Mango Salad- Magnificent

There are plenty of mango salad recipes roaming around out there.
It's pretty hard to ruin a mango but some of these recipes sure seem determined to do just that. For instance, I've seen several recipes that call for you to cut up the mango with various other colorful edibles and then use balsamic for the vinegar in the dressing.

Naturally, in the comment sections of these recipes people mention that their beautiful salad turned brownish and drab. Perhaps the writer meant that the cook should use white balsamic. Whatever! When making a fresh fruit salad just say no to balsamic unless it's white.

Also, take the time to dice and chop and SEED your fruits. Seeded tomatoes and cucumbers are so much more attractive. It really only takes a scrape of a spoon; one small extra step to turn your salad into a thing of beauty.

Here's my recipe for Mango Salad:

2 perfect Mangos, (not too hard, not too soft) peeled and diced into ½ inch cubes

3 Roma tomatoes cut in half length wise, scoop out seeds and then give a ¼ inch dice.

One small cucumber peeled or (half peeled) for added color. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds, then cut into ¼ inch half crescents.

One fourth of a red onion, sliced into ¼ inch thick crescents.

One half cup loosely chopped basil, mint or cilantro or a combination of the three. Use Cilantro, basil or mint depending on what you are serving: Cilantro for perhaps fajitas, Basil or mint for Asian or Middle Eastern dishes. Please use just the leaves no stem. This is not the time to ball up your herb and chop away. It will take a few extra minutes but handle the leaves carefully so as not to bruise them. Cut them in fine strips. Toss together with above ingredients and add a generous helping of fresh ground pepper

Dressing:

3 Tablespoons of your best olive oil

1 Tablespoon rice vinegar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon sugar

Whisk all of the above until the sugar dissolves. Toss into the salad- Make the salad first and let it sit out on the counter for up to a half hour so that the flavors can marry, while you are making your other courses. Enjoy. Serves Four

Suggested Menu-

Mango Salad- My recipe

Jasmine Rice

Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli)- My recipe

Thai Basil chicken- This is a great recipe from Tom P Collins it's the one I use, give or take a few embellishments- In this case you would use a little less basil in the mango salad and more mint and cilantro; enough to compliment the Thai Basil Chicken but not overwhelm the palate with too much basil.

Mangos- are in season from March through the end of September as they generally come from many parts of the world- Florida, Haiti, Mexico, and Brazil to name a few.

Mangos are at their peak of Flavor towards the end of the season- So try some this September.