Fresh Mango Salsa

Select a ripe mango — it should give slightly to gentle pressure, smell sweet near the stem end, and feel heavy for its size. If yours is firm, leave it at room temperature for a day or two until it softens.

Peel the mango and cut the flesh away from the flat center pit. The easiest technique: stand the mango on its end, slice down one flat side of the pit, then the other. You get two big halves. Score the flesh in a crosshatch pattern and scoop out the cubes.

Dice the mango into roughly ½-inch cubes. You want them small enough to scoop with a chip, but large enough that you can actually taste the mango.

Dice ½ of a red bell pepper (or orange or yellow) into the same size pieces as the mango. Red bell peppers add color contrast and a gentle sweetness that complements the mango perfectly.

Finely dice ¼ of a small red onion. Keep these pieces even smaller than the mango — about ¼ inch. Soak them in cold water for 5 minutes if you want a milder onion flavor, then drain.

Seed and mince 1 jalapeño. For medium heat, leave in the white membrane (that's where most of the heat lives). For mild, remove the membrane too. Add it to the bowl.

Roughly chop 3 tablespoons of fresh cilantro and add it in. Yes, the stems are fine — cilantro stems have great flavor.

Squeeze the juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons) over everything. Add ½ teaspoon of salt and a tiny drizzle of honey to balance the heat.

Stir everything together gently so the mango cubes stay intact. Taste and adjust — more lime for brightness, more salt to amplify the sweetness, more jalapeño if you like heat.

Let the salsa sit for 10 minutes before serving so the flavors can mingle. Serve with chips, over grilled fish, alongside pork, or anywhere that could use something bright and alive.