Pineapple Chow

We first tasted this on The Flag Tour of Trinidad.  Jesse James made this treat for us in the Caroni Swap.  I then found it on the web site Simply Trini Cooking.  Today I made my own with one addition.  I added a bit of finely chopped red onion.  

Ooops - I forgot to put the hot pepper in the pic

Ingredients 

1 fresh pineapple - chopped into small bites

1 group chadon beni leaves - chopped (you can also use cilantro)

3 large cloves of fresh garlic - finely chopped and then smashed -*see below about smashing garlic

1 lime

1/4 red onion finely chopped

Salt and black pepper - generously (especially the black pepper)

1- hot pepper - finely chopped

Chop fresh pineapple into small bites.  Here in the Caribbean the pineapples are such that we can eat the core.  I find in the USA, the core is too tough.  Place the chopped pineapple into a mixing bowl.  Add the chopped chadon beni, finely chopped red onion, smashed garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper and  finely chopped hot pepper.  It is up to you the type of hot pepper you use and how much.  You want heat but it shouldn't overwhelm the other favors.  Stir it all together and taste.  Add more salt, pepper and hot pepper if needed.  Serve as an appetizer with chips or crackers.  Use it to top fish, shrimp, chicken or pork.  Add a dollop of it on top steamed rice if you like.  

Smashing the garlic -Sorry for the bad pic, cameraman issues.

*Smashing Garlic -

By smashing the garlic, this allows the oils in the garlic to come out and mellows the flavor just a tad.  I smash fresh garlic when I want a fresh garlic taste but I don't want too much bite.  This is done by finely chopping the garlic.  Then I usually add a couple dashes of salt and 1/2 t olive oil right on top the chopped garlic.  Then with the flat side of my knife, I smashed the garlic, grinding the salt into the garlic and making a paste using the little bit of oil.  Then I add it to whatever sauce or dressing.  In the above recipe I added the salt alone (no olive oil) and smashed it into the garlic.  This was mainly because I am out of olive oil (D-oh) but the oil of the garlic was enough that it still created a garlic paste.