Thanks to Hawaii’s climate, fresh fruits and vegetables are grown all year in the islands. But fruits such as lychee, melons and mangoes peak seasonally, during the hot summer months. Find them at farmers markets, grocery stores and, if you’re lucky, on a neighbor’s tree.
This week, try recipes featuring these sweet local treats.
LYCHEE BUTTER CAKE
By Hawaiian Electric Company
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 (14-ounce) can lychee (or about 1 cup fresh lychee, liquid reserved)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup fresh lychee, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Drain canned lychee, reserving liquid, and cut into small pieces; set aside.
In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium for several minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix to combine.
Add 4 to 6 tablespoons of reserved lychee liquid gradually, mixing between additions to fully incorporate.
Toss fresh and canned lychee pieces in flour mixture to coat (this will help keep them from sinking to the bottom of batter).
Add flour and lychee mixture to the batter and mix to combine.
Pour into prepared pan. Bake 30 to 45 minutes, until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serves 12.
Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 270 calories, 13 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 150 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 19 g sugar, 4 g protein.
CANTALOUPE SALSA
By Hawaiian Electric Company
- 4 cups bite-sized cantaloupe
- 2 cups bite-sized tomatoes
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 2 jalapeno peppers, diced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, or to taste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
In a medium bowl, mix cantaloupe, tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, yellow bell pepper, jalapeno peppers, lemon and lime juices and garlic.
Add enough olive oil to moisten the salsa; season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until chilled and flavors have combined, 1 to 2 hours. Serves 12.
Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including salt to taste): 40 calories, 1.5 g fat, no saturated fat or cholesterol, 10 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 1 g protein.
LI HING PICKLE MANGO
By Hawaiian Electric Company
- 2 cups water
- 2-1/2 cups light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons Hawaiian salt
- 1 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons li hing powder
- Red food coloring
- 1 small package sweet li hing mui
- 2 or more large green mangoes, peeled and sliced into long, thick pieces
In a small pot, boil water. Turn off heat, add brown sugar and salt, and stir until dissolved. Add more water if needed.
Remove from heat and add rice vinegar, li hing powder and a few drops of red food coloring. Add li hing mui to taste and stir until all ingredients are incorporated. Cool in refrigerator.
Place peeled and sliced green mango in a Mason jar, packed as tightly as possible, then pour cooled sauce into jar, filling to top. Cover tightly.
Let it sit in refrigerator for at least 3 days to allow mango to fully soak up the pickling liquid. Serves 6.
Nutritional information unavailable.
More Hawaiian Electric Co. recipes are available at hawaiianelectric.com.