tweaking
- Use some frozen ingredients. If you are heading to a picnic and you know it’s over an hour before you will eat, use frozen fruit for one of your mix-ins. It will be thawed out by the time you get ready to eat and perfectly cold.
- Don’t be afraid! Go wild… I have tried everything from mango, jicama, nectarine, raspberries, melon and even mint in this recipe and it has almost never been bad. Give it a try and see what you come up with.
Have fun experimenting and let me know what you come up with!
