What to do with Mangoes?

Mangoes can hang by the dozens

Most of my posts are about food growing, not food preparation. But with the mango, the challenge is not growing it but keeping up with the production.

Not everyone has this problem, but in parts of Hawaii, at certain times of the year, it’s possible to have a LOT of mangoes. Even if you don’t grow them on your own prolific trees, you’ll know someone who does, and you’ll discover this because they tend to show up at meetings and social events with bags of mangoes in hand. Take these, please.

So if you are the proud owner of a mango tree, or know someone else who is, or just got a great bargain at the local farmer’s market, here are a couple of things to do with mangoes:

1) Use them in smoothies. My favorite is a simple banana, mango, pineapple smoothie, with either soy milk or yogurt and ice. 2) My husband’s favorite is a breakfast dish, yogurt parfait. Layer yogurt, mangoes, and granola in a glass. You can add pineapple or strawberries, too, or go really wild and add some chopped macadamia nuts. 3) For a dessert, top a bowl of vanilla ice cream with diced, slightly mashed mangoes to which you’ve added either a spoonful of lime juice or a splash of rum or Grand Marnier.

And here is my latest favorite:

3M SOUP (author unknown)

My mother sent me this recipe. I tried it and loved it. For hot, humid days, you could not choose a better thing to do with mangoes than make chilled soup. No hot stove, no hot kitchen, and the ingredients are simple:

• 2 Mangoes (or 2 small bags of frozen mangoes, thawed)
• 1 Medium-sized melon (cantaloupe is an excellent choice for the color)  or 2 cups equivalent, rind removed and cut into chunks
• 2 Tbsp. Mint, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. Lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. honey or agave syrup
• 2 Tbsp. yogurt (plain or vanilla will work)

Puree all in a food processor. Strain through a large sieve. Chill thoroughly. Garnish with mint and a dollop of sour cream if desired.

Yum!