Eats shoots and leaves

Papaya nice cream

Papaya means: to photobomb serotonin levels in the brain, in Susan-ese. I’m a dribbling mess just thinking about its cold, juicy, sweet flesh. Lucky for us, many supermarkets now stock papayas during the summer. I often see this fruit on special offer. Get your mitts on one quickly.

You’re looking for a baby-sized-rugby-ball-shaped green fruit, one that’s closer to tender than hard. Once split open, you’ll be hypnotized by the papaya’s amber marrow and gentle perfume.

You need to bypass those slick black pips inside, and spoon out the flesh. I buy loads of over-ripe papayas in the bargain section, and freeze them in portions for this vegan ice-cream (known as nice cream in veganese). My boys especially love it, plus it helps to keep them away from my secret chocolate stash. This is basic summer survival 101.

It’s worth knowing that papayas have an impressive cargo of vitamin C and beta-carotene. Both vitamins are important for snazzy immune ripostes, and for the repair of sun-damaged skin. But the fruit’s heavyweight title comes from its potassium content, weighing in at 780mg for a medium-sized papaya.

Hangover, anyone?