Crab Tostadas with Strawberry & Mango Salsa

If there's one thing I'm most bummed about this summer, it's that I missed out on our local strawberry season. Normally I go strawberry picking each year at the fields located on the border of Wisconsin and Illinois. This year, the season's crop started late and ended pretty quickly. During that time, my schedule didn't allow me a chance to go and visit... or the weather just wasn't ideal for picking. So I ended up taking advantage of the strawberries on sale at the grocery stores. It definitely wasn't the experience I wanted for strawberries but eh, what can you do? So when I was asked to attend a special strawberry event downtown, I was thrilled! I'll be sharing more about that event soon, but in the meantime, I had to share my favorite dish of the night - Crab Tostadas with Strawberry & Mango Salsa. The sweetness of a lump crabmeat salad paired perfectly with strawberry mango salsa atop a crispy corn tostada. It's colorful, refreshing and perfect to enjoy summertime strawberries!

With the unseasonably hot weather most of the country is experiencing this summer, something cool and refreshing is what I've been craving. This dish definitely satisfied my craving because it requires no cooking and it's a light dish. Fresh lump crabmeat is tossed with cucumber, green onions, jalapeno, lime juice and cilantro. It's served on top of a crispy tostada and a bed of shredded lettuce. To finish them off, a dollop of fresh strawberry mango salsa garnish. I loved this dish and cannot wait to make more at home. What's nice is that aside from serving on top of tostadas, you can even enjoy this a tacos or even nachoes! Yum...

Crab Tostadas with Strawberry & Mango Salsa
recipe from the California Strawberry Commission

For the salsa:
2 cups fresh strawberries, stemmed & diced
1 cup diced mango
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon canola oil
1-2 jalapeno chiles, finely diced
salt & pepper to taste

For the crab salad:
1 pound lump crabmeat
1/2 cup English cucumber, seeded & diced
1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
48 small corn tostadas or nacho chips


For the salsa: Combine all salsa ingredients, mix gently, reserve.

For the crab salad: Pick over crabmeat and remove any pieces of shell. Gently mix with cucumber, green onions, mayonnaise and cilantro; add jalapeno and lime juice. Place a small mound of shredded lettuce on each tostada or nacho chip. Top with a heaping tablespoon of crab salad and garnish with strawberry mango salsa.