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Recipes from El Salvador
El Salvador is the smallest and most
densely populated country in Central America. Much of the farmland is in the
hands of a few landowners. The poor people farm what little bit of land they
have, growing corn and beans to help feed their families, and buying rice if
they cannot grow it. Sugarcane, pineapples, bananas, avocados and melons grow
there, but they would not necessarily be available on a regular basis to the
poorer families. Many of the people of El Salvador have led difficult lives over
the past several years, sometimes having to leave their villages and seek
shelter in refugee camps. Joetta Handrich Schlabach, in the book Extending
the table: a world community cookbook, shares several brief stories
describing the generosity and creativity of the El Salvadorans even when times
have been difficult.
Pickled Coleslaw (El
Salvador) serves 6 to 8 as salad
Curtido (kur-TEE-doh) This
recipe calls for pineapple vinegar. The directions for making pineapple
vinegar are included, or you can substitute the dressing as described.
1 head cabbage, finely sliced 1
onion, thinly sliced
3 large carrots, grated 1 green and 1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely
chopped
1 large radish, grated pinch of oregano
1 small hot pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
oil for frying salt
1 ½ cups pineapple vinegar:
(choose 1)
1) more traditional method: cut up 1 pineapple, peel included. Put
in large jar with 1 handful grapes, 1 sliced peach and pinch of oregano.
Cover with water, cover jar, and let sit on counter several days. Strain
liquid to use in recipe.
2) substitution: mix ¾ cup pineapple juice, ½ cup apple cider
vinegar, ¼ cup water, pinch of oregano and 1 tablespoon oil.
- Cover cabbage, carrots and radish with
hot (not quite boiling) water, and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain well.
Place cabbage in a large salad bowl.
- Heat oil in a frying pan and sauté
onion, hot pepper (if used), bell peppers, oregano and salt. Stir into
the cabbage mixture, mixing well.
- Pour 1 ½ cups pineapple vinegar over
the cabbage, stirring well to dress all the vegetables.
Recipe from Smithsonian
Folklife Cookbook by Katherine S. and Thomas M. Kirlin, Smithsonian
Institution, 1991, p. 110 |
A good meal would be to flavor pinto or black
beans with onion, garlic and chili powder, and serve over rice, with the curtido
and quesadillas accompanying the main dish, and watermelon for dessert.
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