Frutero Salad

Driving or walking around Los Angeles, you will notice fruit vendors who set up shop in corners around every neighborhood of the city. They are entrepreneurs who are always there to provide cold, sliced fresh fruit that is dependably ripe on a hot day. Some people call them Mexican fruit vendors, but I genuinely dislike the description. I do love how they dress their ripe fruit: lime juice, salt, and chile powder. I go to one who posts up on the corner of Figureoa and Avenue 57 in Highland Park. The recipe is a street-style fruit salad and an easy spread to have ready for guests. I like to serve the fruit in recyclable cups, so each guest can claim their own. Bottles of chile-lime seasoning are usually found near the fruit section at your local Mexican supermarket. The most popular brand name is Tajín.

This recipe, and others like it, can be found in the article “3 Colorful, Vegetarian Mexican Side Dishes Perfect for Your Next Cookout.”

Excerpted from Asada: The Art of Mexican Style Grilling by Bricia Lopez and Javier Cabral. Copyright © 2023 by Bricia Lopez and Javier Cabral. Photos copyright © 2023 by Quentin Bacon. Published by Abrams.

1 medium jicama, quartered and peeled

1 small seedless watermelon, quartered and peeled

1 small pineapple, peeled, quartered, and cored

2 semi-ripe mangoes, peeled, halved, and pitted

7 Persian cucumbers, peels on

juice of 2 key limes

flaky sea salt

chile-lime salt

¼ cup chamoy sauce

Cut the jicama, watermelon, pineapple, and mangoes into uniform spears, about 1 inch thick by 4 inches long. Slice the cucumber into 1⁄2-inch thick rounds.

Toss the fruit in a large bowl with the key lime juice.

Distribute an even amount of fruit in eight 6-ounce cups, so guests can sip the juice after the fruit is gone.

Finish each with a generous sprinkle of sea salt flakes, chile-lime salt, and chamoy.

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Frutero Salad