I always look forward to my weekly excursions to Wegmans. It’s my one stop for food shopping, with the exception of fish and seafood that I get just a few miles down the road at Hellers Seafood. From the truffles that are kept under lock and key to the large selection of pristine fresh fruit and vegetables, I love their produce department. In the “off season” it’s the next best thing to growing your own. Sometimes I’m even introduced to something new, well at least to me. That was the case last week. I walked in, grabbed my cart and headed for my first stop, the produce section. The lady giving out samples of fresh-squeezed juice was quite busy so I happened to notice a gentleman from Melissa’s produce giving out samples of a fruit that I heard of but had never tasted before, dragon fruit. It was paired in a little sample cup with some strawberry slices. Although expensive (5.99 for one fruit!) I was feeling adventurous after a taste. I bought two, I knew I wanted to try them on my own.
Dragon fruit, also known as pitaya, is the fruit of a cactus (this east coast girl can’t relate!) It was first grown in Central and South America and expanded to Southeast Asia through the French. It is now grown domestically in Florida, Texas and Southern California. The fruit emerges from the aptly named moon flower that blooms for one night only. Pollination by fruit bats and other insects must occur that one night or no fruit will emerge. Dragon fruit is quite interesting in appearance. the ones I purchased were about the size of a mango and fuchsia in color with soft green spikes, resembling the scales of the dragon. There are also varieties with yellow and red skin. The flesh can vary from white to red. The taste was lightly sweet, with crunchy little seeds, reminiscent of those in a kiwi. The texture of the flesh reminded me of a crisp pear. Dragon fruit is very easy to prepare, just cut in half and either scoop out the flesh or cut away the flesh from the skin with a sharp knife.
A current favorite of the marketing world, dragon fruit is being infused into everything from rum, vodka, a flavored Pepsi, an antioxidant tea to an air freshener and a scented candle. Dragon fruit is low in calories, high in fiber, rich in B vitamins and antioxidants. The skin is not edible but makes a lovely serving vessel. It can be added to fruit salads, smoothies and desserts. In this salsa recipe I chose to pair the mild crisp dragon fruit to contrast with some very sweet pineapple and some heat from a jalapeno. The amount of heat you add to the salsa is up to you. My frozen jalapenos still pack quite a punch. Serve with fish or chicken.
Dragon Fruit Salsa
Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients
- 1 1/2c dragon fruit cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- 1c peeled and cored pineapple cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- 1 small bell pepper, stemmed and cored, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- 1/2 of a whole jalapeno pepper, chopped finely
- Juice of one medium lime
- 1/4c finely chopped cilantro
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
- Combine the first six ingredients in a medium bowl and stir gently.
- Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
