Hi All,

This is my first time on the Vegetarian Recipe Exchange (I generally hang out on the Iris Forum and Pets Forum), though I expect to be harvesting a lot of ideas and wonderful recipes from here. But at the moment, I have an altogether humiliating confession to make and several questions to ask.

Today I asked my DH to stop by the grocery store after church and pick up "something healthy" to eat. BIG MISTAKE! LOL! He arrived home with several fruits I have never before purchased or eaten (neither has he), and I have absolutely not the slightest clue WHAT to do with them! Clearly the first thing I have to do is determine whether or not they are ripe, and if not, how to ripen them properly. Once ripe, I need to figure out how to eat the doggone things! Can anyone help me out here?

He purchased 2 large, hard, green papayas (1 with some yellow showing on parts of the skin); 2 smaller, slightly less hard, green mangoes; and about 1 lb of cute little kumquats that I can't imagine actually have any practical application in one's meal plan. ;-)

I would be so very grateful for any assistance anyone may be able to provide. I don't want to inadvertantly cut into an unripe papaya and turn my taste buds off to them for life.

TIA,

Laurie