But I really am going to talk about summer. As you may be aware, Andy and I are kind of, um, obsessed with mango season. This year we mainly missed out, though, which was terribly disappointing. The first Bowen mangoes were for sale the day before Andy left for PNG. I was still home for a week, so we bought a tray. Of course, they didn't ripen until just before I left, so I put them in the dehydrator and they turned out well, and we were looking forward to getting lots more mangoes when we came home and stockpiling dried mango.
Then we came home. We went to the market, and got a big bucket of Bowen mangoes for $8. We dried some, but also ate lots. For other aussies, these are sold as Kensington Pride outside of North Queensland, and they are one of the best varieties of mango around, I think. That week, as we chowed down on our bucket of mangoes, we got loads of rain. When we got to the market the following Sunday, empty bucket just waiting to be filled, there was not one Bowen mango in sight. What?! We asked a few growers and they said the crop had been lost in the weather. So we got some nam doc mai mangoes instead. And that was the end of Bowen mango season. 1 tray, 1 bucket - a pretty pathetic year, compared to our usual effort!
However, this post isn't just a whinge about our lack of mangoes. We did try a new (to us) asian variety. I can't remember the name, which is an indication of how memorable it was. They took almost two weeks to ripen, and even then they were only semi ripe. Whether they were picked too early, or that's just how that variety of mangoes is, it was not good. But as the saying goes, when life hands you green mangoes, make green mango salad.
That's what we did. With peanuts, and a sweet-lime-soy dressing, and cucumber and shredded carrot, and kaffir lime leaves and lemon myrtle. It was really yummy, actually. And we had it with a mixture of peanut noodles + zoodles (zucchini shredded into noodle-ish strips). It was a good summery meal. It's just a shame it was one of the only mango meals we got all year.
7 comments:
Oh man, I love green mango salad! I love mangos just like you guys. I am really hoping I will be able to get at least semi good mangos here in Nebraska.No way they will be like Hawaii or Ausi mangos though :)
Kensington Pride are my favourite mangoes. Not many available now though! They also sell something like R2D2 (not the actual name, but similar), which are GM horrible things, no flavour and totally gross. Kensington Pride is where my heart lies!
I've been singing showtunes from Guys and Dolls for the past three days, so we can be strange together :)
Now... eeeep! You know I'm not obsessed with mangoes like most other Aussies (I count you in that, my dear :P) but green mango salad, yes yes yes. Particularly with zoodles. A part of me is clamouring for you to give an exact recipe, the other part knows I could easily riff on the ingredients myself :)
Hey :) I came across your blog randomly some time ago- but now finally have my own account so I can say hello.
Im a pretty recent ex Townsvillian and new vego, so have found your blog interesting- and deperately miss the heat haze and tropical rain, now living in Vic.
Thanks for telling me Bowens are Kensington pride out of state- I dont eat a lot of mangoes, having been totally over exposed by the trees out the back, but when Im homesick Ill buy one to smell and eventually eat :)
I do make it back often, and have left my uni aged son there, so will love to get back some day :)
All through reading this I could only think about Saved by the Bell! I used to love that show!!!
But mangos are pretty awesome too...we ate so many when I went to Australia. I would understand if you did need a whinge about the lack of mangos though...totally understandable!
salads are one of my favorites and this salad had me drooling...its fabulous!
I love mango- all of them, especially green mango salad! yummy!!!!
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