“Fresh fruits are so untainted. We don’t process them, cook them or package them. There are some fruits out there that are packed with natural energy that kids like, like kiwi fruit, … Kiwis are part of the super fruit category. One kiwi has all the vitamin C you need for the day.”
Robert Stanley
I’ve had a busy few days, and then to add to the mid summer madness, the folk from Perfect Relations were wonderful enough to invite me to a couple of foodie events this past month. There were 2 invites to EAT {European Art of Taste}, a program supported by the European Union and the Italian Government that aims to present the best of Food and Wine from Europe. I made it to one, and wasn’t able to attend the other. Did however manage to make it to the Zespri Kiwi Fruit Launch hosted by HE Mr Rupert Holborow, the New Zealand High Commissioner to India, at his residence. The largest sole exporter of Kiwifruit in the world, ZESPRI International, entered the Indian market on that day, May26th, 2010, and the launch was held amidst much green kiwifruit glory.
Considered to be the best in the world, ZESPRI® Kiwifruit can be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere, anytime as it is naturally fresh, full of flavour, safe and good for your health. ZESPRI offers an innovative range of premium quality kiwifruit products: ZESPRI® GREEN, ZESPRI® GOLD and ZESPRI® ORGANIC Kiwifruit. The fruit pack a natural protection punch, with a combination of beneficial nutrients which is more concentrated than many other fruits. ZESPRI® GREEN and GOLD Kiwifruit are great sources of dietary fibre, vitamin C, potassium, folic acid, vitamin E, carotenoids and other antioxidants. They also have a low glycaemic index (GI) and are low in fat – so they’re perfect to eat every day to assist with natural protection.
At the High Commissioners residence, there was a mind boggling array of kiwi fruit delectables doing the rounds. Since it was an evening launch party, on offer were finger foods like ‘herb chicken and kiwi vol au vents‘, ‘tomato and kiwi bruschetta‘, ‘cheese and jalapeño poppers with kiwi salsa‘ to name a few. The bar also offered a wide variety of mocktails and cocktails kiwi fruit based and otherwise! It was an eye opener to see the kiwi creativity on display, and that’s how I came up with inspiration for these poppers today.
Left over mania! It was time to clear the fridge as we are off on a small vacation to Gangtok, a town nestled within higher peaks of the Himalayas at a height of 4715ft. These poppers are a tribute to the ever versatile and the nutrient packed kiwi, a fruit that contains so many vitamins and minerals, it’s truly bursting with goodness. Zespri is the brand of choice available at most outlets around where we live, so I bought a couple the other day. The last remaining one went into this salsa, and was kept good company by 2 apricots that were left over as well.
The poppers were darned delicious little bites. They got created in an attempt to use up some left over home made ricotta that I had made for roasted bell peppers and ricotta bruschetta 2 days ago. I eye balled the ingredients, and have to say these little poppers were wonderful. {For those who don’t like the eggy smell in food, the egg in here didn’t add any eggy flavours}. Be cautious while dealing with hot oil, and keep the poppers small / teaspoon sized batter drops, else they tend to spread and flatten. To check if the batter consistency is alright, I drop a little bit into a small bowl of water. If it rises immediately and floats, I am good to go. If it sinks or disintegrates, I add a little more flour, to bind it and test again!
The poppers made for fun snacks, and are pretty nice at room temperature too, only not as crisp as when hot. For more recipes, you can check out the Zespri site, which I just discovered. There’s plenty of fun kiwi based recipes there!
Ricotta and Cream Cheese Chili Poppers with Kiwi Salsa
250gms ricotta, well drained {home made recipe here}
3-4 tbsps cream cheese {I used Britannia cheese spread}
1 egg
4 tbsps plain flour
1-2 fresh green chilies, {or jalapeños}
1/2 tsp salt {cream cheese has salt of its own}
1/4 tsp baking soda
Method:
Whiz the ricotta, cream cheese and egg in a processor until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and process for a minute till uniformly mixed.
Heat about 4 inches of oil in a heavy bottom pan. Drop tea spoonfuls of batter into hot oil, and cook until both sides evenly browned. {Make sure the oil isn’t too hot, or they will over-brown and might remain uncooked within. Also don’t overcrowd the pan, else they might stick to each other}
Drain from oil onto paper napkins to absorb extra oil. Serve hot / warm with kiwi salsa! POP… they’re YUM!!
Kiwi Salsa
1 ripe, firm kiwi fruit, peeled
2 ripe apricots, halved and pitted
1/2-1 tsp sugar
A pinch of salt
Method:
Whir all ingredients in processor until blended. Taste and season. Chill for 30 minutes to allow flavours to blend. {You can add a dash of lime if it isn’t tangy. My kiwi fruit was very sweet yet tangy}
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