Ripe for the cooking

Cooling, colourful, quick and easy... irresistible melons and mangoes take little or no cooking. Now is the time to look for good quality examples as they are abundant and prices are reasonable.

Both mangoes and, in particular, melons are rich in vitamin A, both contain vitamin C and potassium, making them healthwise ingredients for salads, fast finales, chilled soups and salsas.

Whether you use sweetmelons (also called spanspek and cantaloupe), winter melons or Ogen melons (similar to a winter melon with yellowish-green rind) makes little difference in the suggestions below, but watermelons are not included here.

Mangoes have improved in quality dramatically over the past couple of decades and today we seldom see the fibrous, stringy fruit that used to arrive from the Lowveld.

Melons and mangoes are ideal for sherbets, sauces, smoothies, sorbets and granitas - people who are watching their intake of fat can tuck into these iced delights that are free of dairy products.

For a refreshing melon sorbet, make a medium syrup (using 1 cups of white sugar to 2½ cups water) by bringing to the boil and cooking for five minutes.

Cool the mixture and then chill it. Purée the flesh of about 3kg of melons.

Mix this with the cold syrup and at least a quarter of a cup of fresh lemon or lime juice.

You could add a dash of orange liqueur or melon liqueur, but it's not essential.

Then freeze the mixture in shallow pans, beating the mixture when it starts to freeze around the edges.

Melons make a great breakfast smoothie when blended with kiwi fruits and litchis.

Mango produces a bracing pick-me-up when blended with pink grapefruit and a banana.

Or go Oriental and blend the flesh of a ripe mango with a little chilled mineral water, natural yoghurt and powdered cinnamon.


CHILLED MELON SANGRIA SOUP

Serves 6

From Recipes from the Pacific Rim by Marjie Lambert, published by Chartwell Books, this starter can be made with spanspek or winter melon. If you replace the lime juice with lemon juice, you may need less.


4 cups firm, ripe peeled and cubed melon

1/2 cup sweet white dessert wine

1/2 cup orange juice

2tbs fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

1tbs honey (optional)


Blend all the ingredients except the honey and then taste to see if you need the extra sweetness.

Chill well.



GRILLED MANGO

Serves 4 - 6.

This simple side dish for braais comes from BBQ Food, published by Murdoch Books

3 small mangoes

2tsp vegetable oil

Preheat the braai grid or chargrill plate to medium direct heat. Cut each mango cheek straight down on either side of the stone.

Score the flesh without cutting through the skin and lightly brush the cut surface with the oil.

Cook the mango on the grill plate, skin side down for about two minutes, then turn it 180?C and cook for a further two minutes to make crossed grill marks.

Serve with braaied chicken, fish or pork.



FAST MELON SALAD

Serves 4 - 6.

Easy, appetising and packed with flavour, this recipe, from Picnic Hamper, by Jane Price, published by Murdoch Books, makes a pretty side dish for cold chicken, smoked fish, or can stand on its own for a light lunch on hot days.

A winter melon is probably the best choice here.


1 large firm, but ripe melon

2 cups watercress sprigs, trimmed

2 avocados, sliced

1 large red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

220g marinated feta cheese, crumbled into chunks

90g marinated nicoise olives

Dressing:

60ml (4tbs) good olive oil

2tbs white wine vinegar

1tsp Dijon mustard

Slice the melon and arrange on a platter. Scatter over the watercress, then the avocado, red pepper, feta and olives.

Shake the dressing ingredients together into a screwtop jar until well combined. Drizzle the dressing over the salad before serving.



MANGO SALSA WITH BLACK BEANS

Serves 4

From Marie Claire's Fresh, by Michele Cranston, comes this zesty accompaniment to braaied or grilled chicken. If you cannot find black beans, substitute kidney beans .


1 x 170g can Chinese black beans

1 mango, peeled and diced

1tsp ground cumin

1 large red mildish chilli, seeded and finely chopped

3tbs lime juice

1tsp sesame oil

2 spring onions, finely sliced

1/2 cup coriander leaves, washed and dried


Rinse the canned beans, drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.

Season to taste with salt and black pepper.



MANGO ICE CREAM

Serves 6

There are many versions of this fruity treat, so use your own if you have a favourite and serve in scoops with fresh mango or with lemon sorbet.

This recipe comes from Dinner with Friends, by Jane Price, published by Murdoch Books.


400g fresh mango flesh

125g (1/2 cup) castor sugar or to taste

60ml (4tbs) mango or apricot nectar (fruit juice blend)

250ml (1 cup) cream

mango slices to serve (optional)


Process the peeled mango flesh until smooth.

Transfer to a bowl and add the sugar and fruit juice, stirring until sugar has dissolved.

Beat the cream until stiff peaks form, then fold it through the mango mixture.

Transfer to a shallow metal tray and freeze, whisking halfway through freezing process.

Freeze overnight or for five hours, then soften ice cream in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.



PRAWNS WITH GREEN MANGO

Serves 4

This spicy treat comes from India. The country produces a huge quantity of mangoes and cooks make full use of the fruit, both green and ripe.

This recipe can be found in The Food of India, published by Murdoch Books.


250g tiger prawns

1and 1/2 tsp chilli powder

1tsp ground turmeric (borrie)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp yellow mustard seeds

4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 x 4cm piece root ginger, roughly chopped

1 red onion, roughly chopped

4tbs oil

1 additional red onion, thinly sliced

1 green unripe mango, peeled and finely chopped


Peel and devein the prawns, leaving the tails intact.

Combine the chilli powder, turmeric, cumin, mustard, garlic, ginger and chopped red onion in a blender or processor or pestle and mortar and process to a paste.

If necessary, add a little water.

Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan and fry the sliced onion.

When it starts to brown, add the curry paste and fry until aromatic.

Add the prawns and 200ml water to the pan then cover and simmer for three to four minutes, until the prawns are cooked and start to curl up.

Add the mango and cook for another minute or two so that it thickens the curry.

Season with salt to taste.

It's best served with rice or flatbread.



MELONS AND SORBET WITH MINT SUGAR

Serves 4

The simplest but prettiest finale takes minutes to assemble offering a refreshing finish to sultry day meals. Granadilla, orange and lemon sorbets go particularly well with the melon.

You will find the recipe in The Instant Cook by Donna Hay, published by Murdoch Books.

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves

4 slices sweet melon

sorbets of your choice (bought or homemade)

4 slices winter melon


Combine sugar and mint in a food processor until well combined.

When you are ready to serve, place the sweet melon slices on four plates, top with scoops of sorbet and finish with a slice of winter melon.

As a final touch, sprinkle mint sugar over the top.



MANGO AND PINEAPPLE JELLIES

Serves 4


This trendy and pretty do-ahead recipe comes from Marie Claire's Fresh and Fast, by Michele Cranston, published by Murdoch Books.

1 mango

1tbs lemon juice

375ml (1 and 1/2 cups) pineapple juice

110g (1/2 cup) castor sugar

1 and 1/2 tbs gelatine powder

vanilla ice cream to accompany



Puree the mango flesh with the lemon juice and pour it into a measuring jug.

Place half the pineapple juice and the sugar in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar has dissolved.

Remove from heat and stir in the gelatine, stirring until dissolved.

Add to the mango and stir well.

Add enough of the remaining pineapple juice to make 600ml.

Transfer into four pretty jelly moulds, cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.

When required, unmould by dipping bases briefly into warm water.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

• This article was originally published on page 14 of The Cape Argus on January 28, 2010

Source : Babynet