Mango, Avocado and Cucumber Salad

This recipe is the fifth of six plates I would serve if asked to make a 6-course meal or string of small plates/tapas based on Zimbabwean cuisine. I used ingredients that are commonly eaten or are considered a cornerstone of our cooking, but with a modern twist. The first was sweet potato soup, the second tomato bruschetta with guava balsamic glaze, the third  fried sadza with chili creamed corn, and the fourth Portobello steak with acorn squash, kale and green beans.

Similar to the last dish, I concentrate on fruits/vegetables that are used widely in Zimbabwe but not necessarily together on a plate.

Let’s start with the very popular mangoes. The sweet, juicy fruit is readily available, cheap, refreshing, and nutritious. We have two mango trees in my family garden, but the trees were bushy enough to possible contain snakes, so I never attempted to climb them or forage it for fruit. My grandmother, however, had a long pipe with a wire hook on it to reach the tall trees which produced a much healthier, sweeter crop than ours. We always expected to leave her home with a basket full during the peak season. Mangoes can also be seen on the roadside sold by street vendors.

Next up is the avocado, another tree found in many places.  I have pulled a few down myself, and they were organic and larger than most of the ones I come across in the grocery stores around the United States. I've mentioned before that ‘avocado toast’  was always a popular snack in Zim, different from the gourmet brunch dish I'm familiar with now. I grew up seeing people spread mashed avocado on their bread for breakfast seasoned with salt, sugar or chili flakes, nothing more!

Combining avocado and mango, on the other hand, not so common, but it should be! Avocado has that creamy texture from the healthy fats they contain, while mangoes are bright, sweet with a slight tartness. This inspired me to make a salad, almost reminiscent of salsa.

The cucumber adds to the freshness of the salad. In our family garden, we had spiky cucumbers or 'horned melons' as well, but used regular or English cucumbers for salads like much of the world does.

I hope you find this recipe as tasty as I do!

Ingredients

1/3 large mango

1 Hass avocado

1 medium cucumber

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

1 tablespoon pesto

1 tablespoon basil leaves, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon lemon juice + extra for avocado

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

Instructions

Using a peeler, remove the cucumber skin and peel the uncut cucumber into thin strips. , discard the seeds to use for another recipe and add the strips to a large bowl.

Slice the avocado and remove the seed, dice and toss in lemon juice to slow down oxidation and add them to the bowl.

Slice off a 1/3 of the mango and dice into cubes, add to the bowl.

Add the chopped basil leaves, pesto, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, chili flakes, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and mustard. Mix until the entire salad is coated evenly. Serve immediately.

Groundnut, Corn, and Sweet Potato Platter

This platter is what I call the Zimbabwean snack ‘trifecta’, enjoyed in the morning or afternoon with milk tea.  It's more common to eat each one separately, but all three are considered go-to energy boosters as they are affordable, easy to find, or grown in people’s gardens or community plots.

 Groundnuts are plentiful during the rainy season, and provide a dose of protein - probably my favourite! We had them once in a while in my family, and I used to get thrilled picking them up from the street side vendors, a fond memory.

It's also not uncommon to serve one or all three for guests before a meal, as an appetizer.

You can serve them on a platter in very small portions, this is as wholefoods as it gets!

Ingredients

12-16 cups water

4 tablespoons salt

2-3 corn/maize cobbs

2-3 yams (not the orange-fleshed sweet potatoes)

4 cups groundnuts, shelled, unsalted, raw, and washed

Instructions

Split the water into two parts in large pots, placing the yams and corn together to boil with one tablespoon of salt.

In the second pot, add three tablespoons of salt and the groundnuts. 

Boil both pots until the water has evaporated or the vegetables are softened and fully cooked. If you need to add water and time, do so.

Serve hot with milk tea, enough for 5-6.