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 Just when I thought fava beans had a lot of names, along comes the kiwifruit (kiwi) originally known as the Chinese Gooseberry.
It's also known as the Macaque peach, the vine pear, the sunny peach,
the hairy bush fruit, and my personal favorite, "strange fruit."
Call it what you will. Just make sure you eat these edible berries. The kiwifruit is the edible berry of the cultivar group of the woody vine Actinidia deliciosa and hybrids between this and other species in the genus Actinidia, which is native to Shaanxi, China. But who doesn't already know that?
Kiwis
are grown in mild climates all over the world. Surprisingly, New
Zealand is not the leading world producer of their famed fruit. The
land of pasta, balsamic vinegar, and buffalo mozzarella is – Italy.
Though I wouldn't recommend eating kiwi with any of the aforementioned
foods.
Kiwis
are both delicious and nutritious. With a flavor that tastes like a mix
of citrus, grapes, strawberries, and bananas, a kiwi is both sweet and
tart. Though the hairy outer skin is edible,
I'd advise against eating it. That is, unless you really need the fiber
– a kiwi's fiber is tripled with the skin on. If you do eat it, then
have a new container of dental floss at the ready. You'll need it.
 Kiwis are highly nutritious: 2 kiwis are just over 100 calories and provide over 280% of your daily vitamin C needs! They're also a good source of cancer-fighting antioxidants, vitamin A, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Kiwis
are ideal in fruit salads, but they're also wonderful in savory salads,
salsas, and smoothies. If you've never baked with fresh kiwifruit, then
get ready to be pleasantly surprised with these Kiwi and Coconut
Muffins. Made with light coconut milk, orange blossom honey, and orange
zest, they're remarkably moist and enticingly aromatic.
Each bite is
punctuated with juicy fresh kiwi and crunchy coconut topping. After
finishing one, you may just find yourself saying, "Hey, mate, how 'bout
another?"
Kiwi and Coconut Muffins
Made
with light coconut milk, orange blossom honey, and orange zest, these
muffins are remarkably moist and enticingly aromatic. Plus, each bite
is punctuated with juicy fresh kiwi and crunchy coconut topping.
Makes 12 regular size muffins
Muffins:
2 kiwis, finely diced (about 3/4 cup)**
2 cups all-purpose flour (or half AP and half whole wheat)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup light coconut milk
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg and 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon orange zest
3 tablespoons orange blossom honey
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup toasted sweetened shredded coconut
Topping:
3 tablespoons sweetened shredded coconut
Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Spray a 12 mold regular size muffin pan with cooking spray.
Peel kiwis. Dice and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In
a separate bowl, whisk together coconut milk, melted butter, and eggs.
Add the orange zest, honey, and vanilla extract, and whisk until just
combined. Add to the flour mixture, and stir quickly until well
combined. Fold in the kiwis and toasted coconut. Spoon the batter
evenly into the 12 molds.
Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with 3 tablespoons shredded coconut.
Bake
for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a cake tester
inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer the pan
to a rack to cool for 5 minutes before removing each muffin and placing
on a wire rack to cool.
** Use kiwis that are ripe yet still
somewhat firm. If they're squishy, then they'll be too watery in the
muffins. Also avoid adding more than 3/4 cup as it could make the
batter too wet.
Susan Russo is a
free lance food writer in San Diego,
California. She publishes
stories, recipes, and photos on her cooking blog, <Food Blogga and is a regular
contributor to NPR’s <Kitchen
Window. She is also the author of two upcoming books that will be published in the fall of 2010.
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