Hello from Big Pine Key! 
We’re soaking up the sunshine, hanging out with the key deer, catching fish, and eating lots of good food.
There are a lot less fruit trees around here than on the mainland. One reason is the lack of dirt. Good luck digging a hole here; once you get past the sand it’s just rock. But there’s another reason it’s tough to grow fruit trees on Big Pine Key.
These adorable key deer will eat anything they can reach! Fruit, flowers, herbs; you name it. They will devour it down to the ground. 
That’s okay. We came here armed with plenty of our own fruit. Right now we’ve got papayas and pineapples, which we’re savoring as we wait for our first ripe mango. One more month to go! 
After a long day in the sun, what could be better than fresh tropical fruit salsa? Cool and sweet and spiked with a little heat. It’s heaven spooned over fresh grilled grouper, which is exactly what we’re having for dinner tonight.
For your next happy hour or backyard barbecue, serve it up in a pineapple boat surrounded by a sea of tortilla chips. 
Grab a margarita and dive right in.
- 1 1/2 cups diced papaya
- 1 cup diced pineapple
- 1/2 cup diced jicama
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
- 1 jalapeno, finely diced (seeded for less heat)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- handful of cilantro, chopped
- salt and pepper
- Gently toss the papaya, pineapple, jicama, red onion and jalapeño with the lime juice and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Slice the pineapple lengthwise. With a sharp paring knife, score the fruit 1/2" from the peel all the way around. Next score the fruit in each direction, 1/2-inch apart, almost all the way through, to create cubes. Use a spoon to scoop out the cubes, discarding any tough core pieces. Scrape the surface of the hollowed out pineapple with a spoon and drain out the juice (or add it to the salsa).
- Spoon the salsa into the pineapple and surround it with tortilla chips.
