Hello! Here we are at the
start of August, both amazed and scratching our heads on how quickly the summer
is flying by! I guess that really means that everyone is very busy,
getting things done, and enjoying summer fun in all its varied forms – and
that’s a great thing!
We do want to encourage everyone to
visit our convenient and friendly produce market, Pathfinder Produce, each
Thursday afternoon at the Village Commons, from 1 to 5 p.m. To quote the
old song, “Ain’t it good to know you got a friend?” – we’re just down the road
and can provide your family with all its summer produce needs!
This week, my co-worker Martha
Spiegel shares her thoughts on succulent and delicious mangos. Enjoy!
***
One of the hot street food trends in New York
City is mango. You don’t have to look too far to spot someone with a small
container of the yellow-orange fruit, which is sold at small carts and
stands. Legend has is that the trend was started by a woman named Luz Vera,
who set up a mango stand near Union Square several years ago to make money to
send her children to college. (She also sells homemade tamales, but that’s
another column for another day!).
So what makes mangos so popular? Not only are
they sweet and juicy, making them a treat on a hot day, but they are low in
calories and loaded with nutrients. According to the website Food Facts, a
cup of mangos has only 100 calories, but provides 100% of the daily recommended
amount of vitamin C. It is also an excellent source of vitamin A, betacarotene,
and fiber. For a complete list of nutrients, see the chart here.
Mangos are tropical fruit, first cultivated in
India over 5000 years ago, and come from the same family as cashews and pistachios.
It’s one of those fruits classified as a drupe (see last week’s blog for more
on that). According to Wikipedia, it is the national fruit of India, Pakistan
and the Philippines, and the national tree of Bangladesh. Mangos were also the
inspiration behind the popular paisley pattern.
Mangos are very versatile. While they are sweet,
and delicious in a fruit salad or smoothie, they also are popular in salsas and
in many chicken and seafood recipes, especially in Indian and Asian cooking,
providing a cooling balance to the spicy heat. Prevention.com
offered a nice selection of recipes with a variety of flavor profiles.
Choose a mango without bruises or breaks in the
skin. It should give just slightly if you press gently with your thumb. You can
store them at room temperature for a few days, if they are slightly under-ripe;
refrigerate cut fruit, but bring it to room temperature before serving for
maximum flavor. You can also cut them into cubes and freeze them for several
months for future use. (Actually, just sucking on a piece of frozen mango can
be quite refreshing when summer temperatures rise.)
Mangos are just one of the many delicious fruits
that you can find at Pathfinder Produce, right here at Pathfinder Village on
Thursday afternoons. If you have a mango recipe that you like, or try one of
the ones in the article above, let us know!
Until next time, eat and be well!
Martha (and Lori)
