Our Big Fat Jackfruit Adventure

My first experience, face to face, with a jackfruit.  People grow them here, but you don't generally see them in the market.   Well, occasionally in the farmer's market, cut up and wrapped in saran.  This all started when I went with a friend, to a local vegetarian restaurant, an excellent one, by the way - Sweet Cane Cafe - specializing in locally grown, organic  produce, wanting to try the now almost cult fruit, prepared like pulled pork.  The owner said she didn't use jackfruit for that purpose, just ripe ones in smoothies.  So I managed to talk her into selling me a whole, unripe specimen.  Luckily she had just taken delivery on a bunch of them, so I was able to stagger out, with one of the staff helping me to carry it. This is a fruit you don't want falling on your head out in the orchard.

Me negotiating said purchase. The next job was researching how to cut it open, prepare for cooking and use in some recipes. Verizon has told me I'm down to 10% due to excessive data usage.

The Year of the Kumquat

 A very small portion of them shown here.

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, or in my case Lemon Mead, and when you've been blessed with a load of kumquats, you need to be creative with them.  We haven't really had a whole year of them, it just sounded good, and sometimes feels that way.  Bob has had a strange obsession with the fruit ever since Thanksgiving when I made a Cranberry Kumquat Sauce.  I know it was only partly my delicious creation, with the other driving factor being humor.  Really, the name is not that funny.  He started with Facebook posting a W.C. Fields film clip on kumquats.  Yes, that was funny, ha ha ha.  Then Googling and posting all sorts of information on the fruit, health benefits, recipes and etc.  And which has caused other people to give him kumquats.

Bob notwithstanding, I still needed to deal with the second large bagful of those tasty little citrus, thanks due to Nancy, whom some of you might remember from my fabulous post on chocolate making.  First up was marmalade, which I simplified.  I did not like the sound of most of those lengthy recipes.  So, rather than mincing them all, one at a time, I tossed the halved, seeded fruit into a food processor and voila.

Guava Butter recipe

The guavas are coming in.  There were just enough yesterday for a nice batch of butter or jam.  I usually make jam with my fruit as it's easier than jelly, and anyway why waste the pulp part of the fruit.  Seeds, okay I draw the line there.  No one in their right mind wants guava seeds in jam, or anything else for that matter.  They are very hard, and not small enough to just swallow without noticing.

I filled two 4 cup measures, but on a digital scale, for the correct amount of sugar to add.  The fruit went in as I peeled off bad parts, halved, then scooped out the seeds, and cut into chunks.

For a fruit butter, only one extra step is needed, that of pureeing or blending it into a nice smooth sludge, once cooked in a bit of water until soft, after which you finish cooking with the sugar added.  Now for my next batch, when there are way too many for a single pot of jam or butter, I will be doing the oven baked method.  No stirring involved (or hardly any); no spitting pot of bubbling fruit hitting my arms, face, oven and floor.  The smooth sludge spits rather than simmering or boiling properly.  It's a super simple recipe, just the basics here. Unlike a fruit curd, it doesn't have eggs or butter in it.  Unlike a jam though, it doesn't keep well.

Tamale Pie with Cacao Sprinkles and Pina Colada Sorbet

Pineapples are making their presence known around here, so we'll be making jam and sorbet and upside down cake, salsa, but best of all is just fresh, sweet and juicy.  If it gets to be overwhelming, I make wine.  These are Hawaii's select White Pineapples - on top of the pineapple charts, ambrosia really.  I have quite a few planted, in borders, around trees and in their own patch.  Every time I pull off a top, it gets planted somewhere, so over the years the numbers keep increasing.

I thought a Pina Colada Sorbet would be just the perfect dessert Sunday after my Tamale Pie.  Coconut cream, pineapple juice, some agave nectar and a bit of rum.  Outstanding really, it was light, refreshing, and tasted just like a Pina Colada.

Lomi Lomi Salmon Stuffed Avocado and Laulaus

This month we were given the challenge/assignment by Daring Cooks to do edible containers.  First off, I made stuffed mustard cabbage leaves with a filling that included  fish and fresh corn, baked in a broth.  Since I was not all that happy with the way they turned out, it was back to the drawing board.

Renata of Testado, Provado & Aprovado! was our Daring Cooks’ April 2011 hostess. Renata challenged us to think “outside the plate” and create our own edible containers! Prizes are being awarded to the most creative edible container and filling, so vote on your favorite from April 17th to May 16th at http://thedaringkitchen.com!

My final decision was to go Hawaiian.  I have lived here for the better part of my life, though have never posted about two staples of the luau scene.  So, that had to be remedied.   Lomi lomi Salmon is made with salt salmon, and usually served as a side with Lau laus, kalua pork and poi.  Especially poi, as its blandness is a perfect foil to the intense zap of onion, lemon and salt salmon.  I thought an avocado half would serve that same purpose, while holding the salad like a little bowl.

Between the two dishes, you need to plan ahead and start early.  This salmon recipe makes a gargantuan amount, which I cut way down, buying a small package of (8 oz.) salted salmon.  I used two small tomatoes and only 1/2 an onion, and 2 green onions.  That gave plenty for 4 avocado halves.

The School of Essential Ingredients - Chocolate Fondue with Pineapple

 Our current Cook the Books Club selection is The School of Essential Ingredients, by Erica Bauermeister.  A charming tale of  intertwined  lives, brought together through a cooking class, with careful character depictions and individual stories, well thought out, and woven seamlessly into the whole novel.  I truly enjoy reading good fiction, especially that which also triggers creativity, and fires my culinary enthusiasm.  I won't go into great detail and spoil it for those of you who haven't read this wonderful book yet.  Just go out and get your copy!

The story of the Restaurant owner, and chef-instructor of the evening classes, Lillian, and her childhood relationship with her mother, reminded me a bit of Ruth Reichl's Tender at the Bone, Growing up at the Table.  Especially the cover photo of a young Ruth, standing at the stove cooking.  I loved that book. I loved this one too.  So, why did I have such a hard time trying to decide what to cook?  Everything they prepared in the cooking classes sounded so fantastic, I want to make it all. And, I will!  Being as the idea here was the importance of simplicity and the best of ingredients, I asked myself, what is just about your favorite ingredient - an essential, in other words?  The answer would have to be chocolate.

I have my own tree, process the cacao and incorporate the product into my cooking occasionally.  Though mostly I just use it for a morning cocoa drink or homemade truffles, since buying the equipment necessary to get cacao nibs to chocolate factory smoothness, is not going to happen.

Another essential ingredient for me would be whatever delicious fruit is happening, fresh and ripe at the moment.  That right now would be our fabulous Hawaiian white pineapples.  Must really be tasted to appreciate fully. Stop by, and I will let you try some.

Easy Buttery, Fruit Coffee Cake, using Sourdough Starter

Use that Starter, go ahead, it doesn't make this coffee cake at all sour.  Also, use whatever fruit you have handy.  The original, from Heather Horn at the Atlantic, calls for rhubarb.  That is not a tropical fruit.  We don't get it here, unless it comes from the Mainland, and who wants to go that route, with plenty of other choices dropping off the trees?  So, the possibilities abound, tart apples if you have them, green peaches, plums would probably be good, or sour cherries.  And for you tropic people, greenish mangoes, guavas, or as I did, mountain apples and okay, a few frozen cranberries.  I just felt those bland mountain apples might need some help in the flavor and tartness department.  Looks like I'm not always consistent.

Her recipe first called to me mainly because it uses sourdough starter, which if you have one in residence, you know how demanding it can be.  USE ME, USE ME.  I was waiting for just the right fruit, when these mountain apples appeared. 

What I've done with them before, besides just eating a few out of hand, is make wine.  Doesn't that sound lovely, Mountain Apple Wine?   And, it is. This time, I had chopped up what there was, and popped them into the freezer until I knew what they might like to do with their lives. Then, something about them reminded me of this rhubarb recipe.  The color, maybe?  

Banana Almond Chocolate Clusters

 These Chocolate Clusters are the easiest desserts you will ever make.  Aside from buying one already made, that is. I was encouraged by the very inspiring blogger, Clotilde at Chocolate and Zucchini to use up those bits of dried fruits and nuts I have cluttering up the shelves and refrigerator, as well as an exorbitant amount of dark chocolate, which really didn't need using up.  In fact, more had to be bought.   Spring cleaning comes at a price I guess.  But, so worth it.

All you need is a handful of dried fruit and one of nuts, some puffed grain, throw into the melted chocolate, and voila.  Well, you do stir things together and drop from a spoon into those cute little mini foil cups.  When doing next, and yes, I will, I'll be using a bittersweet chocolate, rather than the unsweetened dark, or else add a bit of sugar.  I really like dark, fairly unsweetened chocolate, but this was over the top just a wee bit.  The real test though, was the kids did eat them.  Usually they like things much sweeter.  Recipe after the jump...

Strange Fruits

 

My latest citrus acquisition.  New member of the family.  These beguiling little fruits are in their infancy, some just barely in toddler stage.  Citron Hands, also known as Buddha's Hand (possibly because of its Asian origin?), came from North East India and migrated to China in the 4th century.  They seem to be in a praying position. Might be saying, yes, you too can pray.  Just try.

 

It's pointing at me.

The mature fruits are supposed to be beautifully fragrant and are used to perfume a room in China and Japan.  What a thought.  No more room aerosols.  Just put one of these babies in every bathroom.  Although there is no juice, the white pith is not bitter, so the whole fruit can be used in cooking. I have been inspired by Linda, a very innovative,  professional chef, doing some incredible things with citrus at her site.

I am sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for these guys to grow up already.  I want to know what it smells like, how is the taste different from other types of citrus, how can they be used to best advantage??  It's telling me, just wait.  Hey, no rush.  Maybe we'll learn patience here.

Fruit Crepes for Brunch

It's Brunch time on Monthly Mingle, an event hosted by Meeta of What's For Lunch Honey? A slight disclaimer is called for here. I'm not really a "Brunch Person" as such.  The closest we come to it is Sunday mornings.  Since we don't leave for church until 10:00,  it's the one day we both can sleep in a bit, and I can make something nice.  Actually the only day we eat breakfast together.  So,  I'll call it brunch.  At any rate, these fresh, fruit-filled crepes make a delightful breakfast or brunch. My absolute, hands down, favorite.

I use whatever fruit is fresh and seasonal.  These are filled with the last of the year's sweet and juicy white pineapple. Also particularly good are strawberries, mango or bananas lightly sauteed in butter.  I use a crepe batter recipe handed down from my mother-in-law, the only variation being a substitution for milk,  if I don't happen to have any, with a soy powder mix called "Better Than Milk", which is actually very good, and handy to have in your pantry.

The Crepes Ingredients
1 cup flour
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk (approximately)
1 teas. vanilla (if making sweet crepes) optional
2 oz. butter, melted

I don't think I've ever added any sugar to the batter, as it isn't really necessary.  Whip the eggs, add a bit of the milk, a half cup or so, beat, then begin shaking the flour in, while beating the whole time, to prevent lumps forming.  Add more milk and continue until the consistency is like medium heavy cream.  Then, whip in the cooled, melted butter, and vanilla if using. The batter should coat a spoon dipped into it.

Heat a small crepes skillet, add a tiny bit of butter, melt, and pour in about 1/4 cup of batter, swirling immediately to coat the bottom of the pan.  Cook until it shifts when you shake the pan, then flip.  Cook a minute or so, then remove onto a plate, and repeat the process til you have a nice stack.

Chop your fruit in nice little chunks and put in a dish.  Arrange a selection of jams, syrups and sour cream or yogurt on the table, as well as a powdered sugar sieve if preferred.  I like the look and taste of sifted confectioners sugar on top of my crepes. The juxtaposition of flavors, tangy, yet sweet pineapple, guava jam, the light, egg crepe, and rich creamy yogurt, is outstanding.

 First a smear of jam, then the fruit, and top it with sour cream or yogurt (that's how I do it).

It's nice to let everyone fill and roll their own, as desired.  If you have more than one type of fruit available, so much the better.  This recipe is good for about 3 people.  We usually have enough left that I can make savory dinner crepes (canneloni) in a day or so.

Join us for brunch, there will be lots of tasty dishes to choose from at The Mingle Brunch.

Ode to Abiu

This is not a recipe.  This is to thank God for his.  All the recipes of creation he has come up with; so many, simply unbeatable fruits in this world of ours, which really need nothing further from us.  These Abiu, for instance. I can't think of any better way to eat them, than to just eat them. You'd have a hard time improving on anything so good.

Simply cut the fruit in half, then spoon out the creamy, instant vanilla custard.  I have found that most of the visitors, friends, repair guys, etc., coming by, have never heard of Abiu..  They're not too well known, I guess you could say.  A South of the Border phenomenon. At least Wikipedia has heard of them.

Some years the fruit flies get them and we have to tie little net bags around the fruit.  This year, as I've mentioned, even though I did bag some, the unbagged ones don't seem to be bothered.  My theory is that since there are so many little strawberry guavas fruiting right now, they're keeping all the fruit flies too busy to go looking under leaves for this fruit.

But who really knows the mind? of a fruit fly?  The other day they were buzzing all around my Thai Basil.  Maybe they're developing a taste for Thai food. I also like the way abiu don't all ripen at once.  You have a sort of pantry effect here. 

Composing A Guava Compote

 

More guavas than you could shake a stick at around here, again.  The latest improvisation from my kitchen is a Guava Compote, spiced up with Lemon Basil, zest of Kaffir Lime, and Allspice leaves, cooked in a nice red merlot and honey til tender.  Serve with a scoop of whipped cream or French Vanilla Ice Cream.  I think this might make a good Guava Tatin too.

My ordinary basil plant was not doing at all well.  End of season blues?  Hey, this is Hawaii here, therefore, no such thing.  So, I decided to try a few different varieties. This Lemon Basil is going great guns and the other, a type of Thai Basil, is for some reason, attracting fruit flies.  What's with that?  It's looking fine though.  And, the Abiu fruit without net bags are not getting bit this time around?? Or, come to think of it the guavas don't seem to be bitten either.  Just the small Strawberry ones. 

The Lemon Basil

So, if you'd like to try this, and have another variety of basil, feel free to substitute.  The idea is to get a little spice into the mix.  Cinnamon sticks and lemon rind curls, raisins even, would also be nice to add.

Trim the ends; wash the fruit; cut in half; then scoop the seedy part out and discard.  Slice in chunks, then add:
 to 4 heaping cups fruit
1/2 cup rose or red wine
1 cup honey or sugar
2 Allspice leaves (or berries)
2 tablespoons exotic basil, minced
zest of 1 Kaffir lime (or other lime)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick (optional)
Simmer all together over medium heat until the fruit is tender, 5-10 minutes.  Let cool, then refrigerate.

Serve chilled or warm with a scoop of sweetened whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or use as your base for a sweet and spicy tart.  The first time I made this, last week, I didn't reduce the liquids.  On this batch I separated the fruit out after cooking, and reduced the wine sauce down.  Don't think it made the compote any better, so probably won't again.  If it's going into a pie, just separate out the fruit and use that.  Will have to try with my remaining compote, and add as an addendum.  Another thing I would eliminate is the basil.  Basil is best fresh, added at the end of a recipe.  Instead, maybe a clove or two and cinnamon stick.

And, here it is.  I know you've all been waiting with bated breath.  The Guava Tart Tatin, though the fruit isn't very precisely or beautifully arranged.  It tasted delightfully tart with that bit of lime and lemon, yet sweet, with Merlot overtones to the guava caramel filling. Right.

Mountain Apple Wine

These are what we call Mountain Apples here. There is a tree in the back of our office property. The fruit is fresh and juicy, texture sort of like strawberry or pear. They don't keep at all well though, so either a juice, drunk up rather soon or, yes, they're calling me ........ wine. Mountain Apple Wine. And, it should be a lovely rose in color. This will be my first use of this particular fruit for winemaking.  Almost every year I make at least one batch of Lemon Mead (since our tree is prolific), and which is absolutely wonderful, as well as a few batches of whatever fruit is in abundance on our bits of land.  So far, pineapple, tangerine, guava, jaboticaba, cashew apple, banana and starfruit (carambola), some in blends.

To give you an idea of how fast these mountain apples were going to the worms, I prepared (cut up and removed seed from) that bowl full and put them in the freezer. The second batch, I thought could wait until tomorrow, and ripen a bit more. However, next day, cutting those open revealed lots of worm inroads. Had to toss a lot out. I ended up with 6 lbs. worth though, which will make a large jug of wine, or 4.5 liters, (500cl.).  A little over a gallon anyway.


So, I then added 3 lbs. sugar and one of honey, dissolved in boiling water, to the mashed fruit, as well as the juice and zest of one lemon, some peppercorns, bruised, with 3 allspice leaves, and we were good to go. Right into a primary fermenter, with an air lock on top, where it will stay for a few weeks, until the sugar is down to 3-4%. We are converting the sugars to alcohol here. Use of a hydrometer is highly recommended. Doing an acid test is good.  Also, reading Terry Garey's excellent book, The Joy of Home Winemaking, without which, or something comparable, this process probably shouldn't be attempted.

In the top right photo you can see a net bag containing the fruit, and the pretty rose colored future wine in the white bucket. I just got myself an industrial sized potato masher from a restaurant supply store, which works great for mashing fruit.  After 24 hours in the fermentation bucket, wine yeast is sprinkled on top.  If the weather is cold, you may want to give it a head start by putting the yeast in a jar with some honey or sugar and warm water until it is bubbling nicely, and then add it.

This is a process that teaches patience. The must (what it's called in the primary fermenter) must be transferred to a glass carboy (large jug), also with an air lock, after removing the net bag of nasty looking (by now) fruit.  Do slap on a label. A few months down the road you will notice sediment collecting at the bottom of the jug.  Dead yeasts. This is a sign you need to rack (not torture) your wine.  Siphon it off into another (always scrupulously clean) carboy.  This might have to be done 3 or more times in the coming months.  My Starfruit Wine is notoriously hard to clear.  The Lemon Mead hardly needs more than one racking.  After a year or so you can try it out. At that point you may want to leave it age a bit more.

I have found that meads (I call it mead if the sole sugar added is honey) take longer - at least two years for best flavor.  Honey gives the wine more character and depth though, so it's worth it in many cases.  I take lots of notes in my little wine journal, for future reference. Also highly recommended.  Store your fermenting jugs in a dark, cool place.  Later you can have the fun of creating cute (or serious) labels after you bottle, even adding heat shrink caps over the lids or corks to be extra fancy.

June 4 2011 - Note on the wine
Since I  have occasionally read winemaking posts which leave me in suspense as to results, I have added a few comments here on how that Mountain Apple Wine turned out, while there are a few bottles left.  Also, please remember this post was not meant to be definitive on winemaking.  It takes a good book, like the one I mentioned above, for that.

So, light, dry, with lovely floral  and herbal notes.  Wonderful, if I do say so.  It's not as rose colored as in the beginning, now at a more golden blush.

Attack of the Strawberry Guava Gall Or Belated Earth Day Meditation

It's not my usual sort of post, but maybe they should all be unusual. Anyway, I just couldn't resist this one. The Dept. of Agriculture here has plans to release an alien species of insect that causes galls on the leaves of the strawberry guava plant, reducing its fruit production, with the hope of slowing its spread into "native forests" - which of course, means THE ENTIRE ISLAND. Does anyone think the little insects will restrict themselves? I SERIOUSLY DOUBT IT.

And, does this make sense, to oppose alien species of plants by bringing in alien species of insects?
Now I realize where the gall attacking our local hibiscus (STATE FLOWER) came from, and the sudden strange disease on rose apple trees. Environmentalists run amok in the Dept. of Agriculture? At least on this one advance word has gotten out to the public ahead of time and we can protest. If that helps. The deadline is apparently May 23.

According to news reports I've read, we are currently in a time when famine is rampant worldwide and food prices are rising. The little strawberry guavas are a great source of vitamin C, full of nutrition and a local favorite for jams, jellies, juice, wine, etc. etc. Wildlife also love the fruit.

Next, I suppose will be all other food and ornamental plants, not "native" to the island. Pineapples, mangoes, lettuces, etc. anything you might grow in your gardens to eat or for flowers - they're all alien species.

You may email comments to tracyjohnson@fs.fed.us with a copy to oeqc@doh.hawaii.gov and savetheguava@gmail.com or call the USDA FS at 808 967-7122.