As we get closer to the fall season, there has been a continual shift of new products coming in, as well as some of our summer favorites starting to faze out. For those that love those fresh summer peaches, we are likely just weeks away from the final fruit being harvested from the trees. Nectarines, plums, and pluots are also making their final appearances for the year.
With the stone fruit fading away, continuing to enter the fold are some local favorites such as apples, Asian pears, and grapes. Fresh ginger root, okra, and peanuts were some other top finds this past week. Also starting to enter the mix, an item that many of our local farmers have continued to ramp up production on over the past few years; fresh passionfruit.
Growing on long vines, passionfruit is botanically classified as a berry, and delivers the essence of the tropics. Once sliced open, the yellow to orange hued pulp that engulfs the fruit’s small seeds is exposed, and the sweet aromatic properties of the fruit instantly hits the senses. There are several types of passionfruit under production, but the most common are the purple passionfruit, followed by the yellow.
Native to Brazil, the thick skin starts to wrinkle when ripe, indicating it’s time to slice them open to enjoy. I find that the pulp delivers notes of tangy citrus and guava. Passionfruit can be enjoyed with a spoon, right out of the thick skin. It can also be used as a topping to yogurt, ice cream, and fruit salads. Passion fruit is an excellent addition to smoothies, cocktails and other beverages, and pairs very well with watermelon and mint. When making ceviche, I like to add a little passion fruit for that underlying tropical essence.
This week I whipped up an avocado passion fruit vinaigrette that would pair quite well with an array of salads. One of my favorites is a chicken salad with sliced cucumber, red onion, feta cheese and cherry tomatoes, tossed over a bed of fresh spinach. The subtle passion fruit flavor is a nice change from your standard vinaigrette, and pairs very well with the chicken. I’ve been using avocado instead of olive oil in my salad dressings lately for a nice thick creamy consistency.
Passionfruit Avocado Ginger Vinaigrette
1 medium ripe Hass avocado, skin and pit discarded (or use about 1/3 cup olive oil)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (or rice vinegar)
1/4 cup water
1/2 inch piece fresh ginger root, peel discarded, grated
Pulp from 2 medium passionfruit
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch of salt and fresh cracked pepper
Place contents in a blender and blend until smooth. For a thinner consistency, add a little more water until desired thickness is reached. Refrigerate and mix well with a spoon each time you are serving.
Yield: Makes about 1 cup of dressing.
