Following Tradition: making Rice Delicacies on All Saints Day

When you're getting older like me, you are no longer as adventurous and aggressive in trying new things and experiencing everything unlike in your younger years.  You then  tend to look for things familiar, especially food and experiences in childhood.  Is that "second childhood" already?   I hope not for I'm still lucid and physically independent

As a tradition in our hometown as it is in all the provinces in our country,  it is customary to prepare native delicacies on All Saints Day.   When townsfolk come home from the city to visit their departed loved ones, friends meet up at the memorial park and invite each to their homes for a treat of rice cakes. Everyone in town; yes! everyone who happens along were given rice cakes as well. That's how easy life was then.

In my childhood, life was so much easier, that was when two of our peso was equivalent to a US dollar.  A ten-centavo coin then could buy me a bottle of soda or one jeepney ride around the metro..

The  basic ingredients of native cakes are sticky rice and coconut milk.  I felt like eating "tambotambong", that's Ilokano for ginatang   bilo-bilo.  So right after the 6 o'clock mass, I went off to the market with my maid and bought these ingredients.

Above are plaintain cubes, sweet potato,  not yet cut, anis, grated coconut meat and tapioca. 

Mixing water to this fine flour, I made the bilo-bilo (balls) below.

Later, I found myself in the  outdoor kitchen enthusiastically cutting up plaintain and violet sweet potato and boiling the tapioca while my maid squeezed out milk from the gratef coconut meat.  

I let my maid cook it, having taught her last time.  I tasted it and added vanilla extract and anis seeds to enhance the flavor. 

The yield is one big caserole of yummy goodness of sweet, thick and creamy soup dessert.  

I iMessaged my older daughter to pass by after their weekend outing to pick up some.  It's also one of her favorites. 

Learning About Singapore's Edible Gardens

After reading my latest blog:  " Reflections of an Aspiring Gardener", and knowing that gardening is our current fascination,  my son said that he'll bring us to visit gardens in Singapore when we go there.

I got so excited that I began to google gardens in Singapore to check out which ones are interesting.  I had the impression that Singapore; a very tourist-oriented country is more for ornamentals as manifested by the beautiful arrangements of flowers and rare plants I see at the airport, the gardens by the bay and all over the city.     

My impression is partly right, in fact since the sixties, Singapore is known as the "garden city" but nowadays, Singaporeans are trying to bring it to another level by cultivating edible plants.   

I learned that there is a growing concern for food security since only a small percentage of food are grown locally; fruits and vegetables are delivered everyday from Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines as well as Australia, New Zealand, and Chile.   Singapore is financially rich but some Singaporeans want a good level of food security.  They are concerned about disruption of food supply due to unpredictable calamities as well as contamination scares.  

There is a "grow your own food" movement in the "land-scares and import-dependent Singapore".  The Edible Garden City, managed by a group of farmers, some are volunteers, who aim to help develop edible gardens in under-utilized spaces:  in restaurants, hotels, schools and even balconies and rooftops of condominiums. 

"Nurturing food is an empowering process because you have control over your basic necessities in life,  right now you are controlled by supermarkets", says Bjorn Low,  Edible Garden City founder. 

 

Hotel  chefs also want to have access to the freshest herbs and leaves for their dishes and where else will they get that unless there's a garden within their easy reach. 

Schools  encourage the cultivation of edible gardens to teach the youth awareness of self-sufficiency; in so doing, the students also develop rapport and teamwork. 

Bjorn Low, who after doing university and completing his MBA gave up his job in advertising and eventually founded the Edible Garden City. 

"Taking the first step was difficult especially against the advise of my parents.   I thought I'd just try this for six months but now I couldn't go back because I saw a different way to live, a much more sustainable and cheaper option than what I had before".

Along the way, he met some interesting people and gained a lot of friends.  He mentioned  one lady undergoing depression and found solace growing plants. 

A "must see" garden for me is the Sky Greens project that is hailed as 

"the world's low-carbon, water-driven, rotating vertical farm". 

As published in Our World by the United Nations University, this project was nicknamed as "A Go Grow" by Jack Ng, the Sky Green Director and creator of this garden. 

This vertical garden  in simple terms is composed of long aluminum troughs planted with three kinds of vegetables,  (staples of Singaporeans); that revolve vertically like a ferries wheel but much slower; one revolution takes  8  hours so that the plants get enough sunlight as they go up.   The system claims no exhaust emitted since it is water-driven; the same water is utilize to water the plants  as they go down. If you want to know more about this unique garden, check it at:

http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/farming-in-the-sky-in-singapore

There are a lot of edible garden enthusiasts in Singapore, individuals and organized groups as well as business establishments who want to produce much more.  Since attempts in hydroponics and aeroponics had limited success, the challenges of these methods have yet to be resolved.  Meanwhile there are experiments going on to find out whether LED light can substitute for sunlight to  grow vegetables and fruits in enclosed structures. 

To sum it up, every Singaporean has his own reason or passion to grow edibles but the greatest motivation boils down to food sufficiency. 

After reading all these and watching the video of a grade schooler who expressed his concern for his future , I felt guilty that some of my pots are just lying around empty.  

I feel challenged after I learned how Singaporeans  maximize  every inch of space possible, using all kinds of containers, planting vertical if space is limited just to produce food. 

So I got some pepper seedlings from my husband's plot and planted a few on my long trough.  

Although my husband has a tomato plot that was newly planted, I also tried planting tomato seedlings in a big pot, thinking that it would also turn out decorative especially when it will bear fruits.  Like my basil pots placed behind our dining room window to enliven the place

Hopefully in my next blog, I'll have more input on edible gardens in Singapore  and post interesting pictures of gardens I will visit.  It would be interesting to see the Rooftop Garden at Wheelock Place and perhaps have brunch at the Artichoke cafe.  I'll keep everyone posted. 

 

Reflections Of An Aspiring Gardener

I have yet to experience all the wonderful things that gardeners share on line.  The invaluable stories of experts as well as beginners get me so much inspired that I can't read enough of them.  The pictures they post are amazing.  They talk about managing and appreciating their to-go place to de-stress and  to commune with nature.  

Eating alfresco conjures a unique ambiance, an atmosphere that no interior space can match.   Whether it's an informal barbecue with family or a more elegant adult dinner, dining in the garden will provide a setting for memorable occasions. 

One gardener mentioned that the whole world should also get to enjoy the tradition of Mediterranean countries; they pick veggies from the garden to cook and eat the same outside, thus linking the dining room and garden. 

Another gardener said that an edible garden nurtures the five senses; come to think of it, she's right.  

Though our garden is small, I enjoy this landscape, especially when I see healthy plants.  I look up and see the beautiful blue sky and the stars at night. 

I smell the scent of leaves ( flowers are limited as yet) as well as the earth and grass.  

I touch the velvety leaves and feel the smooth grass when I go barefoot. I touch the soil when I plant and feel the gentle breeze. 

I hear the rustle of the leaves as they are moved by the breeze and the crackle when they fall.  

Lastly, I savor the taste of the herbs' flavorings when I use them in cooking and the crunch of the fresh veggies in my salad. 

Someone expressed  his ambivalence whether to prevent natural elements touch his plants or just let go and allow nature (the interaction of plants and other live elements) to take its course.  Another gardener shared his awareness and acceptance that plants are living things too, and that they have a will of their own; hence they behave the way they want to no matter what and how gardeners want their gardens to be. 

I learned that like any other art, gardening too,  has history and culture as manifested  by plants that our ancestors cultivated.  History proved that they brought along seeds and twigs of plants as they migrated from one place to another; and their methods of cooking and food preservation were passed down through the generations.

The brother-in-law in Vancouver, the backyard gardener I was referring to earlier says that the grass along with the plants combined exude so much oxygen that bring about a healthy environment.  I didn't even realize that grass do that except the calming effect they provide. 

Such stories and insights really take gardening to a higher level; beyond just enjoying the scene and expecting harvest.  As a new gardener I am still in the stage where my perception is more on the view, I like to see order and healthy growing plants.  Most of all, it gives me so much pleasure to cut off some leaves for our salad.  I can't wait for fruits to grow and mature. 

My husband though an engineer, is not new in this field.  He had been exposed to gardening earlier that aside from design and order, he is  concerned with soil treatment, sunlight and watering requirements. He was brought along to extensively observe gardening  in Bangkok and Chiangmai, Thailand by  a professor at the university of Kassetsart who is responsible for the King's gardens.  

This blog is full of text, I'd like to insert some refreshing pictures like these citrus trees, the lemon  and calamansi which are presently my favorites.

Look closely at the white parts, they're all flowers. They're at the ends of the twigs. 

From this calamansi, I already picked two fruits to make shrimp paste dip for fried fish. 

Hopefully with those shared insights along with my own up coming gardening experience,  I will develop a better appreciation and a deeper understanding of the art of gardening. 

Our Edible Backyard Garden Brings Joy!

The joy of creating an edible backyard garden or any garden for that matter is not only seeing it's completion but in the doing.  Don't people often say that  

"It's not the destination, but the journey"? 

The hard work and back pains doesn't matter, really!  One garden aficionado said that gardeners should have a steel backbone to survive the bending, squatting and the hard work.  But I wouldn't like that though, and I have a good chiropractor if things get out of hand. 

 Every leaf that grows is a delight;  every flower that opens gives us great satisfaction.  Every new plant or feature we incorporate makes us appreciate our garden more.  Finally, it is beginning to evolve into a cozy retreat and it is starting to bring food on the table.

We made two major moves this week.  Now we can say goodbye to puddle and muddy walkways! 

It has been raining quite a lot recently and we observed some "ponding" because rainwater don't flow freely down the drain.  We studied the terrain and pinpointed the spots where rainwater is trapped, so we created a natural drainage system. 

We dug narrow canals and covered them with stones in 7 different colors that simulate river rocks.  When it rains water flows like in a stream, the stones help slow down the flow and filters the soil preventing erosion. 

We decided to put grass and stepping stones with bricks on walkways and the spaces between plots.   This is how it looks now.  In two weeks the grass will look like a velvet blanket just like our front yard. 

That's our tiny house, a shed actually that we use for storage. 

Notice the plant on the right?  That's the newly planted sour sap.  See it up close below.

My next challenge is filling up corners and empty spaces with edible ground covers.  I want every corner to be eye catching and every plant groupings looking like a bouquet.   Experts  say that the best choice for ground cover is herbs; mint and oregano being on top of the list since they  are easy to propagate even in shady spots. 

Look at my ginger patch!  Why not a cabbage patch?  Well, early on  I've noticed that I keep buying ginger root for cooking and in making ginger tea.  We boil ginger slices in water whenever we have sore throat, cough or colds. 

Look at the bell pepper seedlings!  We sun-dried seeds from fruit we used for cooking and scattered them about on this plot.

Soon this long empty plot on the right will be filled with bell peppers.  My husband has more plans for this plot so it will not be limited to bell peppers. I'm sure he can find a partner or two for the peppers; let's wait and see. 

There are still a lot of things  we want to do in this garden to make it more productive and attractive. I'm doing a lot of readings and I welcome tried and tested suggestions. We'll keep you posted on our progress.

Happy garden day, everyone!

My Ginger Patch: A Part Of Our Edible Backyard Garden

Do you know that ginger is not cheap?  I think it is understandable since I learned that it would take 8-10 months or even a year before it can generate a good harvest.

I've been trying to grow ginger for the longest time because it is an essential ingredient in cooking.   We also boil it in water and drink the juice when we have sore throat, cough or colds and has proven worth the trouble in most instances. 

I like the luxury of just plucking a piece of ginger root from the garden whenever I miss buying it from the market.  It frustrates me to find that I run out of supply when I need it most.  That's why I've been planting ginger in pots in like forever with minimal success.  The leaves grow tall but when I pull it out, the roots are only as big as my thumb. 

That was before I read The Rainforest Garden blog of Steve Asbell "how to grow ginger from root bought at the supermarket" 

This is my ginger patch. Honestly, this is an instant patch. Why?

Well, I had this pot of ginger all along which I planted several months back.

Notice that the roots did not grow big because it was cramped in that tiny pot and something must be wrong with the soil as well.

Then I had these roots which I just pushed into a pot of soil two weeks ago and green tips came about. 

I transplanted all these on my plot and voila! Instant ginger patch. 

But I had to go through the process of preparing the plot properly according to Steve Asbell.

I sterilized the soil by burning dry leaves on top to eliminate worms and other harmful elements that may damage the ginger.  I gathered dried leaves and mixed with some paper to burn. 

Burning the leaves on the plot

This shows the ashes after burning. 

Next I had to make the sticky soil porous by adding and mixing thoroughly coconut fiber and rice hull to make the soil loose. This will ensure that the roots can grow freely, otherwise, their growth will be stifled. 

This plot is ready for planting. 

In spite having an instant ginger patch, I still want to propagate ginger the Steve Asbell's way; let's start with the roots bought from the market.  I chose the firm and fleshy ones with tips showing on the edges though they're no yet green

Ginger soaked in warn water overnight to stimulate the roots and remove excess chemicals should there be any

I put these soaked root on a bed of moist coconut fiber to germinate in a warm place until the green tips grow into leaves.  This indicates that it is time to plant them on the ground or in pots.  Allow ample spaces between the roots to grow freely. 

 While the roots grow bigger, I can make use of some leaves.  Placed inside the fish when I steam or broil brings a unique flavor and freshness to the fish.  Hopefully after 8 months, I can look forward to a great harvest.  Wish me luck? 

Our Edible Garden Is Coming Together

Our backyard is a pleasurable learning oasis.   As we are working to make our garden going; making it attractive and productive, I am learning more about plants through readings as well as from hands on experience.  In the process, we do not only have a haven for relaxation that produces food but a pre-occupation that is both therapeutic and rewarding. It allows us to live closer to the rhythm of nature. 

Some may feel that gardening is too ordinary, is too much work or even boring.  One is likely to ask: "where's the fun there?". 

But what if it promises a beautiful retreat that provides food on the table?

I didn't like gardening earlier during my grade school even though I grew up seeing my Papa planting fruit trees and lovely ornamentals.  I thought gardening as a subject in school was a waste of time, a time better spent learning math and literature. 

But times have changed and so is my perspective.  Now I love to garden and I'm excited.   As we incorporate plants and other elements in our backyard, I feel like I'm decorating the garden as I do in the interiors.  I enjoy moving around a pot or two, trying to figure out where and what plants to be placed directly in the ground and shopping for edible plants that could enhance the look of the place.  

Most important too, is eating fresh organic produce from the garden, a novelty nowadays since organic food is not cheap and not everyone can afford them unless they plant themselves. 

It is our love for the outdoors and a passion for gardening that prompted us to turn our backyard into an edible garden.  Earlier in this project, my husband put the initial parameters of the area;  lined two plots with bricks to grow leafy vegetables.

Here are the lettuce seedlings that were transplanted on this second plot. 

Inspired by my husband's enthusiasm,  I thought I'd make my own plot where I planted the stalks of the lowly kangkong (water spinach) and camote (yam) stems after getting the tops and leaves for our viand. 

Notice the lemon grass along the wall.

After two weeks we harvested enough mustard and  kangkong leaves for our fish broth.  It was delicious (maybe only to us) and we saved a few pesos.  Well, not much really but soon that will add up, right?  Besides, it's a pleasure to eat freshly picked veggies that come directly from our garden; its freshness is something even a supermarket or local farmers market couldn't match.

I'd  say at this point that our backyard garden is coming together beautifully.  We are in the process of filling up spaces.  Look at the lemon grass I placed along the wall, just behind our sitting area.  I love the citrusy flavor of lemon grass in marinades and dishes; mosquitoes also abhor the smell, so they don't go near us while we're under the shade. 

Below is my kamias tree that will eventually produce abundant fruits even along its trunk. It's future fruits would provide the sour taste of our fish or meat broth; (no need to buy tamarind bouillon anymore).  They could also be made into preserves. 

Recently, I've been looking for a practical as well as attractive ground cover.  One brother-in-law in Vancouver who is a backyard gardener himself saw my earlier blog and suggested we put grass in between plots for a cleaner look.  Well,  I've thought of that too, but then I wanted to check out other options since I am trying to avoid the chore of cutting the grass regularly; a time I'd rather spend tending the edibles.  I figured that a mix of predominantly stones, some edible ground covers and minimal grass would be more practical and will conserve water as well.

So far, here's what we've been up to this week.  Do you like the contrast of the while stones against the bricks?  We'll see if grass and more stones of a different color and size would cover the rest of the ground between plots. 

While searching for edible ground covers I learned that some herbs will do just that,  oregano and mint being the easiest to propagate.  I think I'll do patches of them around. 

I'd like to have at least three varieties of citrus trees.  Though they would eventually grow into trees, I believe that we will be able temper their height so as not to crowd the space.  These two are my latest acquisitions.

                 Calamansi

            Lemon tree

    I didn't know that the lemon flower is pink. 

     I am excited to see the fruits turn yellow                                 

Hopefully, I can make them bear plenty of fruits, I like to have lime as well so I'll scout for one soon.  Right now, I'm still debating whether to plant these two on the ground or keep them in the pots.  

Citrus makes everything brighter, their hanging fruits will make any garden special along with the fragrance of their blooming flowers.  Just a slice or two of lime and/or lemon will freshen up drinking water and is even known to have some health benefits.  Squeezing the juice makes a healthy and refreshing beverage, not to mention their use in salads and marinades.  I put citrus leaves inside the fish when I broil and it enhances the flavor.

I know that gardening is always a work in progress but I can't wait to see our garden come together completely.   Every night, I "plant-dream",  I'm always thinking that I'm doing the process of planting, tending, fixing.  I'm also contemplating what more I can do.  Imagine an athlete doing "armchair rehearsal", mentally going through his routine in his mind.  Yes!  that's exactly what I do every night.  Can you believe such enthusiasm?

Someone said that "the gardener's pleasure and reward is to sit, enjoy a drink and appreciate the view". I can say that as early as now, we are already enjoying our reward. 

Dinner From A Food Truck

I made a post on Facebook about our Sunday early dinner from a food truck two weeks ago and I thought that was the end of it.   While I anticipated many likes, I was surprised that it drew many opinions as well that tickled my interest to make a blog out of it. 

That afternoon, my husband asked me to go to a supermarket and check out what's being offered for afternoon snacks.  I had no idea what he had in mind but I just went along.  I realized early on that maybe he didn't know what he wanted to eat as well, otherwise he would have brought me to one of the restaurants in the neighborhood. Usually the supermarkets have food booths at the entrance and when my husband looked around, most llikely he has not found what he was looking for. 

Inside the supermarket, we bought chips, to eat with our homemade salsa.  I thought that the  chips did not seem appealing enough after all. As we derived back home, he said: 

"let's check out the food trucks".

There were a variety of enticing food:  porchetta, BBQ, chicken wings and bagnet (deep fried pork belly); there were even an assortment of rice toppings.  There's also finger foods like cheese and fish sticks, chicken fingers, fries, sausages, etc..  We chose the beef and lamb shawarma in pita bread.  It was nice, the wrap was soft, the meat tender and the trimmings fresh.  It was a good dinner for me. 

I made a post on Facebook afterwards and got several likes, most comments were telling of their experiences buying from a food truck,  some of them expressed their intention to try it sometime.   My sister in Florida comented:

"That's what we call 'coach, coast' here".   

One good friend and a relative as well however was surprised that I wanted to buy from a food truck;  she must have thought that it's like buying from street vendors.  She wondered too why I want to get my dinner from there. 

"I can't imagine you eating from a food truck", she commented. 

"why not?", I replied.   "The food is good, they are recipes concocted by professional chefs who must have tested public acceptability".   I knew this relative from childhood we went our separate ways later. We just re-connected with her on Facebook, so I said further:

"I believe we don't know each other as adults, i must tell you that I'm not a snob and I like ordinary things and enjoy simple pleasures". 

Back to the food truck: 

We learned that there are several places to catch theses food trucks in town and the one nearest us is relatively new.  We observed that the atmosphere is informal but the crowd was decent, a good place to bring the family; in fact most of the crowd were families. 

"Check out if there's anything our granddaughter would like here so we can bring her over on the weekend", my husband said. 

I went around and I ended up taking pictures of the food trucks so I'll remember what to tell our granddaughter.  The other outlets were not trucks though, they had tents.

There were a lot of offerings our granddaughter would love; the chicken fingers, fish sticks and potato wedges with dips as well as the pasta. She will also like the tacos and the wraps. 

Unfortunately, it has been raining regularly in the afternoons and early evenings that the food trucks have not opened for business.