Everyday Exotic

What to do when someone gives you 45 just nearly ripe Passion fruits grown by a local Ranch in Fallbrook? When was the last time you remember seeing these wrinkly, giant prune looking specimens in a grocery store? If your local market had them you most likely walked past foolishly assuming judgment of flavor on their shriveled outward appearance. Many of us have been exposed, even if only recently to some of the more non-traditional fruits that have been infusing recipes with passion (fruit) and vigor in the recent years attempting to achieve a new and miraculous flavor, “unami” perhaps? Fruit with savory has become a trend and a challenging task to accomplish with any amount of success aside from the traditional citrus (lemon, lime, orange) and stone fruits (pears, peaches, nectarines, etc.). More exotic or tropical fruits have been infusing alcohol drinks for decades; the requests for flavors of Mango, Pineapple, and Guava have become recognizable flavors to parts of the world not traditionally exposed to these fruits. Distance and importation are important factors in availability and exposure to rarer fruits, however the “Edgehill” variety of Passion fruit was originated in Vista, California and “The Paul Ecke” in Encinitas, California. Southern California climate has the optimal tropical climate for them to grow, if only we knew what else to do with them other than put them with alcohol and add them into smoothies. Blended smoothies are the simplest form to introduce yourself to a new flavor of fruit if you are timid. The “smoothie” trend is quite commonplace, replacing a healthy “smoothie” for your hectic lunch. We rarely see the fruit prepared (cut and/or juiced) at your local Juice bar, and it is usually mixed with a bouquet of other strong flavors as to dilute the flavor and make it more difficult to isolate the flavor of a Passion Fruit for example. The Internet has several listings for cheesecakes (traditionally of Peru), ice creams and other assorted beverages for Passion fruit but lacks savory recipes, is it because of taste? If you have not tasted a Passion fruit it would be described as sweet to tart and tart. It can be very tart resembling a lime, with more natural sugars. There must be something magnificent that can be done with these little fruits, considering the Mexican food culture and the use of limes in it’s cuisine. The main drawback besides demand seems to reside with volume. In order to not let the 45 passion fruit spoil without making their destiny in a dish they were cut in half and strained, each fruit bears about 50-100 small, hard seeds contained in the juice and pulp of the interior. One average size Passion Fruit yields just over a tablespoon of juice. The juice after being strained has been frozen for use in experimenting with new dishes and of course smoothies!

Then there is the issue of cross breeding fruits for maximum juice, sweetness, tartness or any specific attributes a farmer may want to pick up on or eliminate (such as thicker skin to prevent bruising). The Pineapple Guava may seem to be one of these fruit Hybrids but is actually called the “Feijoa” and originated from southern Brazil, Northern Argentina, Paraguay, today it is commonly grown in Northern near San Francisco Bay Area) and throughout Southern California. It is also important to note that the tree itself is extremely pest resistant, making it naturally environmentally friendly. This particular fruit smells divinely floral and fresh, resembling a perfume. The texture can be slightly gritty comparable to a Mango and has the sweetness bordering on tart of a pineapple flavor. It is in bloom right now all over California, the only question remains what to do with it.