Fruit For Thought

Growing papayas is easy and very rewarding.  But it helps if you live in a warm climate all year around, like in Barbados.  Plant some small black seeds from the pulp of a sweet papaya in a small container with potting mix, spacing them out evenly in the pot to give them enough room to grow.  In about a week, they will start to germinate, and plant growth is fairly rapid once the seedlings get enough light and water. 

When the seedlings are about a foot tall, they can be separated and planted in the garden with loosely packed soil enriched with manure.  The seedlings will grow quickly and start to put out flowers within a few months.  After about 6 months in the ground, you will find fruits starting to emerge from the blossoms.  Some of the fruits, depending on the species of papaya, can get very large and heavy.  Since healthy papaya trees can put out multiple fruits at one time, it can become a heavy load for the tree to bear.  If the tree is not growing straight, it can be propped up with ropes or stakes to prevent it from bending over and breaking from the weight of all the fruit.  The trees produce fruit year round, which make it a joy to have as part of any kitchen garden.

Papayas can be allowed to ripen on the tree, although birds may peck at the ripening fruits, so picking them less than fully ripe may be a better option.  Once picked semi-green, they take about 1-3 days to fully ripen.  They can grow as large as 20” long and weigh several pounds.

Mature Papaya tree (Carica papaya; left); reaping a ripe papaya (centre; photo by Karen Wise Photography); papaya ready to eat (right; photo by Karen Wise Photography @ www.foodandart.com).

  

Papaya can be eaten as is, added to fruit salad, salsas, or blended in fruit drinks and smoothies.  The seeds are edible as well, and have a peppery flavour.

Papaya interior with black seeds (left); papaya sectioned for serving (right).

Papaya, also known in some parts of the world as ‘paw paw’, is a delicious tropical fruit with numerous health benefits.  They are a rich source of nutrients, including carotenes (vitamin A), vitamin C, and flavonoids, B vitamins, folate, pantothenic acid, potassium, copper and magnesium.  They are also rich in fiber and contain the digestive enzyme, papain. 

If you live in a tropical or sub-tropical area, papayas make a great addition to your kitchen garden and are so simple to grow.  You will enjoy growing them and reaping the benefits of this delicious, colourful, and healthy tropical fruit.

 

Garden-to-Table Bajan Style

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Since my last post, I have been busy planting my own kitchen garden in Barbados and growing a variety of organic produce.  The garden is now producing an interesting array of herbs and vegetables throughout the year, allowing me to cook fresh, organic, garden-to-table style dishes.

Growing your own fresh produce is both fun and very rewarding.  The results can be amazing since really fresh food adds more intense flavours that are exciting to the palate.  Who knew how great a salad could taste when you can pick your greens fresh and use them right away.  It almost makes it hard to eat any other way.  But at least if you can start to supplement your daily diet with as many fresh foods as possible, it’s a great way to achieving a much healthier lifestyle.

In Barbados, it is easy to get rum barrels from any of the rum refineries (I source the ones from Mount Gay) and use them to grow herbs and vegetables.  That way, the produce can be reared above ground level and away from pests such as snails and slugs.  The rum barrels are large enough, deep enough, and are very attractive in the garden.

Fresh salad greens grown in a Barbados rum barrel.  This one has Arugula and romaine seedlings that have just been planted.

I try to make a fresh salad every day at lunch time.  My favourite type of lettuce is Arugula as it imparts a peppery flavour which is a nice addition to any green salad.  Having a simple Arugula salad with pear, cucumber, dried cranberries, roasted walnuts, green onions and fresh Italian parsley is simply delicious topped with a homemade fresh lime and olive oil vinaigrette.  I always add freshly grated Parmesan cheese as the finishing touch.

Arugula salad with pear and roasted walnuts topped with a fresh lime/olive oil vinaigrette.

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If you have never grown your own food, and you have the space at home to do it, I recommend it highly, even if you can only grow over a short period of the year.  The rewards far outweigh the effort required.  And don't be surprised if you get hooked. 

Autumn Harvest

Apples and Cranberries at the Market

Autumn is my favourite season, and is best enjoyed in my other island home of Montreal. With the cooling temperatures and changing landscape palette in southern Quebec comes the bountiful harvest of fresh fruits and vegetables that abound with flavour, colour and texture. The practice of apple picking at a farm is not only fun but also rewarding as you get to bring home fresh, crisp apples for making pies, cakes, and sauces.

I went apple picking last week in Hollis, New Hampshire with my sister Julie; some of the best apple varieties to pick at that time were Gala, Cortland, McIntosh, Rome and Red Delicious. Eating an apple freshly picked off the tree is an experience to behold. The ripe ones are crisp, juicy, and provide the maximum vitamin content. My favourite eating apple is the Fuji variety because they are sweet, crunchy, and juicy, however they were not ready to pick at the time of my visit.

Pumpkin Varieties at the Market

The Atwater Market in Montreal is a splash of colour with flowers galore interspersed with late summer/early autumn harvest produce. Pumpkins in a variety of colours, sizes and shapes are on display in their pre-Halloween glory. It is a tantalizing time to visit the market, and you are sure to return home with an enhanced appetite.

Colour Kaleidoscope of Chrysanthemums and Pumpkins

With all this fresh produce comes the desire to bake so that the home is well stocked with delicious homemade snacks. I whipped up a batch of Oatmeal, Cranberry, White Chocolate cookies made with whole wheat flour, brown sugar, organic rolled oats and roasted walnuts. I baked them a few minutes longer to ensure extra crispiness. The added walnuts enhance the nutty flavour of the oatmeal, and the white chocolate and dried cranberries impart a delightful sweet and sour taste to every bite. These cookies are wholesome, rustic and oh, so tasty.

Fresh Cranberries at the Market

Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Cranberries and White Chocolate

Now it is on to more baking from my stash of fresh apples. Happy harvest from Crumbs Homemade!

Pure Pesto

Sweet Basil from the Garden

An essential condiment in my kitchen is Pesto, which is basically a paste or sauce made from fresh sweet basil leaves, pine nuts, fresh garlic, grated parmesan cheese and extra virgin olive oil. It is so easy to prepare that I make sure to have it on hand regularly. Ideally if you can grow sweet basil in your herb garden, you can have the fresh leaves available whenever you are ready to prepare the Pesto. And there is nothing like preparing a dish using fresh herbs just cut from your home garden. Otherwise, basil leaves are usually available in most grocery outlets, but make sure the leaves that you purchase are not withered or blackened, but fresh looking and very green.

Easy to whip up with a food processor that grinds all the ingredients together, Pesto adds a burst of flavour to any dish, and is especially delicious as a spread in sandwiches, as a pasta sauce, for chip dips, or as a cracker spread. Once you start making it, you will always want to have it stocked in your refrigerator.

Tasty, healthy, and versatile - Pesto is one of those must haves in any kitchen.

Fresh Pesto

How Does Your Morning Stack Up?

Cornmeal Pancakes With Fresh Berries

What better way to wake up on a Sunday morning than to the aroma of homemade pancakes cooking in the kitchen? And these are just no ordinary pancakes. They are Cornmeal Pancakes made with a specific type of cornmeal - a gritty, coarse variety sourced from the Bridgetown outdoor market where fresh fruits, vegetables, and condiments abound. This type of cornmeal provides a tasty, wholesome corn flavour, something you can really sink your teeth into. The pancakes are made with buttermilk, eggs, and oil, and no added flour or sugar. Stacked aplenty, topped with fresh berries of your choice - my preference is blueberries or raspberries - and doused with pure Canadian maple syrup, this is a great, hearty way to start a laid back Sunday. As the saying goes, keep it "easy like Sunday morning".

Typical Bridgetown Market Scene

Summer Sensations

Fettuccine with Stir-Fry Vegetables

After a long, devastating drought not experienced in Barbados for decades, the dry winter months have finally passed. From the onset of the first brief downpours during the month of May, the Bajan landscape suddenly emerges in all its glory. Garden ornamentals start to bloom profusely, offering their abundance of colour, texture and aroma.

The common sites of summer include brilliant yellow Poui trees, fantastic Flamboyant trees, and mango trees in full fruit. Summer colours, flavours, and heat can all be translated in the kitchen through dishes filled with fresh fruits, vegetables and spices.

One such dish is a pasta favourite made with stir-fried vegetables served over pesto infused fettuccine. Onions, red bell peppers, and broccoli are lightly pan fried in olive oil with fresh garlic and dusted with hot cayenne powder. The fettuccine is prepared al dente and mixed with homemade pesto, and then topped with the stir-fry mixture. Serve at lunch time in the garden surrounded by tropical splendour...............

Anole lizard (Anolis extremus) on red Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia splendens)

White Petrea (Petrea volubilis)

Orange Aphelandra (Aphelandra var.)

............or at sundown on the patio while witnessing the glorious sunset. Top this off with a Crumbs Homemade favourite, and kick back and relax. It's going to be a fabulous summer!

Barbados sunset

Winter Warmth

Winter season in Barbados means plenty of sunshine, brisk tradewinds, and deep blue skies, all of which lure plenty of visitors out of the cold and onto the island's sun-kissed shores. Included in those visitors over this winter season were a number of my relatives and close friends who, as my guests, were treated to a dose of Bajan hospitality.

What this meant was rolling up my sleeves and dishing out plenty of home cooked specials, including local fresh fish prepared with curry and other flavourful herbs and spices, fresh vegetables and crisp salads, and loads of fresh fruits. To top off these favourites, I baked up a storm of goodies that kept everyone calling for more.


Featured prominently on my winter dessert menu were Date Nut Squares, Blondies, and Blueberry Gingerbread, all equally tantalizing and delicious. Arranging slices of these cakes on a single platter for tea or after meals was a highlight of the day. The difficulty was choosing which one to taste, and as expected, most of our guests gave in and sampled all.

It was a pleasure having my sister and business partner, Julie, back in Barbados for her usual double-header visit in December and February. Whenever we get together, no matter where we are, we bake excessively, much to the delight of whoever is around us. We have found that an overwhelming favourite is the Pumpkin Walnut Bread which is moist and tasty, with the added joy of roasted walnuts and sweet raisins in practically every whole wheat bite.


My guests have all returned back to their respective temperate locations well rested and well fed, with wonderful memories of their time spent in Barbados. It is time for me now to kick back and savour a slice of that Pumpkin Walnut Bread just baked and smelling amazing. Cheers!