Mango summer

As the summer days get hotter, I am witnessing a crescendo of.. mangoes!! They rolled into the markets in small numbers at the start of the season in March, expensive and aloof; by the time the harvest peaked this month they are suddenly all over the place, humble and reachable.

A mango seller on a hot summer day

The summer mango frenzy is in full swing right now with all and sundry making earnest attempts to reincarnate it: street vendors squeezing fresh mango juice, fashionable bars mixing mango martinis and restaurants launching mango mini-festivals featuring exotic avant-garde mango curiosities.

For me, however, these simple five quickie ready-in-less-than-30-minutes mango recipes are working very well this season:

#1 - Mango Crisp: Mix 5 cups of ripe sliced mangoes with 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Place in a buttered baking dish. Set aside. Combine 1/4 cup softened butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar until well blended. Cut in 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Mix until crumbly. Sprinkle the topping evenly over prepared mango slices. Cook in microwave oven 9 to 11 minutes on HIGH power. Serve cold with ice cream.

#2 – Mango Smoothie: Blend 1 cup peeled and diced mango, 1 cup plain or vanilla nonfat yogurt and 1/2 cup crushed ice in a blender or food processor. If too thick, add a little milk. Makes 2 servings.

#3 – Chicken and Mango Salad: Combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/4 cup flat-leaf chopped parsley leaves, 1 long chopped red chilli in a small bowl. Combine 2 1/2 cups chopped roasted chicken with skin removed, 2 mangoes, peeled, cut into 1cm cubes and 100g mixed salad greens in a large bowl. Drizzle over chilli dressing. Toss lightly to combine.

#4 - Mango Salsa: Combine 1 peeled and diced mango, 1/2 cup cucumber, 1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno, 1/3 cup diced red onion, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm. Use as a meat accompaniment or as a delicious topping.

#5 - Mango Chutney: Combine 2 cups water, 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped sweet onion, 2 cups coarsely chopped mango, 1 cup snipped dried tomatoes, 1 cup raisins and 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper flakes a 3-quart saucepan; bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until tomatoes are softened. Now add 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1/3 cup red wine vinegar and 2 teaspoons white vinegar and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most liquid has been absorbed. Cool and pack in air-tight containers. Serve with grilled chicken.

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