Strawberry Fields, Sunshine Coast

There's nothing like eating fruit in season. Even better if you can pick it yourself.

Strawberry season is currently at its peak. Pick-your-own farms like Strawberry Fields in the Sunshine Coast are now open to visitors until November.

Follow the link for more info about Strawberry Fields:

http://strawberryfields.com.au/


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It's More Fun in the Philippines!

Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love where I live. But when thinking of a tropical holiday there’s no other choice for me but the Philippines.

The Philippines has suffered from bad press for the longest time. I don’t care to detail them here. You can read about them everywhere else. As a consequence, the country did not appeal as a holiday destination. The number of tourist arrivals lagged behind that of other countries.

The Department of Tourism (@DOTPhilippines) of the Philippines launched a new campaign to entice tourists to travel to that part of the world. It’s about time! I think it’s imperative! It’s high time to tell the world, “It’s More Fun in the Philippines.”

According to the DOT’s Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Jr:

“Our strategy is simple: while other countries invite you to observe, Filipinos can promise a more heartfelt and interesting experience. Wherever you go, whatever you do in the country, it’s the Filipinos that will complete your vacation and will make your holiday unforgettable.”

I absolutely agree! There are good food and nice beaches all around the world but “It is More Fun in the Philippines” because of the people.

I like it.

I believe in it.

I am getting involved.

This new campaign is not without its detractors. ‘Copycat’ accusations are rife. The Swiss apparently used the same slogan back in 1951. Yup, 61 years ago!

And what’s with this misplaced nostalgia for the ‘WOW Philippines’ campaign? Did it actually succeed?

In support of this new initiative I’ve edited some of my travel photos to the Philippines. Here’s the first set of them.

Sampinit – Philippine Wild Raspberries

Sampinit in bilao

A caveat: There’s not a lot of literature written about sampinit. What I’m posting here is purely from personal experience, what I know, what I’ve seen and what I’ve tasted. Nothing extracted from a “tropical fruit” journal. Wikipedia did not help this time as well. This is all me, purely my thoughts.

P20 worth of Sampinit

When I first posted photos of sampinit on my Facebook page (yes, I have one) a lot of my Filipino friends were pleasantly surprised to know that such a fruit can be found in our native land. I was familiar with it but by no means was it common. It was and remains a rare summer treat. Not widely available and only for a short period of time. That partly explains it being on the pricey side. I used to pick them myself as I could not afford the going “market rate” back in the ‘80s.

Sampinit in bilao

It might be expensive compared to other tropical fruits but once you understand what it takes before they appear in some ale’s banana leaf lined bilao you’ll accept the price as fair if not cheap. I am not aware if attempts have been made to cultivate this precious jewel of the forest. From what I know nothing has changed in how sampinit is harvested. They are sporadically found in Laguna’s rainforest. Some brave souls needed to endure the sweltering summer heat to come up with a kilo of this much loved wild berries. The berry bush, by the way, is surrounded by sharp thorns adding to the tricky nature of collecting them.

Raspberries from the supermarket

Compared to the commercially available raspberries sampinit are a bit smaller and thereby more delicate. The flavour is very similar to the regular raspberry but it is more robustly astringent and tart. They are not genetically modified to become sweeter and plumper to suit the consumer. They have been left as nature intended. I think sampinit would be great in compotes, sauces, pastries and even cakes if you can get a hold of enough of them.

Raspberries from the supermarket

You can devour sampinit straight from the bush but some people prefer to add a bit of salt (yes, you read right, salt!) to bring out more of that berry goodness. They let it stand in the salt for a few minutes which then slowly releases the berry juices. It is a known way of eating sampinit in Laguna. You’ll notice a small jar of salt on the bilao in one of my photos.

They’re about P10 for a shot size glass filled to the brim. I think that amounts to barely 100g of the stuff. I’m kicking myself now for not buying more and made something out of them. On the next trip back home I promise myself not to miss the opportunity…whenever that may be.

Gearing up for the next GFC...NOT!

Another GFC is apparently threatening. This time around food replaces financial. Global food supplies are on a knife’s edge according to some reports. So, before food security becomes a full blown issue I better start learning how to grow my own.

Honestly though, my intentions have less to do with the looming crisis but more about making the most of my idle garden plots.

In the past couple of weeks I’ve invested time tidying up my garden. I’m less interested in ornamental that’s why I went full blown edibles when deciding what to plant. I figured I can do more with a chilli plant than say geraniums. By the way, did you know that geranium is both a flower and a colour? I digress...

Here’s a snapshot of what I currently have:

Guava - I got a big surprise a couple of years ago to discover a guava tree happily growing in our backyard. Just goes to show that apart from the kitchen I venture very little to other parts of the property. We’ve harvested a decent amount of fruit from this solitary tree. None of them feature on any of my recipes as the rest of my tribe are not so fond of “cooked” guava.

Coriander – an essential to Asian cooking. Not so much in the Philippines but definitely in most parts of Asia. Great for curries.

Chillies – this is the long and thin variety Filipinos use to spice up a sinigang (Filipino hot & sour soup). Also works well as a “hot” addition to condiments.

Pechay (Bok Choy) – a very versatile Asian green perfect for soups and stir fries.

Mustasa (Mustard greens, leaf mustard, Gai Choy) – has got a distinct horseradish/mustard flavour. In the Philippines it is mainly added to soups. In other parts of Asia though, specifically Vietnam, it used as a salad wrap.

Eggplant – no fruit yet obviously. It’s the Lebanese variety. Best served grilled together with barbecued meats and seafood.

Flat leaf parsley – I prefer this to the curly variety. The flavour is more robust. I mainly use this with meatballs and roasts.

Mint – great for salads. Adds freshness to a dish.

Calamansi (Philippine Limes) – last but not the least my favourite citrus variety in the whole world. If you have been following this blog you’ll know I have been quite unsuccessful in growing this. I think my luck has changed as I am now able to mature the fruits. But at the current rate of 1-2 fruit/s per month I still need a lot of help.

I've also got basil and lemon grass and did manage to grow a pineapple. I'll be adding more in the next few weeks time and space permitting.

Calamansi Watch Update and Other Garden Stuff

It’s been almost a fortnight since the post about my calamansi.

I’m delighted to report that things are progressing really well. All the flowers have dried up to reveal tiny green balls which are the beginnings of the calamansi fruit.

I counted over a dozen of these teeny weenie orbs. I think that’s a pretty good yield. In fact, it’s an excellent yield for a foot-tall shrub. That’s 1+ fruit for every inch.

Just to prove to you that I’m not entirely useless in the garden I’m posting photos of other delights available in my front yard. Yup, they’re not in the back.

Kaffir Lime

What is it with citrus and me? I’ve never been able to make my Kaffir lime fruit, ever! Fortunately though, Kaffir is more prized for its leaves than its fruit. Thai curries and soups just would not be the same without this essential ingredient. It adds a layer of flavour and freshness to the taste that no other herb can provide. A packet of about half a dozen of these leaves can set you back at least AUD$3 (approximately P120). My Kaffir shrub is worth hundreds (if ever I decide to harvest all the leaves).

Lemongrass (Tanglad)

Look at how luscious they are. No thanks to my gardening skills but more to the fact that they are grass. They need less looking after than other plants. Tanglad is central to chicken binakol. And it is the secret to my clean, light and fresh tasting tinola.

Chillies

My chillies seem to thrive without much intervention. I have had capsicums, birds’ eye and other strains of chillies in my yard before. The only one I’m left with now is the siling haba variety which we use mainly for sinigang. This tiny plant also blesses us with leaves which we use for gulay na mais (corn soup), monggo guisado (mung bean soup) and tinola.



Different times of the year you’ll find mint, parsley and tomatoes in my garden. But in the height of summer it is a bit too hot for them to flourish.

My Little Calamansi Shrub

It is not an exaggeration for me to say we’re more successful in bringing up kids than propagating calamansi. Our four kids seem to be thriving but our solo calamansi is barely surviving.

Our calamansi shrub was given to us by a botanist friend almost 10 years ago. Unfortunately though, we’ve harvested less fruits than the number of years we’ve had it. For some peculiar reason it would bud, then bloom, the flowers then naturally develop into fruits but just before they ripen they start falling off our sad little tree. At one point it was on the verge of dying. In the height of summer it really struggled to survive.


I don’t know exactly what the cause is and it has been a source of frustration for years. What we’re doing differently this time is keeping a closer eye on it. I think I should rephrase that, my wife is keeping a close eye on it. Early signs of disease or pest infestation will be immediately dealt with.

It is such a wonderful fruit that although available down under is still quite rare. Its citrus flavour is like no other. Cumquats are not juicy enough to be worthy as a substitute. Lemons and limes, on the other hand, just taste different.

Arriving home from work one night I was really pleased to see our foot-tall tree showing a lot of promise. It has lots of buds and flowers in bloom. I’m keeping my fingers crossed they’ll mature into prized fruits.

Welcoming 2010!

I just love this photo so much I had to write something about it. It looks so vibrant and enticing (for me) I couldn’t help but put it on my blog.

To welcome the new year it is a Filipino tradition to serve a basket of fruits (at least 12 different kinds) to symbolise hope for a prosperous year ahead. We went overboard and bought 13:

Guyabano (Soursop)
Rockmelon
Cherries
Pears
Lychees
Blueberries
Mangoes
Grapes
Lime
Strawberries
Nectarines
Navel Oranges
Apples

I wish everyone a healthy and blessed 2010!

Turon (Banana Spring Rolls)

Turon (banana spring rolls) would have to be my all-time favourite Filipino dessert. I literally had it everyday during a recent trip to the Philippines (thanks to Mr J). At the end of it I still wanted more.

Making turon is a simple enough process. You wrap slices of banana in spring roll wrappers. You then fry them in medium hot oil. There’s really nothing to it.


But what makes this such a unique dessert is the type of banana used. Saba bananas (Musa x paradisiaca) is not that uncommon in Australia. You can get packs of par-boiled frozen sabas from your neighbourhood Filipino food purveyor. There you’ll also find jars of sweetened sliced saba used for halo-halo (mixed fruit/bean iced dessert). Fresh saba though is seasonal and very rare. You have to be in the know to get a hold of them as I’ve never seen them sold in major Asian shops. We get ours from Mom who sources hers from a tiny shop east of Brisbane. Apparently, their flown in from Darwin when in season.



In a lot of recipes I’ve read plantains are always recommended as a substitute. I’ve never actually used plantains so I can’t really tell you if it’s any good. You might still be better off using the frozen variety for a more authentic taste.

Saba is starchier and less sweet than other bananas. Brown sugar is commonly added for sweetness and texture as it also coats the dessert with crunchy toffee.

Slivers of jackfruit are also added as its taste complements that of the saba banana.



Turon (Banana Spring Rolls)
6 Saba bananas (halved or quartered lengthwise)
Spring roll wrappers
Oil for frying
Brown sugar (optional)
Slivers of jackfruit (optional)

There are several ways you can add sugar to this dish. You either mix the sugar and the sliced bananas together or sprinkle them before wrapping. You also melt sugar in oil halfway through or after you’ve fried the banana spring rolls.

1. Heat up lots of oil for frying. Keep this at medium level.
2. Wrap the (sugared) bananas and jackfruit (optional) in spring roll wrappers.
3. Fry them.
4. Add some brown sugar to the oil (half-way through the cooking process or after cooking the spring rolls). You then spread this melted sugar onto the spring rolls to create that crunchy toffee coat.

Lanzones (Lansium domesticum)

I was pleasantly surprised at the abundance of lanzones in the markets during our trip to the Philippines in July. In Laguna, where I grew up, we normally do not see this exotic roundish fruit till much later in the year, mainly the beginning of October. But we are genuinely grateful that they were there. Like the santol in the previous post it is not available in Australia. The last time I had them was probably over a decade ago. The timing of our previous trips were always not in the lanzones season.




Again, like the santol, I struggle a little bit to describe lanzones to the uninitiated. It’s got creamy latte coloured leathery skin. Inside you’ll find translucent segments that can be intolerably sour to very sweet depending on the ripeness of the fruit. Be warned though, if a segment has noticeably large seed make sure you do not bite it. It is extremely unpleasant and might put you off this tropical fruit for long time.





It doesn’t have a very long shelf life. The skin turns brown a few days after picking or when bruised. Everyone in my household seem to be aware of this fact as kilos of lanzones quickly disappear soon after they’re laid on the table.

Santol (Sandoricum koetjape)

Santol season is definitely here. Well, in the Philippines at least.

We were fortunate enough that during our recent holiday to the country we were able to get our fill of this “unique” tropical fruit. It’s “unique” in the sense that I’ve never seen them sold anywhere in Australia.

Friends have told me they are sometimes available in an Asian market west of Brisbane but I think they were all just lying.


I find it a little bit difficult to describe this fruit as I don’t think it is similar to anything. The closest, I suppose, is mangosteen. Naturally, other cultures call santol “wild mangosteen”.

The ripe fruit is pleasantly tart but some varieties are too sour to be eaten raw. They can be used as a souring agent or made into preserves. One unique Laguna dish is called “sinantolan”. The rind is turned into pulp and mixed with coconut cream and spices. What you then get is a creamy soury dish eaten on its own or as a side to fish and grilled meats.

One morning during that holiday I chanced upon a couple of the neighborhood boys who were picking these fruits from a tree outside the house. What follows are just a series of photographs of that morning’s affair.