Salad with Chayote and Pumpkin
Ingredients:
Instructions:
1 Cut the chayotes in half, lengthwise. Reserve.
2 Cut the pumpkin into 4 pieces lengthwise. Reserve.
3 In a medium-size saucepan, bring water to a boil with salt and blanch one chayote for 4 minutes. Remove chayote from the pan and place in a bowl with ice water. Do the same thing with the remaining chayote.
4 Drain the cold chayotes and reserve.
5 In the same saucepan, cook the pumpkin for 8 minutes. Remove from the pan and place in a bowl with ice water.
6 Using a mandolin, cut the chayote in julienne. (If you don't have a mandolin you can cut the vegetables by using the large side of a grater to cut into slices. Then pile the slices and cut in fine julienne.) Do the same with the pumpkin.
7 Sprinkle the chayote and the pumpkin with orange juice and salt. Set aside.
8 In a heavy skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Pan-sear the meat on all sides, creating a nice crust. The meat should be medium rare. Sprinkle with the coarse salt and vinegar and reserve. When the meat has cooled, cut in fine strips and reserve. In a large bowl, toss the chayote and the pumpkin with the olive oil.
9 Take a large round plate and make a pile in the center with the vegetables. Distribute the meat around it and garnish with scallions.