This salad combines cucumber and jícama with a sweet-sour, slightly spicy vinaigrette and makes a great start to any Mexican-inspired meal.

1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons mild-flavored honey
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons minced onion
1-1 1/2 teaspoons mild-to-medium-hot New Mexican red chile powder, plus more for garnish
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups diced peeled jícama (about 1/2 medium; see Cook Tips)
1 medium English cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Puree vinegar, honey, oil, onion, chile powder to taste and salt in a blender until smooth.

Toss jícama and cucumber with the dressing in a large bowl; stir in mint. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Sprinkle the salad with more chile powder before serving, if desired.

Jícama is a round root vegetable with thin brown skin and white crunchy flesh. It has a slightly sweet and nutty flavor. To peel it, use a small, sharp knife or vegetable peeler, making sure to remove both the papery brown skin and the layer of fibrous flesh just underneath.