recipe box
Pawpaws : Don ’ t miss out on summer ’ s epicurean curiosity
By Michael Judd
The fruit of the pawpaw tree is intensely satisfying and nutritious . Indeed , it is challenging to eat more than one of these succulent — dare I say , heavenly — fruits at a time . Its rich , custard-like pulp has tropical flavors reminiscent of mango , pineapple , and banana that combine together to create a very palate-pleasing dessert .
Pawpaws are cousins to the custard apple and cherimoya , the only member of the tropical sugar apple family living in the temperate north . Basically , the pawpaw is a tropical fruit tree that hitchhiked its way north as the continental glaciers receded at the end of the Ice Age . They are now found growing indigenously , primarily throughout the eastern US and the southeastern part of Ontario . This amazingly adaptive fruit tree has become so popular that it is being introduced into many other temperate regions of the globe .
Nutritionally speaking , pawpaws are vitamin-packed antioxidant powerhouses — the original super fruit ! Pawpaw protein contains all essential amino acids in contents higher than found in apples , bananas , or oranges . They are also exceptionally high in potassium , calcium , vitamin C , niacin , phosphorus , iron , zinc , copper , and magnesium ... nature ’ s own healthy dessert that grows on a beautiful , low-maintenance fruit tree . top Photo : leigh Scott , Olive Thyme Kitchen ; right : earthly delights
Pawpaw N ’ ice Cream
Eating a pawpaw is a gustatory delight akin to taking a tropical vacation . This vegan recipe is from Michael ’ s book , For the Love of Pawpaws . It was developed by Leigh Scott , a certified chef in Vienna , Virginia , who focuses on nutritious , delicious whole-food , plant-based cuisine .
Yield : 4 half-cup servings Ingredients
• 1 large frozen sliced banana (~ 1 cup )
• 1 frozen pawpaw (~ 1 cup pulp ) peeled and seeded
• 1 / 4 cup light coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon rum ( optional , but recommended )
• Toasted coconut for topping
Method
1 . Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth
( a blender is usually not powerful enough ). 2 . Eat as soft serve right away or freeze to make a scoopable dessert . 3 . Top with toasted coconut .
Michael Judd is an avid fruit and nut grower , educator , entrepreneur , and visionary who plants in the fertile ground where ecology , culture and economy come together . Founder of : Ecologia Edible & Ecological Landscape Design ; Project Bona Fide , an international nonprofit supporting agro-ecology research ; and SilvoCulture , a Maryland-based nonprofit which is helping plant one million nut trees in the Mid-Atlantic region . Michael is author of Edible Landscaping with a Permaculture Twist and For the Love of Pawpaws . When not cultivating in the pawpaw patch you ’ ll likely find him out planting and promoting nut trees , especially chestnuts . www . ecologiadesign . com and www . silvoculture . org
plenty I Summer growing 2021 37