It's mango season time and it's one of my favorite times of the year!!! I just love mangoes! Here in the States, we get our mangoes from Mexico (and usually have to get a special order from Asian Markets in NJ or Philly or see them around Chinatown) and they're nothing like the ones we have from the Philippines...the "carabao" variety.
Hmmm...this reminds me of my Grandmother's (Lola Carmel) big mango tree in front of her house at BF Homes. For years it just stood there and didn't bear any fruit to the point that it started to cause foundation problems due to its large roots. So one rainy season, my Lola decided that the following summer her mango tree will be going down for good! The whole family were devastated! We kept saying maybe one more year, it will eventually bear fruit. I was in fourth grade at that time.
That summer, we started to noticed tiny buds starting to flourish from the mango tree. We were all surprised. We couldn't believe it! The mango tree was going to bear fruit...no way! At first, we thought it was a fluke, but weeks later more buds came out and turned into tiny fruits and eventually became huge mangoes ready for harvesting. It was unbelievable! I guess the mango tree was trying to make peace with my Lola. It's funny how nature is. Come to think of it, I guess they do listen to us one way or the other.
We would have never forgotten that summer. That mango tree bear us the most abundant fruit I've ever seen in my life! We had mangoes coming out from our ears. We had bushels after bushels that we shared with family, friends and neighbors! And the fruit was out of this world! It was the sweetest, biggest and juiciest mangoes I've ever had! Then after that we knew that it will be first and last time we'll ever see that mango tree again! Few months later, it came down without a doubt! My Lola had to choose of saving her house or the tree? And we all know that having a roof on your head outweighs the fruits of that mango tree...
It's a bitter-sweet story. I actually love that mango tree personally. I spent hundreds of my lazy summer days on that tree. I used to climb up half-way through it and bring an old pillow, books, notepads and pencils with me. I would set up my pillow on this huge V-shaped trunk. It was perfect! I would just perch there for the rest of the afternoon...mostly reading, jotting down my thoughts and daydreaming. It was my favorite place to be and when it finally came down, it felt like I have lost a friend...
So, whenever I have a mango...whether I eat plain, make it into a shake, dessert or whatever, I always remember my Lola's Mango Tree that gave us tears of joy!
Ingredients:
Crust:
1/2 cup butter (1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup butter flavored crisco)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
Directions:
Crust:
Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add flour, salt and vanilla and beat together. Make into a big ball press into a tart pan.
Filling:
Beat all ingredients together. Place the batter on top of the crust in the tart pan. Crimp the edges.
Bake at 375° for 15-18 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Allow to cool.
Top with thinly sliced of mangoes or any fresh fruit you prefer (berries, peaches etc). Since I didn't have any maraschino cherries, I used some red kaong (palm fruit). ;-) Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving. Enjoy!
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