Sweet Julie

It seems that one day about a month ago my mango trees were covered in flowers, but now there are literally no flowers and barely any fruit left.

Usually, the trees keep flowering and bearing fruit through the season, which is at its peak in May-June and then pretty much slows in July. The early June rains help the fruit to develop and mature and then they are ready to be picked.

This year, despite bearing less, the fruit is quite lovely, very sweet because of the intense heat and sun, with a wonderful meaty, smooth texture.

Julie is my favourite mango, with no strings attached, literally.

It is wonderful in its naked state, embellished with spices and pepper, it makes a wicked chow. Slice some up and add it to your salad for welcome sweetness and sustenance. Puree the pulp and use it in a sorbet, ice cream or smoothie.

I especially like to use the barely ripe ones, caramelised in an upside-down cake, or a little riper, pureed and chilled in a mango lime pie.

Let’s thank the Indian indentured servants for bringing this royal fruit to our shores. And well, if you happen upon an abundance of mangoes, you know what to do!

Mango lime pie

3½ ozs ginger snaps

2 tbs melted butter

½ cup lime juice

1 cup condensed milk

½ cup mango puree

4 egg yolks

1 tsp lime zest

Preheat oven to 325F.

In a food processor process gingersnaps to fine crumbs, add melted butter and process.

Press mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate.

Bake for 5 minutes until set.

Preheat oven to 350F.

With an electric mixer, beat yolks until light and fluffy.

Add condensed milk, lime zest and mix on low speed until combined.

Add lime juice and mango puree, and mix well.

Pour mixture into pre-baked cookie shell and bake for 20-30 minutes until the centre of the pie is firm and dry to the touch.

Chill thoroughly until ready for use.

Option: serve with whipped cream if desired.

Serves 6-8

Mango passion fruit sorbet with lemongrass

5 cups water

3 cup sugar

1 stalk fresh lemon grass bruised and cut into 2-inch pieces

2 cups mango pulp (about 8 Julie mangoes)

1 cup passion fruit pulp( about 6 passion fruit)

¼ cup fresh lime juice

Boil water and sugar with lemongrass until sugar is dissolved. Cool and strain.

Stir in lime juice, mango and passion fruit pulp. Chill well.

Pour into an ice cream freezer and process according to manufacturer’s directions.

Makes about 6 cups

To make passion-fruit pulp, slice fruit into half, scoop out pulp covered seeds, put in a blender jar and process until liquefied.

Add a very small amount of water if needed, do not strain.

Serves 8-10

Caramelised mango upside-down cake

Cake:

⅓ cup butter

½ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted

2½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp cardamom

½ cup orange juice

1tsp vanilla

For the mangoes

1 lb mango flesh, preferably Julie, just ripe, sliced

½ cup granulated sugar

⅛ cup water

Juice of two small limes

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease one 9-inch round spring-form cake pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Place mangoes in a concentric circle at the base of the pan.

Squeeze lime over mangoes.

Cream ⅓ cup butter with granulated sugar until light and fluffy, and add eggs one at a time, beating well between additions.

Sift flour with baking powder and cardamom.

Add to butter mixture alternately with juice and vanilla, making sure your last addition is with flour.

Place sugar in a small saucepan, add water and cook until sugar becomes an amber colour.

Pour over mangoes.

Spoon on cake batter and bake for 35 minutes.

Remove, and invert onto serving plate,

Serve warm.

Serves 8

Mango mousse

1 tbs gelatine

¼ cup rum

2 cups whipping cream

½ tsp lime zest

1 cup mango pulp

Heat rum gently remove from heat and dissolve gelatine into rum, set aside and cool.

Puree mango in a food pro and add to gelatine mixture with lime zest. Stir well and refrigerate to cool.

Beat whipping cream to stiff peaks and gently fold into mango puree.

Pipe into stemmed glasses, cover and refrigerate until ready for serving.

Garnish with sprigs of fresh mint and chopped fresh mango.

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