And that's because it's a salad. A specialty of the Tucson, Arizona area to be exact. Not that there are many volcanos in the Greater Tucson area, but, this salad is considered a reflection of the many of diverse tastes of the city. Jackie Alpers, who wrote the new cookbook, Taste of Tucson, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her recipe for this fresh, fun Topopo Salad, which resembles a volcano when it's all said and done. Jackie told Tonia, essentially, she takes a tostada shell and flips it over, giving the salad a volcanic-esq look. The ingredients are in keeping with the authenticity of the foods you might find in the Southwest, with a delicious zest provided by salsa and other Mexican-inspired aspects.
2 cups Iceberg and/or romaine lettuce, finely chopped
½ cup frozen mixed vegetables (corn, carrots, green beans, peas), thawed in a colander under warm running water
1- 2 tablespoons prepared vinaigrette salad dressing
1 corn tostada shell
¼ cup refried beans, warmed
4 jicama strips, thin, cut into 2- to 3-inch-long strips
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon pico de gallo or other chile-citrus seasoning
4 small carrots or carrot sticks
6 large cooked shrimp
¼ cup yellow cheddar cheese, finely shredded
1 tomato slice
1 pimiento-stuffed green olive, halved horizontally
Red or green salsa for serving
Combine lettuce, mixed vegetables and salad dressing in a large mixing bowl. The lettuce should be well-coated but not dripping.
Spread the inside of the tostada shell with the warm beans. Set aside, within reach.
Holding the funnel in your nondominant hand so that the wide end is facing up, fill the funnel with the lettuce mixture and press it down firmly with a spatula.
Cover the hole end of the funnel while filling, then take your finger off the hole and let any extra dressing drain out into the sink.
Flip the tostada shell over onto the funnel so that the refried beans are touching the lettuce. Flip the serving plate over and place it centered on top of the tostada in the funnel. Then, flip the whole thing over and gently place it on the countertop. Carefully remove the funnel to reveal the volcano-shaped molded salad.
Dip one end of the jicama sticks in lemon or lime juice and then dip them into the pico de gallo seasoning. Lean the jicama sticks, vertically at even intervals, around the perimeter of the salad (chile side up), followed by the carrots and shrimp.
Sprinkle the top of the salad with cheddar cheese to resemble lava. Crown your topopo with a slice of tomato and half of the pimiento-stuffed olive. While eating, once you topple your topopo, mix in some salsa for an extra kick.
