Mucho Mangos

The other day my neighbor showed up with a paper bag stuffed with mangos sourced from trees on our street and I set about finding ways to use this tropical bounty before the whole bag went soft on me.

First up, mango bread. It was ridiculously good, with the texture of banana bread but with the addition of fruit chunks scattered about the batter (I left out the raisins, mostly because I hate raisins). Addictive. I need to make more.

Next up, something offering a little more buzz. Luckily I was able to source a recipe from the mango king himself, chef Allen Susser. This mango martini is like a smoothie with benefits, perfect for when you need to take a break from peeling piles of fruit on a hot day.

Chef Allen’s: Mango Martini – Serves 1
4 oz. Mango Infused Vodka* or Mango flavored Vodka like Van Gogh or Belvedere
2 oz. Fresh Mango Puree** or frozen mango puree from grocery
Splash (½ oz) simple syrup***
Shake ingredients in martini shaker full of ice. Serve up in a martini glass. Garnish with cubes of fresh mango.
*Mango Infused Vodka - Suggest using a premium Vodka like Belvedere in which whole locally grown mangos are peeled and macerated for at least five days.
**Mango Puree - peel & seed a ripe mango and puree in blender with just enough water to allow mango to form thick liquid.
***Simple syrup - sugar dissolved in equal part of water to form syrup.