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Eat This Now for the Week of 04/30/12

Best if Used By 05/07/12

Eat This Now for the week of April 30th, 2012 features
Ataulfo (Champagne) Mangos, Hothouse Tomatoes, Athena Cantaloupes, Tomatillos and Organic Pineapples

1. Ataulfo (Champagne) Mangos

BEST FLAVOR | PEAK SEASON

A big-time family favorite at our house – creamy, sweet Champange Mangos are in season and escaping from my kitchen counter everyday! The Ataulfo variety Mango (aka Yellow Mango, aka Manila Mango, and sometimes branded as a Champagne Mango) is smaller than most other red and green skin varieties, but it also has a much thinner seed in the middle so you get more yummy fruit to enjoy. The texture of the golden flesh is smoother and less stringy than other orange-fleshed Mangos. The flavor? I love it! – sweet, tropical… almost caramel-like when they’re full ripe.

The “Champange” of Mangos.

As they ripen on the store shelf or on your kitchen counter from firm with lime-green skin color to yellow with a little give – they’ll be ready to eat with a balance of sweet and tangy. As Ataulfo Mangos ripen from yellow with a little give to gold, some wrinkles and soft – they’ll be luscious, super sweet! Ataulfo Mangos are becoming more popular in the US each year. Peak season is on now and will last into June. Try some!

Ataulfo Mango video

Turning into Gold: Unripe (left) Edible (middle) Perfectly Ripe (right)

2. Hothouse Tomatoes

VALUE PRICED | PEAK SEASON

Big, broad-shouldered Hothouse Tomatoes (sometimes called Beefstake or Hydroponic Tomatoes) are in a peak season harvest surplus from the greenhouses of Ontario, Canada. This flush is creating deals for many retailers to pass along in the form of ads or in-store specials on high quality Tomatoes. Grown in the optimal conditions of these sophisticated greenhouses, Hothouse Tomatoes look beautiful. The taste? The taste doesn’t quite match a home-grown summer Tomato, but they do have some flavor – certainly enough to make that BLT, sandwich or burger shine!

Slice me! ..but never put me in the fridge.

3. Athena Cantaloupes

BEST FLAVOR

Mmm… I love good Cantaloupe. And “good” for me usually means Athena-style Cantaloupes! Athena’s are identifiable on the outside by the subtle ribs on the slightly oblong melon. As they ripen, you can smell them! – a pleasing tropical aroma starts to become pronounced. Inside the flesh is softer than other Cantaloupes, but quite juicy, sweet and flavorful.

Juicy, sweet, soft-fleshed – Athena Cantaloupes!

Athena Cantaloupes are not popular or available everywhere, mostly because their soft flesh and high sugar content translates into shorter shelf-life at the store and at home. But in my book, I’d take great flavor over shelf-life any day! Growers of early season Athena Cantaloupes in South Florida are shipping some delicious fruit right now to discriminating retailers on the East Coast and in the Mid-West. Enjoy!

4. Tomatillos

PEAK SEASON | BEST FLAVOR

Green salsa or salsa verde is not made from Green Tomatoes – it is made from flavorful Tomatillos. Tomatillos look like medium sized green Tomatoes with a husk on them. Peel the husk back and you can feel a sticky texture on smooth skin. Tomatillos are typically boiled or roasted then blended or mixed in whole as part of the recipe preparation. Roasting takes more time, but intensifies the flavor. Right now Tomatillos are in peak season from Mexico. Perhaps you can try using some for your Cinco de Mayo fun this week. Do you have a good Tomatillo recipe to share?

Tomatillos for Salsa Verde

Salsa Verde

Organic Pick of the Week:
5. Organic Pineapples

BEST FLAVOR

For the past month Organically grown gold-flesh Pineapples have been hard to come by due to lack of supply. A super-sweet variety of Pineapple takes 1-2 years to grow so growers can’t respond immediately. But thanks to some favorable conditions in the marketplace, this week and next will be a great time to once again enjoy plentiful supplies of Organic Pineapple from Central American growing regions like Costa Rica. Get while the gettin’s good – grill ‘em, juice ‘em, add ‘em to salad or chow down on some fresh Organic Pineapple.