Exotic Dragon Fruit Cocktail

On my last trip to the local farmer's market I was feeling adventurous and of course the pretty pink thing in the corner caught my eye -- the dragon fruit. The best thing to compare a dragon fruit in to in terms of taste and texture is a kiwi. It's sweet and filled with tiny black edible seeds.

A few things to know about dragon fruit: a. the pink skin is not edible and b. selecting a ripe fruit is much like selecting ripe kiwi: squeeze it lightly and it should give, but not too much and look for fruit that is brightly and evenly colored with yellow to yellow-green leaf tips and stems.

Exotic Dragon Fruit Cocktail

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 3 oz. vodka 
• 1 ripe dragon fruit
• 2 Tbsp sugar or 1 Tbsp agave syrup
• 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice (even grapefruit juice could work here)

Directions

1. Cut the dragon fruit in half and using a spoon, scoop out the flesh into a blender being careful not to get any of the pink skin.
2. Add  vodka, sugar and lime juice to the blender and puree for 30 seconds or until smooth.
3. Pour mixture into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and give it a good shake to chill.
4. Strain into two glasses and enjoy.

Other flavor combos to consider in your dragon fruit cocktail: bananas, coconut, honey, lychee, mango, champagne

Helpful resources:  
Tropical Fruit Growers of South Florida
The Market Company - Runs markets across Miami including the Lincoln Road and Brickell markets