Part II of “Dragonfruit Serendipity”

The dragonfruit proved to be unique and interesting enough to my two and three year olds.  Since the time of their first introduction to the “dwag-fruit”, we’ve splurged on it a couple times.  It’s usually available at our local Asian market that I love for a million reasons, namely just walking the aisles inspires me to explore new ingredients and cooking adventures.  Here are a couple of the VERY simple ways that my wee ones enjoyed the fruit.

Exotic Fruit Plate

Snack time does not have to be boring.  It’s quite easy to get stuck in a rut of crackers and cheese sticks.  I put together an exotic fruit plate for the kids to highlight how fun fruits can be.  Along with dragonfruit, we also had golden kiwi, traditional kiwi, and lychees.  While we sat to enjoy our beautiful snack, we discussed the colors, smells, shapes and names of all of our “worldly fruits”.  Kate and Carter loved talking about the colors and eating off one platter together.  They flat out refused the lychees.  As I peeled one, they sat there with noses wrinkled, then demanded in unison that the “lissees” be taken off the plate.  No worries, lychees are a bit overrated… until you’re an adult and realize that they have a respected place in cocktail-land.

The whole point is exposure.  New flavors and new foods.  Sure kiwi is not new, in fact they love it.  Yellow kiwi, that’s new.  Another tactic is to pair a slightly different version with one that they’re accustomed to.  Green kiwi and yellow kiwi together in harmony (and the words to ‘Ebony & Ivory’ are now going through my head).

Dragonfruit Popsicles

The summer thus far in Portland has been odd.  Lots of cool days with some scorchers thrown in.  One one of the hot days, I decided to use the remaining dragonfruit to make the kids popsicles.  We called them “America rocket pops” given the colors, shape of the pop, and the holiday.  Perhaps it’s their age and the timing of summer, but I think home made popsicles are turning out to be a favorite here.  That is A-OK with me ’cause when I make them, they’re chock full of nutritious goodness.

Making them was a breeze.  After the dragonfruit is peeled, cut it into big dices, place in a big bowl and mash away using the tines of a fork.  A good mash is optimal, and there’s no need to achieve a puree.  Next, puree strawberries in the blender.  Fill the first third of the pop with the dragonfruit and freeze.  Once solid, pour the strawberry  puree on top of the frozen dragonfruit.  Stop pouring just shy of the top of the popsicle mold.  Let freeze until it is set but not frozen.  Plop fresh blueberries on the top of the strawberry section, pressing down just slightly to adhere the blueberries completely.  Freeze until solid.

Kate Margaret and Carter could barely contain themselves when I brought the popsicles out while they were playing in the yard.  I explained that the dragonfruit was the top portion, but Kate insisted it was “que-wee” (kiwi) because of the little black seeds.  Three year olds think they know it all sometimes!  Needless to say, they loved their treat and dragonfruit is not so novel anymore.

Note: With all the berry madness going on in our house, my kids’ clothes have been abused with a million berry stains, especially my rambunctious boy.  If you douse the stains in stain remover at night (we fancy Dreft), the stains should come out completely.

In their popsicle-loving best, here are Kate Margaret and Carter enjoying their momma’s handcrafted treats.

Remember, exposure is key.  Never force a child to partake and make new flavors FUN.

Thanks for reading!