By Fall is arriving — not in temperature (it's still 102) but in rhythm. Sofia's in school five days a week. Diego's at his toddler program three mornings. Jessica's back to her full work schedule after the summer's flexibility. And I'm settling into the Captain's year-two groove: more confident in the role, more comfortable with the administrative weight, more trusting of my crew to do their jobs while I manage the bigger picture.
Hatch chile season is wrapping up. The last of the fresh chiles are gone — I used the remaining few to make a batch of chile rellenos for my parents. Classic preparation: roasted, peeled, stuffed with queso Oaxaca, dipped in egg batter, fried. Not diabetes-friendly, not from the notebook. Sometimes the notebook takes a day off and the tradition takes a day on. Roberto ate four and said nothing, which is four rellenos' worth of satisfaction. Elena made rice to go with them and we ate in the Maryvale backyard while the September sun went down and the cicadas sang and Diego ran in circles around the cinder block grill because Diego doesn't stop moving, even at his grandparents' house.
At the station: Taco Tuesday continues to be the cornerstone of crew morale. This week I made tacos al pastor — pork marinated in guajillo, achiote, and pineapple, grilled and sliced thin. The pineapple chunks on top, charred on the flat-top, sweet and smoky. Travis has been studying my technique — not formally, but in the way young firefighters learn anything: by watching, by being present, by standing next to the captain at the grill the same way I stood next to Roberto at the cinder block grill. The parallel isn't lost on me. You teach what you know. You pass what you have.
Sofia brought home her first homework this week: a worksheet about letter sounds. She completed it in eleven minutes and asked for more. I gave her a cookbook to read — not as homework, as entertainment. She sat at the kitchen table and sounded out recipe titles: "Chick-en... tor-tee-ya... soop." She asked what "mince" means. I showed her. She minced an onion with her butter knife (supervised, obviously) and it was the most uneven mince in culinary history and she was proud. This is how it starts. This is how the cooking passes down. Not through a notebook. Through a child at the kitchen table, sounding out the words.
The pineapple is what people always ask about first —sweet, charred, a little smoky, sitting right on top of those thin slices of pastor. It does something to the whole taco. When I was cleaning up after Taco Tuesday and Travis was still talking about the pineapple, it got me thinking: that fruit deserves its own moment. This Tropical Fruit Salad is the natural companion —same brightness, no fire required, and easy enough that Sofia could help me put it together while she works on her mincing technique.
Tropical Fruit Salad
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh pineapple chunks (about 1/2 medium pineapple)
- 2 cups fresh mango, cubed (about 2 medium mangoes)
- 1 cup fresh papaya, cubed
- 1 cup strawberries, hulled and halved
- 1 cup green or red seedless grapes, halved
- 2 kiwi fruits, peeled and sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon lime zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, torn (optional)
Instructions
- Prep the fruit. Peel, core, and cut all fruit into bite-sized chunks, roughly uniform in size so every spoonful gets a little of everything.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, honey, and lime zest until the honey is fully dissolved.
- Combine. Add all the prepared fruit to a large serving bowl. Drizzle the lime-honey dressing over the top and toss gently to coat without breaking up the softer pieces.
- Finish and rest. Scatter torn mint leaves over the top if using. Let the salad sit for 5 minutes before serving so the flavors can come together —the lime and honey will draw a little juice from the fruit and create a light, bright sauce at the bottom of the bowl.
- Serve. Serve immediately at room temperature or slightly chilled. Stir gently before scooping to redistribute the dressing.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 95 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0g | Carbs: 24g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 5mg