Costa Rica is rich in fruits and vegetables, and papaya trees grow everywhere in Nicoya. Both green and ripe papaya are staples in the local cuisine in both sweet and savory dishes. This refreshing salad makes the perfect side to a stew or beans and rice dish.
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
3 red, orange, or yellow sweet peppers, seeded and sliced into strips
1 small sweet onion (like Vidalia), halved and thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 pounds green papaya, peeled and julienned
3 large culantro coyote leaves (page 147), coarsely chopped corn tortillas
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, for topping
Serve with Chilero hot sauce
In a medium pan, sauté peppers, onion, and garlic in oil over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes, until onion is translucent.
Reduce heat to medium-low, add papaya and culantro coyote and cook 4-6 more minutes or until veggies are well combined and cooked through, stirring frequently to make sure the mixture doesn’t burn.
Serve in corn tortillas with cilantro and chilero hot sauce.
The Blue Zones Kitchen fuses scientific reporting, National Geographic photography and 100 recipes that may help you live to 100. The Blue Zones’ food tradition is going the way of the dodo bird, thanks to the encroachment of the American Food Culture.
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