By Catherine Kekoa Enomoto
Star-Bulletin

MANGO EATS

Enjoy haden-laden pastries and preserves at the Big Island's Ka'u Mango & Music Festival. The third annual event offers homemade mango breads, chutneys, jams, jellies, pickles and pies from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, July 27, at Pahala Community Center.

The festival -- which honors Pahala's historic grove of 50 mango trees in the Old Japanese Mill Camp -- also offers an auction, arts, crafts, displays, live entertainment and more foods. Proceeds benefit the Ka'u Outdoor Circle.

Just drive 30 miles south of Volcanoes National Park, along Mamalahoa Highway, between mile markers 51 and 52. Call 928-8270.

Sample the mango tart to be featured at the fest, along with other mango recipes.

Halimah's Mango Pie

(By Halimah Shabazz; to be served at the
Ka'u Mango & Music Festival)

Pie crust:
1 stick frozen butter (1/2 cup)
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, sifted
4 to 6 tablespoons water with ice cubes

Mango filling:
4 to 5 cups ripe and half-ripe mango, cut in small chunks
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup raw sugar
3 tablespoons arrowroot powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon clove

To prepare crust: Grate butter into flour. With fingers, rub butter into flour to form crumbly, cornmeal-like consistency. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time; mix with a fork to form a ball. Knead 30 seconds only. Cut dough ball in half; roll each half between wax paper, handling dough as little as possible for flakier crust.

To prepare filling: Working quickly, combine mangoes and vanilla. Combine sugar, arrowroot and spices; add to mango mixture and toss lightly. Pour mixture into bottom crust. Arrange top crust. Bake 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake 45 minutes.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving, based on 10 pieces: 310 calories, 10 grams total fat, 6 grams saturated fat, 25 milligrams cholesterol, 105 milligrams sodium.*

Mango Papaya Smoothie

(From "Bone Appetit!" cookbook by Joannie Dobbs
and Alan Titchenal, Hawaii Osteoporosis Foundation, 1996)

1 cup sliced mango
2-1/2 cups papaya pulp
2 cups plain nonfat yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup ice cubes

Machine blend mango, papaya, yogurt, lime juice and honey. Add ice and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into 4 large chilled glasses. For a special touch, garnish each with a lime slice.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 160 calories, 0.5 gram total fat, no saturated fat, less than 5 milligrams cholesterol, 100 milligrams sodium.*

Mango-Apricot Bread Pudding

(From "Garden Cuisine" cookbook by Paul Wenner,
Simon & Schuster, 1997, 368 pages, $26)

Pudding:
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
1 large ripe mango
6 cups bread cubes
2-3/4 cups milk: almond, rice, soy or nonfat dairy
1/3 cup Sucanat (see note)
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon EACH cinnamon, coriander
1/4 teaspoon EACH nutmeg, salt

Coconut sauce:
3/4 cup light coconut milk
1/4 cup Sucanat
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla

Pour 1 cup boiling water over dried apricots; let stand 30 minutes. Drain and coarsely chop apricots. Peel and pit mango; cut flesh into 1/4-inch chunks. In large bowl, stir together apricots, mango and remaining pudding ingredients. Spread mixture in a 9-by-9-inch nonstick or glass baking dish, cover with foil, and let stand 5 minutes. While pudding stands, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake pudding 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare coconut sauce: Whisk sauce ingredients, except vanilla. In a saucepan, heat mixture, stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in vanilla. When pudding comes out of the oven, drizzle with coconut sauce. Makes 8 servings.

Note: Sucanat, granulated sugarcane juice, is a whole sugar food and can be used in place of white sugar. Buy it at Down To Earth Natural Foods, Kokua Market and Huckleberry Farms.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 194 calories, 4 grams fat, no cholesterol, 245 milligrams sodium.*

Wild Mango Jam

("The Farmers Market is Cookin' "
cookbook by Sandy Bonk, 1993)

1 cup poha berries (see note)
1 cup mountain apple
1 cup ripe, sweet green mango
1 papaya
3 cups sugar

Clean, slice and combine all ingredients. Simmer and stir 45 minutes. Sterilize jars and lids. Fill, cool and refrigerate. Makes 3 cups. Try spreading on cookies.

Note: Prepare this recipe using any local fruits, adding up to 3/4 cup sugar per 1 cup fruit.

Approximate nutritional analysis per tablespoon: 55 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, no sodium.*

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DRINKS

With or without booze, mangoes make great drinks.

Lassi

Pulp of 2 ripe mangoes
2 cups yogurt
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup ice water
4 ounces rum

Mix ingredients in a blender and pour over crushed ice. Other fruits, such as strawberries and bananas, may be used as well.

Demon Drop

1/2 ounce Everclear
1/2 ounce orange juice
Pulp of 2 ripe mangoes

Pour Everclear over mangoes, then add juice so it settles on top.

Mango Madness

1.5 ounces Bacardi Rum
1 ounces Triple Sec
2 ounces fresh mango
Splash cream
Splash club soda

Mix all ingredients in a blender and serve in a frozen glass.

Frozen Fruit Slush

(non-alcoholic)

2 16-ounce cans crushed pineapple
2 6-ounce cans mandarin oranges
4 bananas sliced
Pulp of 2 mangoes
1 bag frozen raspberries
1 can orange juice concentrate
1 12-ounce can Sprite or similar soft drink
Up to 3/4 cups sugar (optional)

Stir all ingredients together, including juice from the fruit. Sweeten with sugar if desired. Ladle mixture into plastic cups and freeze. Remove cups about 45 minutes before serving and allow to soften. Invert and serve in shallow bowls.

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Mango on my Mind