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Mango Madness
Did you know that there are at least 200 varieties of mangos, maybe many more?
All these varieties were on display in baskets at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami, Florida last week at their 15th Annual International Mango Festival.
Thanks to the influence of Johnny Depp and The Pirates of the Caribbean movie, the theme was Mangos of the Caribbean. But most of the mangos came from every corner of the earth, and these were large and small, orange, yellow, and even almost white.
The event was splendid, hot, and filled with….what else, mangos. On sale: At least four different varieties, and going fast. If you waited until the auction on Sunday afternoon, you had a chance to bid on one of the baskets of odd mango varieties, but if you had planned your itinerary well, you might have headed further south to the Fruit & Spice Park in Homestead, where on 35 acres, you get to see many, many varieties of mangos, and pick up any that have fallen to the ground. You have to eat them on the premises…no problems there…and this gives you a chance to ask questions of the guide.
Then, head to Richard’s fruit stand, about 6 miles away, and buy more mangoes and order a mango smoothie. What flavors, what joy, and you can say you spent several days in Florida just thinking about mangos.
It’s still mango season here, though almost at its end. Not to miss out on anything, head to your local Asian or Hispanic market and buy a box, or at least several, of the large, flat yellow mangos…and eat to your heart’s content. Try this mango coffee cake, too…you’ll want to start every day off with a slice of this rich, exotic bread…
Mango Streusel Coffee Cake
Using your food processor to whip up the cake batter makes this an easy-to-assemble confection with almonds and almond essence underscoring the mango flavor and a sprinkling of shredded coconut to make it very tropical indeed.
Serves 8
1/4 pound butter at room temperature
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
Pinch salt
1 mango, peeled and cubed
Streusel topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 to ½ cup butter
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
3/4 cup slivered or sliced almonds
3 Tbs. shredded coconut
Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly spray 9-inch round or square cake pan, and set aside.
Put butter, almond extract, and sugar in a food processor, and process for 3 to 4 seconds. Add eggs, vanilla extract, flour, and salt, and pulse on and off about 10 seconds, or until mixture is well combined. Scoop batter into prepared pan. Scatter mango cubes over top.
Bake 15 minutes. Meanwhile, to prepare the streusel topping, put flour, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a mixing bowl, and mix well. Cut in chilled butter and add almond extract, and using an electric beater, mix together until almost smooth. Work the streusel into butter-flour clumps, and sprinkle over the coffee cake.
Bake about 30 minutes more, and sprinkle on almonds and shredded coconut. Bake 10 minutes more, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from heat, and cool to room temperature before slicing.
Alexandra, I love mangoes and add them to several different dishes of mine, mango-lime salsa with coconut shrimp, for example. But every time I get them, I always have a problem ? cutting them! I can't tell where the meaty fruit ends and where the pit begins. I could get by with the messy, time consuming chore, but there must be a better way! Do you have a special method/tool for cutting them up?
Posted by Idler
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