Category Archives: Farming

Belize, Farming, Plants

The Mind-Boggling Truth Behind Biomass.

Attacking.MunchkinAs Gnome would put it, “Biomass is a Bitch!” and I truly agree with him, after the amount of work I have done in gathering medicinal herbs to dry.  As mentioned before, we are working in partnership with BotanicaBelize to produce a line of facial products.  One of the products is a facial tea which is jam packed with an array of medicinal herbs and plants (according to the season in which they are picked).  This entire week, I have been picking Red Head (Hamelia patens), Plantain, Bamboo, Hierba del Cancer, Lemongrass, Hibiscus (Sorrel), Sage, Basil, Chanca Piedra, Noni Leaf, Mint, Culantro and Jackass Bitters.

Hamelia patens or Read Head.
Hamelia patens or Read Head.
Fresh Chanca Piedra.
Fresh Chanca Piedra.

And it is not just a few plants here and there as I gaily skip from one plant to the other.  No, it is actually a real labour of love where I gather bunches and bunches of each plant in a wheel barrow.  I sweat and I use muscle power (Munchkin Power!).  You will not believe the amount of fresh stuff that I have had to harvest to get a final dry weight…for every 2oz (60g) of dry weight in material, I have to gather 1.5 lbs (600g) of fresh herbs!  And this is dried noni leaf…about 2oz dried.

This was 600g of Fresh Leaf!
This was 600g of Fresh Leaf!

So, when you buy any dried tea like chamomile or mint, to give an example, each teabag is actually 1 oz (30g) of fresh herb.  It is totally mind-boggling…plus a lot of work if you do it yourself!

Anyway, I am glad I have done it!  It is nice to hoard everything in jars to display:

Jars of Herbs.
Jars of Herbs.
More Jars of Herbs.
More Jars of Herbs.

Yay!!  I managed to get all the herbs gathered and dried in time, despite Gnome’s frenzied time with Miso (!) Everything is All Right and I managed to finish off all the drying process this afternoon despite a surprise early afternoon blustery storm.

Amusing, Belize, Farming, Fiction, Pets

Paradise Piggies: It’s Raining Bananas, Hallelujah!

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Together.PointingIt was a really, really hot day today…so hot that it felt like we were walking in painfully slow motion, trying to wade through heat.  And so, after miso making duties this morning, I had more munchkin duties to attend with.  One of the main things was to process (cut and dip in lime juice solution) a whole bunch of ripe bananas and sun-dry them.  Phew…I couldn’t take the thought of cutting about fifty bananas in the baking heat!  I bleated in despair through a sweaty head of hair at Gnome and as usual, he managed to turn the situation into a positive one.  And, so Gnome declared, “Let the bananas rain down on my piggies!”

Today has been officially named National Piggie Day in Belize.  To commemorate this day, a gift of sweet bananas was given to the community of Paradise Pastures.

Yay!! Bananas!! Chomp, Chomp.
Yay!! Bananas!! Chomp, Chomp.

In addition, Gnome personally made a Pom Toy (courtesy of Piggieworld) with 5 pieces of coloured yarn and a fork.

Mayor Gnome Loves His Piggies!!
Mayor Gnome Loves His Piggies!!
Piggie Pom Toy Made By Mayor Gnome.
Piggie Pom Toy Made By Mayor Gnome.

Official inspection of Pom Toy.  Our rural piggies are not sure what to make of it…can you eat it?!

Piggie Inspection.
Piggie Inspection.

Remember to mark on your calendar: 24th of March is now officially National Piggie Day in Belize.  We might get them to wear national costume next year!!

Belize, Farming, Food, Plants

Ora Pro Nobis Miso Soup.

Together.Munchking.PointingHello Everyone!!  I am attempting to manage Gnome in the house since his sinus problem seems to get worse every time he does some heavy work outside.  I have ordered him to make Rice Koji which takes 4 days in total; I am hoping to preoccupy him with miso making.  After all, he metered out a measly 9oz (270g) of home-made miso which we promptly finished in 48 hours and now, I have made him bring the whole gallon jar to the kitchen so I can feel comforted by the presence of a larger quantity.  Anyway, if you have read the previous blog, Gnome will have already explained that he has been bestowed the job of Miso Maker.  I just need to be patient and ration out the gallon of precious miso.

We have been eating Miso Soup with Ora-Pro-Nobis.

Ora Pro Nobis Leaves.
Ora Pro Nobis Leaves.

About a week ago, I wrote about this plant Pereskia aculeata, also known as Barbados Gooseberry.  I thought it very interesting because this is a popular vegetable in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais and outside of this place, it is not known or consumed.  Well, the fact that I do not live in that state does not stop me from eating this vegetable!

I cooked it as a kombu (seaweed) substitute in miso soup and it worked a treat.  It has a degree of succulence which makes it similar in texture to seaweed.

As a result of this wonderful discovery, we have decided to grow hedges and hedges of Ora-Pro-Nobis:

Pereskia aculeata. Flowers and Fruit.
Pereskia aculeata. Flowers and Fruit.

What a lovely plant…you can eat the gooseberries too!

Belize, Farming, Fermentation, Food

Fried Miso and Sweet Potato Cakes.

Food.MunchkinWhat a perfect combination!  We have been harvesting sweet potatoes on the farm; a combination of pinks, reds and whites and we have been grating and drying most of them; great time to sun-dry because it is so hot and dry in Belize right now.

Sweet Potatoes.
Sweet Potatoes.

If you have read the last post, you will know that we now have our very own home-made miso, ready to eat.  We are so pleased because it has such a great taste plus, I am sure it has gathered some of own house yeasts so with time, it will a Belizean strain miso!  It is only 9 months and it tastes sooo good; it will definitely be worth making more.  Gnome and I have already discussed the urgent procurement of many 5 gallon buckets.

So, here is my recipe of the day:

Miso and Sweet Potato Cakes.
Miso and Sweet Potato Cakes.

The miso helps to round off the flavour, giving a unique floral fruitiness to the whole taste experience.

Check out Miso and Sweet Potato Cakes in Belize Wild Recipes.

We will be making Miso soup tonight, of course!!

Belize, Farming, Food, Saving Money

Dry Season…Time to Dry Fruit.

More.MunchkinThe days are becoming hotter and drier, with rains becoming fewer and far between.  This is the time to harvest anything that you can get your hands on and dry it.

Sapodillas are still in season:

Sapodilla Fruit.
Sapodilla Fruit.

We have gathered quite a bit to sun-dry.

Dried Sapodilla Fruit.
Dried Sapodilla Fruit.

When dried, they make a very good substitute for dates; they are intensely sweet and would be good for baking.  Gnome will be making mead with dried sapodilla…watch this space!

We have also been drying orange peel:

Dried Orange Peel.
Dried Orange Peel.

Dried orange peel can be added to savouries like stews, curries and soups to impart a warm, orange flavour.  It can also be ground up and used in cakes and breads.  It is extremely versatile and uses up something that you would normally throw away.  I hate to waste anything, especially when it involves something edible!  Look out for my recipes which use orange peel:

Sapodilla Curry with Venison.
Sapodilla Curry with Venison.

You will find this recipe in Belize Wild Recipes; this one is an orange peel curry.

Okay everyone, start sun-drying all your fruits now!!

Belize, Farming, Food, Plants

Unusual Exotic Fruits: Barbados Gooseberry.

Munchkin.Big.Eyes.Pink.CheeksThis is a beautiful cactus, with spiny stems and fragrant smelling flowers. I propagated it originally from one single seed about two years ago and now it is producing globular, orange fruit which are edible.

Pereskia aculeata. Flowers and Fruit.
Pereskia aculeata. Flowers and Fruit.

The fruit are acidic tasting like gooseberries and I imagine they would be good for jam making or fruit tarts.

Barbados Gooseberry Fruit.
Barbados Gooseberry Fruit.

I am really, really excited about this plant because I have just found out, on an Internet search that the green leaves can be cooked and eaten.  Apparently, there is a particular place in Brazil where this vegetable is prized and it is called Ora-Pro-Nobis meaning “Pray For Us.”

Edible Greens!!
Edible Greens!!

I can’t wait to try this as a vegetable.  It has been growing crazy and out of control so it will be a good excuse to cut it back.  I will definitely post a blog up about cooking with this new, exotic vegetable.

For those interested, this plant can be grown from seed or cutting and apparently, even from a fallen leaf.

Belize, Farming, Fermentation, Food

Beer Tasting With Friends and Pumpkins.

Jim and Erin.
Jim and Erin.

Our friends, Erin and Jim came to visit our farm today and did an impromptu maize beer tasting.  It is interesting to see other people’s perspectives and they thought that it was a pleasant tasting sour beer, much akin to “Lambic” with the taste of fermented apples. We were very pleased to hear that it was compared to a well-known traditional beer!  We now wish that we didn’t gave away so many bottles of the beer earlier on when we thought that it was a failure.  We live and learn…we will hoard every single drop next time…that is the Scottish coming out in me!

Pumpkins Galore!
Pumpkins Galore!

On another note, we are harvesting pumpkins so, we will mostly be eating pumpkins.  Aaaahhhh, what a gloriously uncomplicated life we live!

Belize, Farming, Our Products, Plants

Sapodilla Seeds For Sale.

Munchkin.Sitting.DownWe are posting up our first lot of seeds for sale in The Apothecary.  This is the season for Sapodilla (Manilkara zapota) and so we are offering these fresh seeds as a once off for the year. until they run out.

Just out of interest, when we first moved to Belize 10 years ago, one of the first things that we did was to buy fence posts to delineate a border around our farm.  In Belize, the best wooden posts, which are supposed to last a lifetime are ones cut from the sapodilla tree.  We ordered quite a fair amount and we felt that, out of respect for the tree, we would plant an orchard of them on our farm.

Sapodilla Fruit.
Sapodilla Fruit.

We bought a  wide variation of this fruit from Punta Gorda market; some were round-shaped, others heart-shaped and some very large like grapefruit.  We planted all the seeds from the different morphological varieties and the trees started bearing within 7 years.  It was a long time to wait but definitely worth it.

Sapodilla Fruit, Ready To Eat.
Sapodilla Fruit, Ready To Eat.

As you can see from our projects, it is a very good tasting fruit which is ideal for wine-making and culinary delights like curries and pasta sauces.  It can also be used for sweets like fruit tarts, jams and preserves.  Sapodilla has a unique sweet flavour of cinnamon and caramel; the texture is that of a grainy peach.  It is also a very good timber for fence posts and carpentry.  The seeds have medicinal value and can be used crushed up for insomnia and as a natural sedative.  The tree is famous for chicle which can be tapped from the trunk.

Sapodilla Seeds.
Sapodilla Seeds.

To germinate, they can be placed 2 inch deep in moist soil; this will take up to 6 weeks.  The other option is to carefully remove the shell from the seed (this can be a bit tricky) and then placing it in 2 inch deep soil.  The second option allows faster germination …usually within 2 weeks.  Keep the plant growing in a pot for a full year and once you are ready to plant, allow 10 metres (30 feet) between each sapodilla tree.  They get really big!!

For our international readers, you can grow this plant in a green house or indoors and kept like a bonsai.  Check out The Apothecary if you want some seeds.

Belize, Farming, Food, Plants

Pigeon Pea and Green Papaya: Farm Fresh.

Munchkin.Eating.BunWe have been podding green pigeon (cajanus cajun) peas everyday to eat:

Pigeon Pea Plant with Green Pods.
Pigeon Pea Plant with Green Pods.
Podded Pigeon Peas.
Podded Pigeon Peas.

The plants have been very generous and we have had wonderful meals with this pea.  The pea tastes like a “green pea” and maintains its texture very well.  It only needs a 5 minute cooking time which makes it a versatile ingredient.

Today, I cooked Pigeon Peas with Green Papaya…all fresh from the farm.  Everything had the taste of vitality…something money can’t buy!!  Since we started living like this and cooking our own food, we actually find that we dislike eating out because nothing seems to have the freshness and individuality of home-cooked food.  Going to a restaurant just means eating something that is displayed nicely on a plate but does not necessarily have the best ingredients (ie. bulk buckets of processed material).

Pigeon Pea and Green Papaya.
Pigeon Pea and Green Papaya.

Check out my recipe in the Belize Wild Recipes Section.  You can have this meal with a carbohydrate like bread or rice, if you like.  I am on a non-carbohydrate diet since the Chinese New Year Pig Out…too many mochi balls!! So, we just ate this with by itself.  Right now, my diet consists of fresh vegetables as above (one meal a day), no whites (carbs) and plenty of fresh fruit like papaya and oranges.  Seems to be working out well for me.

Belize, Farming, Food, Plants

Adventures with Pigeon Pea.

Munchkin.Another.LookWe have been growing Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan) for many years and alas, I have to admit that I have neglected the wonders of this food plant.  We haven’t actually been actively growing it; in fact, it started off as a single seed which we planted on the farm and now due to voluntary seeding, we have about 20 plants which are happily producing a bountiful crop.

In the past, I have harvested the pods in the fully dried form and cooked it as a lentil substitute.  It has a good, nutty taste but in its raw form, it is extremely hard in consistency so in order to cook it, it takes about 3 hours.  The slow cooking time of this legume has been holding me back from experimenting with it.

Dried Pods of Pigeon Pea.
Dried Pods of Pigeon Pea.

This year, I have decided to be a bit more flexible with it and I am trying to find other ways of eating it.  The pods can be picked at a green (almost yellow in colour) stage and cooked like peas.  I actually achieved a good result with the peas cooked in rice and bacon.

At its greenest stage, when seeds have not formed, apparently the whole pod can be eaten.  The green pods took ages (well, half an hour) to cook to tenderness.  They were actually a let down and tasted over-cooked and sucked of all vitality.

Green Pigeon Pea.
Green Pigeon Pea.

Anyway, the next experiment will be to sprout the dried seeds to see if this will reduce the cooking time.  I will keep you posted with my adventures with pigeon pea!