Let's not waste what we want - tropicals

You don't want to throw a fruit or veggie out uneaten. But, buying a new fruit or vegetable for the first time is daunting. For many, tropical produce is new.

Here's to reducing waste yet enjoying the tastes of the tropics. Read on for ideas on how tropical fruits can be enjoyed in 3 different recipes at 3 different times of the day. It's tropical fruits "cubed." And unlike the "Rubik's" conundrum, tropicals easily solve the puzzle.

Plays nicely in lots of recipes

Caribbean Red papaya topping waffles with a ginger syrup

It had better! Caribbean Red papayas are huge. You get a big bang for your buck.

But like with any fruit, if you don't eat it all, you waste both fruit and money.

For breakfast, there are papaya wedges on top of waffles with a quick and easy ginger syrup.

A fruit salad is a given for lunch. But try adding cucumber to the mix. It'll be a bagged lunch delight.

For the evening's meal, whip up a meat marinade with a Caribbean Red papaya puree. It adds a great taste while tenderizing the meat.

With a little more Caribbean Red left over, make this relish for topping meat or storing for the next day's lunch.

That's 1 Caribbean Red papaya, 3 (maybe 4) dishes, serving 2.

The double life of a red guava cake

Red guava coffee cake

By day, red guava makes a sweet coffee cake.

By night, that cake flips into an upside-down cake.

So that's guava for breakfast and dinner. For lunch, red guava stars in a simple and simply delicious salad.

Words never uttered...

Mamey smoothie

"Mamey smoothie? No thanks." But mamey's new to many folks, so it's featured here to show off that it can be more than a thick, creamy drink.

Mamey's great taste earned it the nickname "the fruit of the gods" by the Mayans. But the fruit's texture - like pumpkin or a baked sweet potato - lets mamey go where few fruit dare.

So after a breakfast smoothie, let's literally scoop the fruit into an Eastern Mediterranean lunch. A meze plate is a collection of small bites. Mamey fits right in next to a scoop of hummus, cheese and olives. And then it's all ready for spreading on a pita.

Playing up the baked sweet potato texture, let's match a baked potato with mamey in a rosier and healthier version of twice-baked potatoes.

Mamey has a short season - so let's enjoy the fruit any which way while we can.

Solo, singularly minded

Solo breakfast bowl

Like an apple, Solo papayas can be enjoyed all in one sitting. It's hard to think of a Solo going to waste. But it's fun to think of different ways of eating Solos in one day.

A Solo at breakfast filled with berries and yogurt is a no-brainer. But what if you blend some kale with that yogurt? It's a nutritional boost. As for kale, it's a delicious taste boost (and some would argue a well-needed one).

Salad dressing isn't known for being the healthiest thing topping lettuce, but a dressing made out of Solo papaya is healthy and great-tasting. That's lunch.

No need to waste any lettuce. For dinner, that lettuce provides a layer for a shrimp and Solo papaya soft taco.

Every recipe in this newsletter serves 2. You (and a loved one) can enjoy the 3 recipes for each fruit in one day without waste. If more than 2 are sitting at your table, the recipes can be doubled even tripled.

The dishes are varied enough to enjoy the tropical fruit morning, noon and night. And if you're cooking just for yourself, you've got some great leftovers to enjoy later that week.

And don't forget Groovy Coconuts and fresh ginger. Both can be kept fresh in the refrigerator or freezer for many recipes to come.

You can't waste what you truly want. Here's hoping you truly want - or in other words, truly enjoy - these tropical recipes.

Yours in the tropics,

Mary Ostlund

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