Garden Vegetable Ceviche with Seared Avocado
From chef Graham Dodds, Wayward Sons, 3525 Greenville Ave., Dallas
Ingredients:
2 carrots (we use burgundy carrots here which are stunning -- purple outside and orange inside -- but regular carrots will work, too)
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 green bell pepper, sliced thin
2 jalapeños, sliced thin
2 breakfast radishes (or regular radishes), sliced thin
2 avocados, halved, pitted and peeled
Salt and pepper to taste
2 scallions, sliced
1/4 bunch cilantro, leaves picked and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
Cayenne to taste
Directions:
Place the sliced carrots, bell peppers, and jalapeños and radishes in separate bowls of ice water. Leave them for a half hour so they'll crisp. Remove all vegetables from ice water and dry on towels.
Season avocado halves with salt and pepper. Warm a sauté pan over medium heat and sear the avocados until light brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine iced vegetables with sliced scallions, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, lemon juice, and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and a pinch of cayenne.
To serve, place avocado on four salad plates and pile vegetables on top. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.