Category Archives: Food

Belize, Farming, Food

Summer Fruits.

Together.EatingHere is a gallery of fruits in season.  We are so fortunate that even with the extended dry season, the fruit trees still continue to bear.  Mangoes are my definite favourite; I remember buying them in the supermarket in Scotland and they were as hard as rocks.  Sometimes they wouldn’t even ripen at all!  It’s wonderful that I don’t need to buy these from the supermarket anymore…I have them in my own backyard.

Mangoes On Tree.
Mangoes On Tree.
Little Wild Mangoes.
Little Wild Mangoes.

This is the season for mamey sapote; when you cut them in half, the flesh is orange-brown with a thick consistency like avocado.  They have a very intense caramel flavour and are best eaten chilled.

Mamey Sapote.
Mamey Sapote.
Mamey Sapote.
Mamey Sapote.

The wax apples are starting on our trees; however with the drought, they look very small.  The upside of this is that due to the reduced water content in them, they are very sweet.

Wax Apples.
Wax Apples.
Belize, Food, Our Products

Green Banana and Coconut Cream Lentils.

Our Lovely Coconuts.
Our Lovely Coconuts.

Here is a recipe straight from the farm using our own green bananas and coconut cream.

Bunch of Green Bananas.
Bunch of Green Bananas.

Remember that you can buy our freshly squeezed cream at Green Supaul’s in Punta Gorda.

Coconut Cream.
Coconut Cream.

This is a wholesome vegetarian dish made from green bananas and lentils cooked in creamy coconut cream. The green bananas taste like yam and so adds an interesting texture to the taste experience.  If you would like to view the recipe, click on this link to Green Banana and Coconut Cream Lentils.

Green Banana And Coconut Cream Lentils.
Green Banana And Coconut Cream Lentils.
Belize, Farming, Food, Plants

Cutting, Mulching And Planting!

Together.Tank.Top

Phew!!  We’ve been busy on the farm.  Gnome has been cutting and clearing whilst I’ve been mulching around the trees.  We have been in Belize for long  enough to know that the rains are coming soon so we are trying to get things down before the big down-pour!

Spot The Gnome:

Clearing Grass.
Clearing Grass.

Mulch, Mulch, Mulch!

Mulch!!
Mulch!!
Mulch.
Mulch.

Planting Sorghum; originally we planted this for beer making but we have now decided to plant it as a food crop.

Planting Sorghum Seedlings.
Planting Sorghum Seedlings.

Sorghum is a tasty, nutty grain rich in protein (higher than corn), B Vitamins and manganese.  The fresh grain can be harvested and boiled for about 15 minutes to provide a nutritious cereal.  Can be consumed by man or beast.

Cooked Sorghum.
Cooked Sorghum.

Ohhhhh!!!  We are soooo tired….

Knackered!!
Knackered!!
Amusing, Belize, Farming, Food, Plants

Good Time To Harvest Roots.

Together.Eating.Fire.PotThe dry season in Belize is a great time to harvest roots.  We have been pulling up cassava from our beds.  Each plant has been giving us a generous 10lbs (5kg) of root.  Cassava requires immediate processing because it tends to go off after 1 or 2 days.  We usually peel a whole load of them in one go, boil them and then store them in the freezer.

Cleaning Cassava.
Cleaning Cassava.

This is food security:

Peeled Cassava.
Peeled Cassava.

This time we had a surprise harvest.  Gnome called me out to the veranda and said,

“Surprise!!  I found three brains for you!”

Gnome.Smiling

He was of course referring to these; elephant foot yam which we have humourously coined “The Brain.”

Triple Brain.
Triple Brain.

More Food!!

Amusing, Belize, Farming, Food, Plants

Definitely Habaneros.

Munchkin.BossieYip, these are most definitely habaneros.  A while back, I wanted to plant Jalapeños and bought a seed packet imported from the States.  When the first lot of leaves started coming out, I had some doubts because they were heart-shaped rather than elongated.  Nevertheless, Gnome told me to be patient and I waited a bit longer.  The plants started flowering and then I watched the formation of the fruits with great anticipation.  All this time, I kept on think to myself…

“Hmmmm…..”

Munchkin.Confused

Gnome: “My dear…be patient!”

Gnome.Straight.Smile

Well, there’s not denying it!  They are definitely habaneros!!

Red habaneros.
Red habaneros.

They are still nice and I do like the red colour of these habaneros.  Okay…back to looking for some real jalapeño seeds!

Amusing, Belize, Farming, Food, Plants

Surprise Sesame Seed Plants!

New.Munchkin.Gnome.Yellow.Boots

A while back, I bought some sesame seeds from the market in Punta Gorda.  It was sold in a thin plastic bag and when I got back home, I just placed the bag on the shelf in the kitchen.  I am one of those messy types of cooks with a plethora of bags and containers of raw ingredients placed on my kitchen shelf for easy access.

The next morning I found the bag ripped open with tell-tale cat teeth marks on the bag.

Our cat has a predilection for all food in plastic bags; this is because once he found beef jerky in a plastic bag and since then he will attempt to chew through all plastic bags in the hope of finding beef jerky.

Some of the sesame seeds had spilled on the floor so I quickly vacuumed it with my little companion Eureka.  The cat had scarpered by then and there was no hope of getting him to clean it up!

Eureka Is The One On The Left.
Eureka Is The One On The Left.

Thinking that it was just organic waste, I emptied the contents of vacuum cleaner into a nearby plant pot.  And look what I’ve got 3 months later…surprise sesame seed plants!

Sesame Seed Plants.
Sesame Seed Plants.

Looks like it is an easy crop to grow…will probably harvest this lot to plant on the farm.

Belize, Farming, Food, Plants

Not So Dry!

Munchkin.Back.View

Yippee!!  We had a good rain last night which filled up half of the tank.  And now it’s raining again so we should have the tank completely filled.  Good thing Gnome sorted this out:

Tank In Place.
Tank In Place.

We were so worried because the dry days seemed never-ending (it always feels like that every year).  At least now our poor shriveled tobacco plants will start growing again:

Tobacco Plants.
Tobacco Plants.

And the pond might start filling up…look…it has been reduced to a single puddle!

Pond Drying Up.
Pond Drying Up.

Hopefully with this extra bit of rain, our mangoes will get fat and juicy.

Mangoes Growing.
Mangoes Growing.

All the fruit trees on the farm will benefit from this splendid rain…what a relief!

Jackfruit.
Jackfruit.
Akee Fruit.
Akee Fruit.
Belize, Food, Plants

Let’s Do Some Foraging!

Munchkin.Bossie

Do you know that you can forage for greens in Belize?  This is purslane…it’s a perfectly good vegetable to eat!

Wild Purslane.
Wild Purslane.

If you are really looking for “organic” one of the answers is foraging.  There is plenty of this around…just get your shade hat on and start walking about…

Wild Purslane of Belize.
Wild Purslane of Belize.

It’s got all the usual good stuff that you would expect from a green vegetable: It is rich in vitamin A and C and has a high percentage of omega 3 which is usually only found in fish oils and flax seed.  You can eat it raw in salads or you can cook it anyway which you want.  Taste wise, it is mildly acidic with a crunchy texture; the flowers and stems are edible.

C’mon then…get out there and start picking your greens…I’m doing it!

Bunch of Purslane.
Bunch of Purslane.

For more information click on Purslane.

I also have some recipes:

Coconut Purslane Salad

Purslane Chicken Chow Mein

Belize, Food, Our Products

More Coconut Cream!

Munchkin.More.EatingHi Guys, we have delivered a fresh batch of coconut cream to Green Supaul’s in Punta Gorda.  This information might be useful to you:

Usage and Storage of Coconut Cream:

Our coconut cream is sold in the frozen state.  Store in the freezer.  When you are ready to use, simply use it in the frozen state.  If you only require a small amount, cut off a chunk with a knife and store the remaining cream in the freezer.  The shelf life of this product is 6 months if stored properly in the freezer.

Look at our beautiful coconuts:

Our Lovely Coconuts.
Our Lovely Coconuts.

The coconuts are grated and then squeezed by hand.  All our own hard work to help maintain the coconut plantation.

Freshly Grated Coconuts.

Freshly Grated Coconuts.

Coconut Palms.
Coconut Palms.

Green Supaul’s; the coconut cream is still in the ice-cream freezer!

Coconut Cream.
Coconut Cream.
Amusing, Belize, Food

Shopping In The City.

Together.from.FrontYou might think that it would be exciting to go the capital city of Belize, Belmopan, once in a while to go shopping.  But alas, our habits and lifestyle have changed so much that we don’t find thrills and excitement in grocery shopping.  This is especially when our wants have become refined and we only want very specific things.  My short list would be chocolate eclairs, smoked salmon and Yorkshire tea…dream on…can’t get any of that here!

Anyway, I did manage to find some Chinese stuff…

This is glutinous rice flour which is used to make mochi balls and Chinese equivalent.

Glutinous Rice Flour.
Glutinous Rice Flour.

This is wheat starch for yummy transparent steamed dim-sum.  There is no gluten in wheat starch…I wonder if people with gluten intolerance can eat this?

Wheat Starch.
Wheat Starch.

Fermented black beans for black bean sauce.  I remember my mum telling me that this stuff was for real Chinese people and that the black bean sauce jars were for “other people.”  Anyway, I still consider myself Chinese so I will insist on buying the real deal!  Incidentally we are making this stuff…it’s bubbling away in the corner somewhere…not ready yet to unleash the monster!

Preserved Black Beans.
Preserved Black Beans.

Dried lotus root…usually boiled in soups:

Dried Lotus Root.
Dried Lotus Root.

Oh we did find something for the Italian Gnome…although he mostly likes to be a Straits Chinese Gnome.

A big tin of olives:

Tin of Olives.
Tin of Olives.