Try this Black Bean Salsa for Cinco de Mayo

Originally published in the Lebanon Reporter on May 5, 2005

Today is Cinco de Mayo, the 5th of May. It commemorates the victory of the Mexicans over the French army at The Battle of Puebla in 1862. I dare say most people will not be thinking much about history as they enjoy a cold Corona with lime and some Mexican fare.   

We’re not exactly living in a melting pot here in Lebanon but we do have an increasing number of Latinos living and working in the community. The grocery store shelf is one indication of this growing diversity.

In the early 1990s I lived in Texas and was introduced to some new foods that had their origins from south of the border. When I moved to Indiana in the mid 90s many of these favorites were not available at any of Lebanon’s grocery stores. That is not the case anymore.

Cilantro is one of the things I tasted in Texas for the first time. A Latino friend of mine took me to an out-of-the-way taco stand where the tacos consisted simply of a soft corn tortilla, seasoned meat, onions, and lots of cilantro. They were amazing. 

You can find cilantro in the produce section, usually near the carrots. It looks a lot like flat leaf parsley but has a very different, distinct taste. The clean, fresh taste of cilantro is often featured in Mexican food but also in Thai dishes.

The following is a recipe for Black Bean Salsa. This is something I began making back in my Texas days, In fact, I’ve seen a version called “Texas Caviar” that features black-eyed peas instead of black beans. I prefer the black bean version but black-eyes peas can be substituted in the following recipe.

Black Bean Salsa

• 2 cups drained and rinsed black beans
• 1 16 ounce bag of frozen corn, thawed
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• 1/4 cup chopped red pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
• 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the lime juice, oil, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir this into the contents of the large bowl. Serve immediately. This is great to eat with chips but is also an excellent topping for grilled beef, fish, or chicken.

Comments

[Zev Winicur]

Here's a useful tip for using cilantro. Most people (including me) shy away from cilantro because it goes bad before you can use it up. Put the cilantro in an air-tight plastic bag with a piece of paper towel. Press out all the air and seal the bag. The cilantro will last at least a week if not longer.