“It’s nice to eat a good hunk of beef but you want a light dessert, too.”  Arthur Fiedler, American Conductor

When was the last time you ate mangoes?  How about kiwi fruit?

All your fortresses are like fig trees with their first ripe fruit; when they are shaken, the figs fall into the mouth of the eater.  (Nahum 3:12; NIV)

We’re featuring desserts for the month of July.  Did anyone make the Patriotic Cheesecake?  I’m curious about what you thought of the recipe?  Since that was a rather rich dessert, this week I’ve developed a lighter, raw dessert.  I actually got the idea for this recipe from a book entitled, Raw Food Made Easy.

I used mangoes, kiwi fruit and avocados to make a refreshing fruit tart.  If you’re not familiar with mangoes, let me introduce you.  The delicious and juicy mango has long been one of the world’s most popular fruits. According to various information websites, I’ve learned that the mango’s flavor is often described as an exotic mix of pineapple and peach. Mangoes are available from April to September, with June and July being the most plentiful time and offering the best price.

When buying a mango, make sure it has a tropical fruity aroma; unripe mangoes have no scent. A fresh mango will give slightly to the touch, but stay away from very soft or bruised fruit. Some mangoes ripen to a combination of raspberry, orange and green shades, while other varieties are golden yellow or green when ripe. If your mangoes aren’t quite ripe, storing them in a paper bag for a few days will help them along. The size can vary, but larger mangoes will have more fruit in relation to the pit.  If you’d like to know how to peel and eat a mango or learn more about a mango in general feel free to look at http://www.freshmangoes.com/aboutmangos/index.html.

Kiwi fruit, also known as “kiwi”, is another wonderful yet less common fruit.  This fruit consists of a hairy, brown peel containing green flesh, with white pulp in the center, surrounded by black, edible seeds. The fruit has a sweet taste, similar to a mixture of banana, pineapple and strawberry.   When shopping for kiwi fruit, select firm, unblemished fruit. The size of the fruit does not affect taste. Smaller kiwi fruit taste the same as larger ones.

Press the outside of the fruit with your thumb. If it gives to slight pressure, the kiwi fruit is ripe. If you apply pressure and the fruit doesn’t give at all, it’s not ready to eat.  Once ripe, kiwi fruit will keep for several days at room temperature and several weeks in the refrigerator.  I’ve noticed that organically grown kiwi fruit are comparable in price with commercially grown, so do price comparisons.  I’m a firm believer that the organic ones have more taste and flavor along with more nutrients.

Enjoy the tart and don’t be intimidated if you’ve not purchased some of these ingredients before.  I know you can do it!

Prayer Power
Father, we are so grateful for summer and the wonderful bounty this time of year brings to us.

Link of the Day
Raw Tropical Tart

Blessings on you as you explore some new foods.