Great mangoes are a treasure. Here’s how to savor them.

By Yewande Komolafe The New York Times I believe the first bite into a perfectly ripe mango has three parts first a humbling then a flood of nostalgia and decisively a restoration of spirit This is the power of a great mango They knock us off our pedestals No matter how nimble an eater you may be there s a mango out there waiting to defy your hands and lips Forego all politeness A sticky mess awaits When I bite into one I compare that initial sweetness to the tart and acidic flavors that build as I get closer to the seed But I am also judging the mango in my hand against several elusive one I remember I have a lot of room in my imagination for mangoes Great mangoes can elicit powerful memories It takes a special fruit to ease the tension of a moment connecting us both to a past season and to the promise of the next bounty For me the mango is that fruit And the three recipes here a salad a dessert and a savory relish give you something creative to do with your remaining mangoes after you ve devoured the first scarce you ve brought back from the territory Writing these recipes as it is for all dishes that center mangoes was a sticky business A few ingredients are predictable easy to control but how little control we have over mangoes Each is a surprise shaped by the characteristics of its original region There s no homogeneity Various mangoes are sweeter than others various are more fibrous But the best ones are inevitably ready to send juice dripping down your chin buttery tart instantly transporting you to wherever you may have had your favorite West Africa Southeast Asia Mexico and the Caribbean the Pacific Islands or selected grove you know nearby I remember drives along highways in southwest Nigeria that threaded through mango groves both sides lined with green canopies dotted with copper orbs The leaves evergreen essence and the ripe fruit s floral bouquet hung in the thick air It took me years to build up the courage to bite into one after I moved to the United States Growing up in Lagos we would bite into them as a New Yorker bites into an apple devouring them skin and all right down to the core But here the skin of majority fruit is not inevitably considered a pleasure in the same way Related Articles Savory-spicy peanut dressing complements the sweetness of this tomato salad Recipe Use cherries to make this relish for grilled meat Dried bay leaves bring layers of flavor to Portuguese-style beef skewers Recipe Copycat Taco Bell Crunchwrap Don t pour that pickle juice down the drain It s a cocktail darling I had to learn how to eat a mango here I came to embrace the technique I learned from friends slicing off a bit of each cheek and then working my way inward cutting plank after plank toward the seed Throughout my career I ve resisted the urge to compare ingredients to one another But if mangoes share anything with tomatoes now coming into season themselves it s that the best ones bring unpredictable flavors This simple salad anchored by delicate greens and vinegar will suit any style of mango whether slightly under ripe or those that are much further along creamy sticky-sweet ones If it is a mango s sweetness that entices you my mango shortcake will be your favorite What better way to complement the crumbly texture of a great shortcake than a perfectly ripe mango gently dotted with citrus zest and coconut toasted to enhance its fragrance and nuttiness The last recipe is for the end of mango season because your memory of the fruit shouldn t be the only thing that lingers This relish lets you savor it for at least another month or two and will work well with anything from off-the-grill chicken fish or to toasted crusts of ciabatta or focaccia My hope for you is that you will be inspired to stretch the mango as an ingredient one that resists predictability If you have great mangoes on hand the moment is now Recipe Mango-Tomato Salad Mango-Tomato Salad Let Yewande Komolafe's recipes for a mango shortcake a tomato-mango salad and a hot savory relish extend the best part of the year Props styled by Paige Hicks Food styled by Samantha Seneviratne Kelly Marshall The New York Times This simple salad anchored from veering too sweet by delicate greens and just-tart vinegar will suit any style of mango A hearty knife and fork salad it s great as a full lunch or alongside other vegetables or meats with each bite highlighting the ingredients simplicity By Yewande Komolafe Yield to servings Total time minutes Ingredients For the Vinaigrette cup apple cider vinegar teaspoon whole-grain Dijon mustard teaspoon honey cup neutral oil such as canola grapeseed or safflower Salt and pepper For the Salad just-ripe mangoes peeled pitted and cut into -inch slices and crosswise in half medium shallot peeled and minced ounces tender-leaf lettuce such as butter lettuce or romaine hearts leaves separated rinsed and patted dry ounces heirloom tomatoes cut into -inch slices then cut crosswise in half about loose cups cup fresh mint torn A small bunch of chives about to cut into -inch-long sticks Preparation Make the vinaigrette Add the apple cider vinegar in a large bowl Whisk in the mustard and honey and slowly drizzle in the oil Season to taste with salt and pepper Make the salad To the bowl add the mango and shallot and toss to combine Add in the lettuce and toss again Transfer the salad to a serving platter leaving behind any dressing Add the tomato and herbs to the bowl and toss with the remaining dressing Season with salt and pepper and tuck the tomato slices and herbs in the salad Serve at once Recipe Mango Shortcakes With Lime-Coconut Cream Mango Shortcakes With Lime-Coconut Cream Let Yewande Komolafe's recipes for a mango shortcake a tomato-mango salad and a hot savory relish extend the best part of the year Props styled by Paige Hicks Food styled by Samantha Seneviratne Kelly Marshall The New York Times If mango s sweetness entices you you ll love this shortcake What better way to complement the soft but sturdy crumb of a great shortcake rich with salted butter and tender with buttermilk with chunks of just-ripe mango The pairing gently dotted with lime zest and topped with a fluff of toasted coconut whipped cream for nuttiness is a perfect summer dessert By Yewande Komolafe Yield to servings Total time hour minutes plus chilling and cooling Ingredients For the Shortcakes cups grams all-purpose flour cup grams sugar plus more for sprinkling cup grams unsweetened shredded coconut teaspoons baking powder teaspoon baking soda teaspoon salt such as Diamond Crystal cup grams cold salted butter cut into -inch cubes whole egg separated cup milliliters buttermilk For the Filling just-ripe medium mangoes cut -inch cubes ounces about cups cup grams sugar lime Pinch of kosher salt such as Diamond Crystal teaspoon black pepper For the Whipped Cream cup grams unsweetened shredded coconut cup milliliters heavy whipping cream cup grams sugar Preparation Prepare the shortcakes Line a -by- -inch baking sheet with parchment paper In a medium bowl combine the flour cup sugar shredded coconut baking powder baking soda and salt and whisk to incorporate Working hastily and using your fingers or a pastry cutter rub the cold butter into the dry mixture Cut the butter into the flour until the pieces are the size of small pebbles Alternatively use a food processor to pulse the dry ingredients with the butter Make a well in the center of the bowl Add the egg yolk stirring with a wooden spoon to incorporate Add the buttermilk a tablespoon at a time until a shaggy dough forms Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and press the clumps together until they form a slightly uniform piece Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour Pat or roll the dough into an -inch square and using a sharp knife or bench scraper cut into squares Transfer the shortcakes to the prepared baking sheet cover and chill the squares in the refrigerator for at least minutes and up to hours Heat oven to degrees In a small bowl whisk the reserved egg white with tablespoons room temperature water Brush the dough with the egg white-water mixture and sprinkle with sugar Bake until cooked through rotating the baking sheet once about to minutes Remove the shortcakes from the oven and allow to cool absolutely on a rack set inside a baking sheet Prepare the filling In a medium bowl combine the mango with cup sugar Using a grater or Microplane zest the lime right into the bowl and add the juice from the lime Add a pinch of salt and the black pepper Combine with a spoon or spatula and set aside or refrigerate Make the whipped cream On a parchment-lined sheet pan scatter cup coconut and toast in the -degree oven for minutes Cool comprehensively To the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment add the heavy whipping cream and cup sugar Mix on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy about to minutes Add the toasted coconut to the whipped cream and mix it in gently Serve Once fully cooled cut each shortcake in half crosswise Top the bottom halves with spoonfuls of mango Drizzle over selected syrup from the bowl and top with coconut whipped cream and the other half of the shortcakes Recipe Mango Pepper Relish Mango Pepper Relish Let Yewande Komolafe's recipes for a mango shortcake a tomato-mango salad and a hot savory relish extend the best part of the year Props styled by Paige Hicks Food styled by Samantha Seneviratne Kelly Marshall The New York Times This savory relish extends mango s reach beyond its season because your memories of the fruit shouldn t be the only thing that lingers Here mangoes bell peppers and hot chile are simmered in a syrup of lime juice and sugar for a condiment that pops with citrus and heat Pair it with off-the-grill chicken or fish dot it on creamy cheese or dollop it on toasted bread This relish will keep refrigerated for up to days and frozen for up to months By Yewande Komolafe Yield servings cups Total time hour minutes Ingredients slightly firm but ripe mangoes about pounds peeled pitted and cut into -inch cubes about cups limes cup sugar teaspoon fine sea salt teaspoon black pepper medium red bell peppers stemmed and finely diced cups small red onion peeled and finely diced cup red or green Scotch bonnet or bird s-eye chiles stemmed and cut in half with seeds in or out cup unseasoned rice vinegar Preparation In a medium bowl combine the mangoes and the zest and juice of lime Add cup sugar the salt and black pepper Combine using a spatula or wooden spoon In a medium heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat combine the bell pepper onion Scotch bonnet rice vinegar and the remaining cup sugar Stir until the sugar dissolves Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook stirring frequently until the syrup thickens and the relish goes from a rapid boil to slow bubbling about minutes Turn the heat down to medium and continue to cook until the liquid looks syrupy about minutes Once the pepper-onion mixture is syrupy add the mango mixture to the pot and allow to simmer stirring occasionally to combine Continue to cook until the mixture thickens and large slow bubbles begin to appear to minutes Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for another minutes for a runnier relish or up to minutes if you prefer a thicker relish Taste and adjust with more lime juice and salt as needed Adding lime juice will thin the relish but it does thicken as it cools The relish can be stored refrigerated for up to weeks and will thicken once chilled This article originally appeared in The New York Times Subscribe to our weekly newsletter In The Know to get entertainment news sent straight to your inbox