Q: The Farmhouse Tea Shoppe serves a shrimp salad with portobello mushrooms, avocado and mango, together with fried sweet potato strings on a greens bed that is super. Great presentation. I have been unable to find anything like it on the Internet.

-- Lee Gottfried, Atlanta

A: This brightly colored salad combines many tastes and textures with a distinctively fruity twist. Honey-mustard coated mixed greens are topped with a shrimp and vegetable mixture tossed in passion fruit vinaigrette.

Look for other delicious selections from the Tea Shoppe in "The Great Tea Rooms of America" by Bruce Richardson (Benjamin Books, $24.95). Deborah Seven, owner of the Tea Shoppe, recommends using a mandoline to finely julienne the sweet potatoes. Passion fruit pulp can be found in the freezer section of the farmers markets.

-- Jeanne Besser, for the Journal-Constitution

MAIN DISH

Shrimp Salad

Makes 2 servings

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

For the passion fruit syrup:

1 (12-ounce) can frozen passion fruit pulp

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

For the passion fruit vinaigrette:

1/3 cup white vinegar

1 cup passion fruit syrup

1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill

1/2 cup vegetable oil

For the salad:

Vegetable oil

1/2 cup peeled and finely julienned sweet potato

Salt

1 ripe avocado, peeled pitted and diced

1 ripe mango, peeled and diced

4 baby portobello mushrooms, gills removed and diced

16 cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

5 cups mixed greens

1/4 cup prepared honey mustard dressing or to taste

To prepare the passion fruit syrup: Combine passion fruit pulp, sugar and water in a pan. Boil until well dissolved and thickened, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

To prepare the passion fruit vinaigrette: In a blender, mix vinegar, 1 cup of passion fruit syrup, lemon pepper, salt and dill. With the motor running, slowly add oil until emulsified.

To prepare the salad: In a deep fryer heat 2 inches of oil to 360 degrees. Fry sweet potato until crisp, but still orange. Drain on paper towels and lightly salt. Set aside.

In a bowl, gently combine avocado, mango and mushrooms. Add shrimp and toss with 1/2 cup passion fruit vinaigrette or to taste. In a separate bowl, toss the greens with honey mustard dressing and pile high onto two plates. Pile the shrimp mixture on top and garnish with fried sweet potato, creating a high "nest" on the top of the salad.

Per serving: 760 calories (percent of calories from fat, 48), 20 grams protein, 84 grams carbohydrates, 12 grams fiber, 43 grams fat, 85 milligrams cholesterol, 415 milligrams sodium.

Is there a restaurant recipe you'd like to make at home? Tell us what you're looking for and perhaps we can get it. If we succeed, we'll have the recipe tested and adapted for the home kitchen, if necessary. Because of volume, we can't answer all inquiries. Send your request, along with address and phone number, to:

Mail: Food Department, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 72 Marietta St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303.

E-mail: menu@ajc.com. Fax: 404-526-5509.