Art and I absolutely love the tropical, sweet tartness of passion fruit. We found this recipe in the new cookbook “50 Best Plants on the Planet,” by Chef Cathy Thomas and Melissa’s Produce. The dressing has chipotle chile in it. Chipotle chiles are ripe jalapeños that have been dried and smoked. The spicy kick from the chile will bring back the snap to any limp lettuce. Actually, the dressing can serve beautifully as a marinade for chicken or white fish.
A Little About Passion Fruit
It’s a vibrant, tart flavor profile that’s tropical and looks like wrinkled balls when they turn ripe. Inside the wrinkled purple rind, black seeds dot the pulp. You can strain the seeds through the mesh or eat them like we do — spoon out the pulp with the seeds and enjoy. According to the book, passion fruit is a great source of lycopene, which a number of studies have suggested helps prevent prostate cancer. We like hearing that!! You can find passion fruit in the U.S. at the peak of season from August to December.
Passion Fruit Dressing
Ingredients
6 ripe (wrinkled) passion fruit
1 choptle chile (canned in adobo sauce)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons agave syrup
1/2 teaspoon adobo sauce (from the can of chipotles)
Preparation
- Cut each passion fruit in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp; strain and discard the seeds.
- Put the strained pulp in a blender. Add the chipotle, vinegar, syrup, and adobo. Cover and whirl until smooth.
