THE FRAGRANT MANGO

My heart quickens when I see the mangoes piled high in my supermarket. Once totally unknown to me, the mango is now a favorite.

Native to Southeast Asia, there are hundreds of varieties of mangoes in the world. Some are large, some are small. Some are rounded in the middle, like a football, others are slender and curvaceous. Some turn yellow when ripened; some remain green; others turn red, yellow, orange and green -- all at once. The flesh, encased in a thick, almost leathery skin, ranges in color from yellow to gold to deep orange. Some have smooth silken flesh. Others tend to have stringy flesh, especially surrounding the large, flat wooden pit.

But a ripe mango is always fragrant. Sniff the stem end to make sure before you cut into it. If the mango isn't fragrant, it isn't ripe. Ripen at room temperature a few days before cutting it.

Cutting a mango can be tricky. I like to stand it on its side and cut off-center on either side of the pit. The two cheeks can then be peeled and diced or sliced. Often, I eat the mango with a spoon right out of the skin, like eating a half of cantaloupe. I learned to eat mango this way when I was traveling in India.

India grows more mangoes (and some of the most delicious specimens) than any other place in the world, but few are exported worldwide and none come to the United States. The mangoes we buy are mostly grown in the United States (both California and Florida grow them), Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean islands.

When mangoes are in season I start the day with diced mango sprinkled over cereal or stirred into plain yogurt and sprinkled with some crunchy granola.

For dinner, I toss mango with jalapeno chile, cilantro, lime juice and red onion to make a pretty salsa to serve over grilled fish. The sweetness of the mango balances the heat and spice of the jalapeno, the acid of the lime juice and the richness of the fish.

In the menu below I serve a rice salad on the side. The next day, if I am lucky enough to have leftovers, I make a delicious rice and mango salad by combining the two.

For dessert, serve ice cream or frozen yogurt topped with a fresh strawberry sauce flavored with vanilla extract.

MENU

Grilled Salmon Steaks With Mango Salsa

Rice Salad With Rice Wine Vinaigrette

Vanilla Ice Cream With Fresh Strawberry Sauce

PREPARATION: Cook the rice, make the dressing, then combine. Make the salsa. Make the strawberry sauce. Grill or broil the salmon.

SHOPPING

1 large ripe mango

1 bunch cilantro

1 lime

1 jalapeno chile

4 salmon steaks, each about 6 ounces

Fresh ginger

1 bunch green onions

1 pint strawberries

1 pint vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt

PANTRY

1 red onion

1 1/2 cups long grain rice

Rice wine vinegar

Vegetable oil

Dark sesame oil

Garlic

Sesame seeds, optional

Sugar

Vanilla extract

GRILLED SALMON STEAKS WITH MANGO SALSA

1 large ripe mango, peeled, sliced and 1/4-inch diced

1/4 cup diced red onion

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 jalapeno chile, seeded and finely chopped

Salt

4 salmon steaks, about 6 ounces each

Pepper

To prepare salsa, combine mango, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno chile and dash of salt. Set aside until ready to serve.

Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper. Broil or grill about 5 minutes per side or until cooked through. (If using grill, lightly brush fish with oil before placing on grill to prevent sticking.)

To serve, top each cooked salmon steak with spoonful of salsa. Makes 4 servings.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

RICE SALAD WITH RICE WINE VINAIGRETTE

Rice:

2 3/4 cups water

1 1/2 cups long grain rice

1 teaspoon salt

Vinaigrette:

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (green and white parts)

1 teaspoon sesame seeds, optional

To prepare Rice, heat water in large broad saucepan, saute pan or deep skillet. Add rice and salt and bring to boil without stirring. Once water boils, stir once, cover and cook undisturbed (do not stir) over low heat until water is absorbed, 15 to 18 minutes. Uncover and let stand at room temperature. Do not stir.

To prepare Vinaigrette, whisk vinegar, oils, ginger and garlic in large bowl. Add rice and green onions. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Toss and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 to 18 minutes

VANILLA ICE CREAM WITH FRESH STRAWBERRY SAUCE

1 pint strawberries, rinsed and hulled

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pint vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt

Coarsely chop strawberries. Reserve 1 cup. Puree remainder in food processor with sugar and lime juice. Pour into small bowl. Stir in reserved 1 cup chopped berries and vanilla. Let stand at room temperature until ready to serve.

At serving time, serve sauce over bowls of vanilla ice cream. Makes 4 servings.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

(Marie Simmons is the author of ``A to Z Puddings,'' Chapters/Houghton Mifflin.)

(c) 2000, Marie Simmons. Distributed by the Los Angeles Times Syndicate.

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Author: Marie Simmons