| |
| You can go mad over
this Mango. |
| |
 |
| This Mango Mousse is one
of many great recipes for Mango. |
| |
| Mexico is the #1
supplier of Mangoes to the United States, mostly grown in
Western Mexico |
ATAULFO MANGO (Monday, April 18): The Mango is
the most popular fruit eaten in the world today. More popular than
bananas, apples or oranges. It’s the original Tropical flavor.
This time of year, Mazatlan, Mexico begins their harvest. It is
one of the southern most growing regions in Mexico. Over the past
decade, imports of Mangoes from Mexico have increased 10 fold. These
early Mangoes will not be quite as full of sugar and juice as will
Mangoes in just another month or so. One great thing to do with
these early Mangoes is to grill your Mango. On a hot grill, you
can brush it with a little Olive Oil and throw it on the grill.
Just a few minutes on each side, just enough time to get some nice
grill marks (no relation to Michael Marks). What grilling will do
is actually intensify the flavor by causing some slight dehydration,
leaving more flavor. One of the newer Mangoes coming into supermarkets
is called a “Honey Manila Mango” and are now being harvested
in southern Mexico, from the state of Nayarit. The variety name
is the Ataulfo. They are rich and creamy with a very prominent mango
flavor. They turn a golden yellow color as they ripen. When fully
ripe, the Ataulfo will give slightly to the touch, and will with
some slight wrinkling on the skin. Ataulfo Mangoes will remind you
of peaches and pineapple, but spicier and more fragrant. They can
be substituted in any recipe that calls for peaches, papayas or
nectarines. This mango is an Indonesian type that originated from
a Hawaiian seedling strain in India, Burma and Malaya. The fruit
tends to be slightly smaller than other Mangoes, but when they are
ripe, they are rich in flavor with a texture that’s as close
to butter as butter is. There seems to be a Mango madness in the
United States. Thirty years ago, per capita consumption barely hit
the radar, only .15 pounds per person per year. Today, it’s
over 1.5 pounds per capita. By they way, these Ataulfo Mangoes are
loaded with Vit. A. If you have never tried the Mango, man, it’s
time you go…buy a Mango. Right now, it is peak of the season
for Mangos from Mexico. That means, the best price and the best
quality are right now. If you have never tried a Mango, you’re
in a lot of company. Still about 45% of Americans have never tried
a Mango. Well, what are you waiting for? It is the sweetest fruit
on planet earth. And probably one of the messiest. In fact, they
are so juicy and messy, that an old-timer produce man once told
me that the best place to eat a Mango…is in the shower with
no clothes on. Mangoes are great just eaten out of hand, but they
are also a great ingredient for many great recipes. Famous actress
Jane Seymour is a confessed mangoholic, and can eat mangoes morning
noon and night. “When I eat mangoes, especially with raspberries,
I am in total heaven!” she declares. Over 20 million tons
of mangoes are grown in the tropics and sub tropics. Top Mango exporters
are India, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Brazil, Israel, South
Africa and Peru. The Mango is a member of the cashew family of flowering
plants; other species include the pistachio tree and poison ivy.
There are well over 400 varieties of Mangoes grown in the world
today. The top five varieties are the Tommy Atkins, Kent, Keitt,
Ataulfo and the Haden. The mango originated in Southeast Asia where
it has been grown for over 4,000 years. Over the years mango groves
have spread to many parts of the tropical and sub-tropical world,
where the climate allows the mango to grow best. Mango trees are
evergreens that will grow to 60 feet tall. The mango tree will fruit
4 to 6 years after planting. Mango trees require hot, dry periods
to set and produce a good crop. Most of the mangos sold in the United
States are imported from Mexico, Haiti, the Caribbean and South
America. Today there are over 1,000 different varieties of mangos
throughout the world. Selecting the ripeness of mangos can be determined
by either smelling or squeezing. A ripe mango will have a full,
fruity aroma emitting from the stem end. Mangos can be considered
ready to eat when slightly soft to the touch and yielding to gentle
pressure, like a ripe peach. The best flavored fruit have a yellow
tinge when ripe; however, color may be red, yellow, green, orange
or any combination. The ideal post harvest storage temperature for
mangos is 55º F. When stored properly a mango should have a
shelf life of 1 to 2 weeks. We have found that the best way to ripen
a mango is at room temperature, on the kitchen counter and if you
wish to accelerate the process place in a paper bag overnight (some
folks place an apple with the mango in the bag to create more natural
ethylene gas and further decrease the ripening time). Once ripened
the mango can be refrigerated for a few days, but should be used
shortly thereafter. Mangoes are so tough to eat because they are
definitely not a “freestone” fruit. In fact, the fruit
sticks to the stone like unyielding Velcro. Because of their syrupiness,
inexperienced mango-eaters can get themselves hilariously sticky.
Mango skins are thin and leathery, and can be peeled back rather
like banana skins, if the skin is first cut with a knife. If the
succulent flesh is bitten into, tough fibers stick between the teeth.
However, if chunks are sliced from the stone and eaten, the fibers
are hardly noticeable.
| |
| The Wily Chayote:
wrinkled and shaped like a pear.
|
| |
 |
| Chayote is one of the
most versatile of all vegetables. It makes a popular soup in
the Caribbean. |
| |
| The Chayote is grown
on a vine suspended by wire. The fruit simply hangs down,
making them easy for harvest. |
CHAYOTE (Tuesday, April 19): Here comes the wily
chayote. The chayote is another native Mexican plant. It is also
referred to as a "vegetable pear" or chcocho. In parts
of the U.S., it’s called “mirliton.” In France
the chayote is called a christophene. For all these exotic names,
this is simply a subtropical member of the squash or cucurbit family,
eaten as a vegetable. It is a pear shaped fruit, has a single seed
and a taste similar to zucchini. The young root tubers are also
eaten. Chayote is native to Mexico and Central America and was a
popular vegetable with the Mayas and Aztecs. It's cultivation has
spread all over the world, including Algeria, Madagascar, Polynesia,
southern U.S., China, Indonesia, New Zealand and Australia. The
flesh is quite crisp something like a water chestnut. Chayotes come
in two common varieties, the smooth variety which most of us see
in the stores and a prickly variety (covered in spines). The starchy
squash was a staple of the Aztecs. The name chayote is derived from
the Nahuatl Indian world chayotli. The Mayans added chayote shoots
(as a green) to beans and also ate the fruit and the starchy roots.
Chayote have become popular in the U.S. and are found in many large
markets. They are being cultivated in Florida, California, and Louisiana.
They are very common in Latino grocery stores. Select firm, smooth,
unwrinkled chayote. Old chayote become very wrinkled and become
dry and tough. Select squash that are small, firm and unblemished;
just as you would select a pear. Choose squash that is heavy for
its size. Tender skin, skin that reacts to pressure, often means
poor quality. Chayote is commonly found in supermarkets during peak
season (December to March), but may be found in larger supermarkets
and specialty markets throughout the year. For eating purposes,
avoid fruit that has started to germinate as evidenced by the emergence
of the young seedling from the broad end of the fruit. Like all
cucurbits, chayotes shrivel badly if stored under dry conditions
regardless of temperature. Place in container or plastic bag before
refrigeration to maintain high humidity conditions. Ideal storage
conditions are about 50oto 59oF. and 90 percent humidity. Chayotes
undergo chilling injury below 50oF. Chayote will keep refrigerated
for many days but it is best to use as quickly as possible. The
chayote can be eaten raw in salads, or stuffed and baked. Other
preparations include mashing, pickling, frying or boiling. The plain
squash tends to be bland and benefits from "aggressive"
seasoning. Chayote is probably one of the most versatile vegetables
out there. Whatever you do with a Cucumber, you can do with the
Chayote. Whatever you do with squash, you can do with the Chayote.
Chayote can be very simply prepared, peeled, cut into quarters,
steamed, drained, buttered and seasoned with fresh lemon or lime
juice. Other possibilities include using it in place of potatoes
for a unique chilled salad, marinated in vinaigrette dressing: combining
with other vegetables in a fresh vegetable stew; stuffing with ground
meat; serving au gratin, creamed, or breaded and fried. Chayote
invites your imagination with discovery of its versatility.
| |
|
For many chefs around
the world, Spring isn’t Spring until Fava Beans have
arrived.
|
|
|
|
They do take a little handy work.
First open up the sleeping bag and pluck out the beans (left).
Then blanch them for a few moments to loosen the skin, then
slide the bean from it’s protective case.
|
FAVA BEANS (Wednesday, April 20): Fresh Fava Beans
are a springtime legume. An absolute Spring delight to chefs around
the world. Fava Beans (Vicia faba), are actually a member of the
pea family, and are one of the oldest known cultivated plants. Fava
Beans are also known by an amazing variety of other names: Broad
Beans, Windsor Beans, Horse Beans, and even Pigeon Beans. Frequently
dried, Fava Beans have been a part of cuisines all around the Mediterranean
and the Chinese have eaten them for more than 5000 years. They've
been found in some of the earliest known human settlements and are
referred to in legends and lore throughout recorded history. Fresh
Fava Beans come in large, long (7 to 9 inch) thick pods, kind of
like a zipped up sleeping bag, with a white cloud-like padding inside
to protect the Spring beans they carry. The beans themselves look
like small to medium-sized lima or butter beans. Because the fresh
beans need to be shelled, then cooked and peeled, they need a little
forethought to include on menus. But, just like fresh green peas,
the shelling and peeling is a sit-down, social activity. So, instead
of stopping to smell the roses, stop to shell and peel the Fava
Beans and then enjoy their buttery texture, bright taste and sparkling
green color. Fresh Fava Beans are a sign of spring in Italy and
in many American restaurants. Chefs today use the fresh beans to
mash or puree and spread on crostini or on plates as the basis for
preparations ranging from other vegetables to grilled meats and
fish to chicken. Add fresh Fava Beans to risottos, spring vegetable
stews and ragouts and soups. They are great with their springtime
partner - artichokes. A favorite traditional Italian appetizer is
peeled cooked Fava Beans sprinkled with olive oil and salt along
with salami, prosciutto and slices of Parmesan or pecorino cheese.
Simply wonderful! A Word of Caution - there is a very rare disease
called favism, which is a serious reaction to eating raw Fava Beans
or breathing their pollen. The disease affects some people of Mediterranean
descent. The risk of eating cooked Fava Beans is small. “Avoid
Fava Beans,” wrote 6th Century BC Greek philosopher, Pythagoras.
What would make him make such a bold statement? Was his mother a
horrible cook? Did his father force him to eat Fava Beans as a child?
Only relatively recently have scientists begun to think that Pythagoras
may have been on to something. For some people, we now know, fresh
Fava Beans can be poisonous. This fairly common genetically transmitted
condition -- called, appropriately, “favism,” was recognized
only at the turn of this century and has been explained fully just
in the last decade. The condition is especially prevalent in Greece,
where as much as 30% of the population in some areas has it. When
scientists began to investigate favism, they found a genetically
transmitted deficiency in a certain blood enzyme -- glucose-6-phosphate
dehydrogenase (G6PD). In about 20 percent of the people with this
deficiency, eating fresh Fava Beans can trigger a severe hemolytic
anemia. Sufferers exhibit symptoms of jaundice and anemia and excrete
blood in their urine. Even today, death follows for almost 10 percent
of those who suffer this reaction, usually within a matter of days.
The condition is most common in males, by a ratio of almost 3 to
1. Only women who carry the gene from both sides of the family are
susceptible. And it is most severe among infants and children. And
yes, the poison can be passed in mother's milk. Although the initial
medical question was answered, a more interesting evolutionary issue
had been raised: Why would people continue to consume Fava Beans
in an area where a relatively high percentage of them would get
sick from eating them? A possible explanation began to appear in
the 1920s, when scientists found that G6PD deficiency is actually
a defense against malaria, historically a major health problem in
Greece and Southern Italy. It occurred so often that it was accepted
almost as a matter of course (much as we live with the flu). As
recently as 1943, 100,000 cases of malaria were reported in one
year on the island of Sardinia. The G6PD deficiency, scientists
found, helps defend against malaria parasites by reducing the amount
of oxygen in red blood cells. Things became even more interesting
during World War II, when doctors treating malaria with quinine-based
drugs noticed that many people with favism reacted to the medicine
in the same way they did to eating Fava Beans. On further investigation,
scientists found that Fava Beans contain several chemical compounds
that resemble those found in quinine-based drugs. After decades
of research, in the last few years they have proven that Fava Beans
themselves also fight malaria, and in much the same way as G6PD
deficiency: by reducing the amount of oxygen in the blood. Thus,
it is now theorized that what keeps the scales in balance in this
evolutionary standoff is that when Fava Beans are consumed by people
with G6PD deficiency who don't suffer from favism (the vast majority,
remember), the resistance to malaria is raised even further. Therefore,
even if Fava Beans are dangerous to a certain percentage of people,
their benefits to the remainder of the population far outweigh their
shortcomings. The pods will look a little like giant green beans
- long and plump, varying slightly in length, slightly fuzzy, with
some bronzing on the outside of the pod. Stems should be fresh,
and the pods should be heavy, with just a hint of the rounded beans
inside. It is preferable to choose the medium-seized pods, since
they have a small seed with a more delicate flavor. If the bean
looks totally “bulging,” that’s a sign of age.
If the seeds are too big, you might want to peel them to make them
more digestible. If the seeds are too small, you can serve them
raw with salt, with fresh pecorino cheese or salami as antipasti.
Store Fava Bean pods in a plastic bag in the crisper section of
the refrigerator. Although best used within a few days, they will
keep up to a week. Store shelled, cooked and peeled Fava Beans in
a plastic bag in the refrigerator for a day or two. Fava Beans need
to be shelled (removed from their pods). To open the pods just pull
on the stem at the top to unzip the string down either side of the
pod, then gently push the pod open between your thumb and forefingers.
Pop the beans out. Cook shelled beans in a large saucepan in plenty
of boiling water until just tender, about 3 to 5 minutes depending
on the size of the bean. Drain well and rinse with cold water to
cool. Using the tip of a knife or your thumbnail, slit the translucent
skin covering the bean, peel off and discard. Use the peeled cooked
beans as appetizers, in salads or in recipes. If Fava Beans are
boiled, it is desirable to season them with summer savory leaves,
(the typical herb used with broad beans). Fava Beans may also be
stewed and cooked with prosciutto. All recipes used for green beans
can also be employed to cook Fava Beans.
| |
| Here is a comparison
in size between the common Persian Lime (left) and the Key
Lime (right.) Key Lime lovers say there is no comparison.
|
| |
 |
| You can’t go to
South Florida without getting a Key Lime Pie. And yes, it should
be yellow, not green. |
| |
|
Unlike seedless
Persian Limes, the Key Lime does have seeds. |
KEY LIMES (Thursday, April 21): Yes, Virginia,
there is a Key Lime. And there is a key difference between Key Limes
and the regular Persian Limes we find in the stores. That’s
right. All Limes are not created equal. Well, this is a perfect
time…for a Key Lime. Some people believe that "key lime"
simply refers to the limes that are used for making the pies, or
limes that grow only in the Florida Keys. France has wine. Colombia
has coffee. Florida Keys has Lime. Actually, the key lime is a specific
variety of lime. It is not exclusive to the Keys. It was brought
there years ago and became naturalized. Limes (Citrus aurantifolia)
are the fruit of tropical citrus tree closely related to lemons.
This evergreen tree is in the Rue family, Rutaceae, which also includes
citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons and kumquats. Limes are native
to Southeast Asia, and probably originated in Indonesia or Malaysia.
They made their way to the eastern Mediterranean with the Arabs,
and to the western Mediterranean, with returning Crusaders, and
eventually to the West Indies, when Columbus introduced citrus fruits
there on his second voyage. These limes, used in most of the world,
are what we call Key Limes. The large, green, seedless limes found
in your supermarket is the Persian or Tahiti Lime (Citrus latifolia)
a hybrid developed in the early 20th century. The fruit is larger
than the Key Lime, more resistant to disease and pests, and has
a thicker rind. They are picked slightly immature, while they are
still green in color (they turn yellow when fully ripe, and might
be confused with lemons). Key limes which predominate in the rest
of the world, are smaller, yellower in color, seedy, sourer, and
grow on thorny trees, which are sensitive to cold weather. In the
eighteenth century, Scottish naval surgeon Sir James Lind learned
by his observation of long-haul sailors that citrus fruits conquered
the dreaded scurvy (lack of Vitamin C), which had devastated the
ranks of the British navy more than any enemy. Between 1795 and
1815, some 1.6 million gallons of lime juice drastically reduced
the mortality rate of seamen. Along with their daily ration of rum,
British sailors were required to consume a daily ration of lime
juice; hence British seamen became known as limeys. Since Britain
was often at war with Mediterranean countries, which exported lemons,
limes were imported cheaply from the English colony of Jamaica,
and soon became the citrus of choice. Cultivated for thousands of
years in the Indo-Malayan region, this variety has long been treasured
for its fruit and decorative foliage. The Key lime made its way
to North Africa and the Near East via Arabian traders, and then
carried on to Palestine and Mediterranean Europe by the Crusaders.
Columbus is credited with bringing the Key lime to Hispaniola (now
known as Haiti), where it was carried on by Spanish settlers to
Florida. It flourished in South Florida, particularly the Florida
Keys, hence the current common name of Key lime. Due to hurricane-depleted
soils, locals switched from pineapple commercial crops to limes
in 1906, and business boomed until a hurricane once again reared
and wiped out the lime groves, never to be restored. Today, most
Key limes come from Mexico. Key limes were grown commercially in
southern Florida and the Florida keys, until the 1926 hurricane
wiped out the citrus groves. The growers replaced the Key Lime trees
with Persian Lime trees because they are easier to grow, easier
to pick because they have no thorns, and due to the much thicker
skin, are easier and more economical to ship. There are still many
Key Lime trees throughout the Florida Keys in backyards however,
commercial production is only on a very small scale. Though they
do seem to be making a slight comeback as a Florida crop in recent
years. The key lime (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle) is in a class
all of its own. Much smaller than regular "Persian" limes,
the key lime ranges in size from a ping-pong ball to a golf ball
(about 10cm to16cm in circumference). The peel is thin, smooth and
greenish-yellow when ripe. The flesh is also greenish-yellow and
full of highly poly embryonic seeds (two or more plants from one
seed). The interior is divided by 10 to 12 segments, quite juicy
and has a higher acidity than regular Persian limes. Key limes have
a very distinctive aroma, which makes them valuable for culinary
use. The tree itself is small and bushy, rarely taller than 12 feet.
It is armed with slender, extremely thorny branches. That’s
right. You can always tell a Key Lime tree. It’s the one with
the huge thorns. Its foliage consists of small, pale green, blunt-pointed
leaves. Today, the commercial lime industry based on the key lime
takes place in areas other than the United States. Key limes are
generally not harvested commercially in the United States due to
the ferocious nature of the trees. There are exceptions, but the
primary source of commercial key lime juice available in the United
States comes from concentrates. The juice is shipped in large drums,
it is then reconstituted, "preserved", and sold from some
tropical location (usually the Florida Keys). In foreign locations,
most of the crop is used fresh in limeade, mixed drinks and iced
tea, squeezed onto seafood or other foods to bring out the flavor.
It is also used in bottled lime juice and carbonated beverages.
The principal byproduct is lime oil, used in cosmetics and flavoring.
So why are they called “Key Limes?” They only grow well
in limited zones throughout the world. It just so happens that the
Keys are one of those special places. In fact, in Key West, Florida,
just about everyone has a Key Lime tree in their yard. In Mexico,
the same variety of limes are called “Mexican Limes.”
These Limes can either be green or yellow. The "green"
stage is the early stage of ripening and when the Key Lime’s
flavor is strongest. The "yellow" stage is a final stage
of ripening and the flavor is somewhat mellowed. Most people use
the Key Lime in the "green" stage, because they want the
fullest flavor. Key Limes are very acidic, with a bitter- sourness.
It is best blended into foods or drinks or when used as a marinade.
The Romans would float Key Lime leaves in their bath waters. The
Romans considered them a grooming aid and scented their bath water
with the fragrant leaves. Skin should be light yellow and fine grained,
like leather. Avoid any signs of decay, mold or blotchy, brown spots.
Don't buy if skin is turning hard or shriveled. Store at 40-45 degrees
F. for 2 weeks maximum. Frozen juice keeps for 2-3 months. By the
way, the Key Lime Pie is the official dessert of Key West. Restaurants
around the country serve Key Lime Pie in many forms, some true to
the original and some truly bizarre variations. Everyone has their
favorite restaurant version, and usually their own favorite home
version. Key limes are very sour, and Key lime juice can be used
to make a perfect custard-like filling for pies. Because of the
Keys isolation before the railroad was opened in 1912, fresh milk
was hard to come by. So Gail Borden's invention of sweetened condensed
(canned) milk in 1859 came in handy. It also meant that you could
make a custard pie without the necessity of cooking it. The Key
lime juice by itself, with it’s very high acid content, was
enough to curdle the condensed milk and egg yolks. No one knows
who made the first one. They were probably made with pie crusts
at first, but soon the Graham cracker crust became the standard.
| |
|
Pixie Tangerines
are tiny in size, but huge in flavor and sugar.
|
| |
 |
| This year’s crop
of Pixies. Notice the boards holding up the hanging branches. |
| |
| The Pixie Tangerine
bears in clusters on the tree.
|
PIXIE TANGERINES (Friday, April 22): Pixie tangerines
are pale orange colored, moderately juicy and always seedless. Individual
Pixie tangerines vary in shape, size and peel texture. In general,
Pixies are small (1-3 inches in diameter), have a pebbly skin and
are easy to peel with segments that separate easily from one another.
Pixie Tangerines have a rich citrus flavor. The origin of the Pixie
Tangerine is shrouded in a bit of mystery, scientific mystery, anyway.
The Pixie is "a second generation hybrid (or possibly a self)
obtained from open pollination of an F1 hybrid called a Kincy, meaning
that the "seed parent" was a tangerine variety called
a Kincy (a cross between a Dancy and a King), but no one knows what
the pollen parent was. Citrus breeder Howard Frost obtained the
parent seed in 1927. Actual development and testing of the fruit
didn't begin until many years later, at the University of California
at Riverside. UCR breeders spent a couple of decades planting out
trees to see how they would grow under different conditions and
what their fruit was like. In 1965, UCR breeders James Cameron (the
plant breeder, not the film director) and Robert Soost finally released
the Pixie, which they recommended only as a "backyard tree.”
Because of their small size, their habit of bearing a large crop
one year and a small crop the following year, and their late season,
they were not thought of as a commercial fruit. They are a super
sweet variety. It is relatively new to the marketplace. At one time
they were known only as a local or “backyard” fruit
in a small town in California. Developed by commercial growers for
the last 20 years, Pixie Tangerines are now available on a nationwide
basis, thanks primarily to a group of growers in Ojai, California.
Growers here discovered that Pixie Tangerines grown in Ojai are
wonderfully delicious. They have all the attractive features a consumer
is looking for in a tangerine: seedless sweet, and low acid. They
get their name of course because they are quite tiny. Most are grown
in Southern California's beautiful Ojai Valley. These tangerines
ripen late in the winter citrus season, usually in March, with supplies
lasting into May.
Top
of page
|
