Photo / Babiche Martens.
The appearance of these crinkly skinned, purple-hued fruit on the shelves or the vine is a sure sign that summer is drawing to a close.
A fruit commonly available here and in Australia, we tend to take it a bit for granted, but it is a real delicacy
in countries with a cooler climate.
Available through March and April, passionfruit have a deliciously tart and vibrant flavour that lend themselves to more than just a sponge or a pav overflowing with whipped cream - though those are very good, don't get me wrong.
Passionfruit and sweet things go together, but there is always room for experimentation in the culinary arena.
Coating chicken thigh meat with a combination of panko crumbs and coconut then cooking at a high temperature until golden and tossing with slices of mango, lime juice, passionfruit and greens makes for a salad perfect for this time of year.
These are the type of flavours we'll be pining for once the lure of slow-cooked winter foods have waned.
A roulade is bound to impress and scrumptious filled with cream.
I confess to using a generous drizzle of passionfruit syrup combined with the fresh in this recipe - it just really makes it.
And lastly, icecream - because the flavour of passionfruit is made for it.
CHEF'S TIP
The fruit is best when the skin has begun to wrinkle slightly. Don't be tempted to pick off the vine, rather wait until the fruit has dropped. Passionfruit can be frozen whole if need be.
