Mango Avocado Salsa with Grilled Chipotle Chicken

My produce drawers runneth over these days. Bowls of juicy blackberries, fat blueberries stirred into oatmeal, roasted zucchini and rutabaga wrapped in tortillas for tacos, and a simple mango avocado salsa spooned over grilled chipotle chicken.

Summer is here.

Fireflies

And summer has brought with it a quiet contentedness that has settled in around me like a gentle breeze. I feel lighter these days and less burdened. The grief, wound tight for so many months, has started to unravel like a ball of yarn. The sharp-edged memories have softened. Acknowledging the pain, instead of shoving it in a dark corner, has helped. Accepting what is has helped. Recognizing the here and now has helped. It’s taken me a while to get to this place.

Last week, Feynman and I ventured out for an evening walk. It’s a habit and with warmer weather these days we take our time. We meandered around the neighborhood while the fireflies hovered in and around the grass and trees. As I watched them flicker I thought about that day last July when he left. It’s been almost a year now and I realized the deep loss of last year has transformed into something new. There’s a path ahead and for the first time I could see it clearly.

As we walked home that night amid the twinkling fireflies I couldn’t help but see more than just their gentle illumination. Each flicker was a reminder. Shine on, they seemed to say. Glow and light your way.

A new season has arrived.

Mango Avocado Salsa

A day or so after the walk with Feynman and the fireflies I bought some mangoes. Their tropical scent wafted from the paper bag and a gentle squeeze indicated their ripeness. I was tempted to dice them up as a snack right then, but I resisted the urge and, instead, mixed them up with some diced jalapeno, red onion, and creamy soft avocado. I added fresh lime and cilantro and, with a significant amount of will power, placed it all in the fridge to chill. I had a hunch my patience would be rewarded after all the flavors mingled together for a few hours.

Later, I sat down to a plate of grilled chicken flavored with a simple chipotle pepper marinade (Remember the huevos rancheros? I used the leftover chipotle peppers from that recipe). I spooned the salsa over the top so each bite had a little bit of sweet, spicy, smoky, and sour.

It was like summer on a plate. Light, fresh, and bright.

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