Hay Nacatamales

Nacatamales are an almost religious culinary tradition in Nicaragua, a gigantic overstuffed tamale with a standard list of ingredients uniform throughout the country. Nacatamales are prepared fresh in locals' homes; in every pueblo there are several infamous residents who display the sign Hay Nacatamales, meaning they are available for sale on Saturday and Sunday.

The Nicaraguan version of the tamale, wrapped and cooked in a banana leaf rather than a corn husk, is large, undeniably a meal in itself. The key ingredient is either chicken or pork, accompanied by rice, potatoes, tomatoes, an olive or raisin, and a leaf of yerba buena. This is the tried and true recipe, delicious, and available for only $1 anywhere you go. Why mess with a good thing? the only reason I attempted my own was the vegetarian factor. 

Based on hints from neighbors and friends, as well as gringo guidance from this online recipe, i set out to make my own vegetarian nacatamale.

First up, and arguably the most important ingredient: masa. Traditional nacatamale masa is made with lard, the ultimate cooking fat. When I asked around about vegetarian substitutions, I was met with chortles, smirks, and a couple of suggestions. Since I was making a large batch, I went with what I had the most of, sunflower oil. 

Using a pre-packaged masa, I added a cup of oil and mixed until it was too thick to stir. Following a tip from an authentic nacatamale recipe, I squeezed a sour orange into the dough, and then a flavorful veggie-based broth and worked it in with my hands.

The masa is then left to sit for at least 30 minutes. Time to prepare my tasty fillings!

I flavored up a batch of red beans and potatoes,

and a soy meat with summer squash medley. These would be the savory protein-rich centerpieces of my tamales.

Assembly!

Wrapping the masa and filling into a banana leaf was the most fun and most challenging part. I am proud to announce that I myself went out on the farm to harvest nice long smooth leaves with few tears. In order to make the leaf pliable, I warmed each one over a gas burner. The leaves must bend and fold over to hold the tamale inside, and I found this method extremely effective.

A small circle of masa is patted out in the center of a leaf, and I learned after my first batch, a dollop of homemade hot sauce keeps the filling from drying out.

Upon this I heaped shredded cheese, a spoonful of either the bean or soy mixture, and a sprinkle of cilantro leaf. With a few, I also added cooked rice. Later, as I recounted this process to some veteran nacatamale chefs, raucous laughter erupted at the mention of the cilantro. Apparently I was breaking all kinds of culinary taboos.

Sorry, don't have any action shots. The wrapping process took a little practice, eventually I got it. My little banana packages came out cute, no?

These guys were all tossed into a pot which I first layered with bunched up banana leaves in the traditional method for steaming. Being somewhat of a modern chica, however, I did cook with my gas stove rather than over open fire.
Unlike the wood fire fueled kitchens of most Nicaraguans, in which a pot of nacatamales takes up to 6 hours to cook, mine were ready to unwrap and enjoy in about one hour.

Not too shabby!

Die hard fans of the original nacatamale may argue that my masa/veggie creation is only that, an inauthentic copycat of a cultural classic. at worst, I could be accused of culinary sacrilege.

Yet, despite altering the sacred recipe, tasters from the veggie as well as the meat-eating contigency report success!

pesto hummus

Yet another delicious solution to a lack of ingredients!
On the pesto front, I have managed to whip up several alternative varieties, including using almonds, and more recently, cashews in replace of pine nuts. so yum and so easy.
Hummus is another favorite of mine whose ingredients are difficult to procure around here. one time i did locate tahini, the traditional basis of this Middle Eastern spread and days of hummus indulgence followed. otherwise, i have resorted to making a hummus-like dip with simply garbanzo beans and accompanying flavors.
Then finally, the obvious combination hit me:

Pesto Hummus!

Garbanzo beans provide the protein-rich foundation. i use dry beans, soaked overnight, then cooked until  tender in the pressure cooker (only about 10 minutes).

The big flavor comes from as much fresh basil as you can get your hands on

Blend the garbanzos first, adding enough water and olive oil for a creamy consistency. then add your basil, a few cloves of garlic, a squeeze of lemon, and salt and pepper to taste.

There you  have it! While not really a true version of either, my hybrid creation is a hearty hummus dip with rich pesto flavor, ready to smear onto a veggie sandwich or to serve as a chip dip.

 ¡Buen provecho!

Platanos & Homemade Salsa

A close relative to bananas, though larger, starchier, and generally less sweet, plantains are a staple of Nicaraguan cuisine. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner platanos are served in one form or another. If you don't like them at first, you will!
Most farms and quintas grow at least a few plantain trees, their gigantic green leaves and spectacular flowers making sure you don't forget this is the tropics. Plantain and banana trees flourish during our rainy season, and continue to produce fruit throughout the dry times. Every year new trees are planted amongst our coffee bushes to provide shade, guaranteeing me a constant supply of plantains in the kitchen.
Platanos require cooking in order to be palatable, and their form and flavor vary greatly depending on when and how they are cooked. Green unripe platanos are frequently fried up as a side dish, sliced in rounds or in the case of tajadas, in long thin strips. In the latter, plantains serve kind of as nachos, topped with meat or cheese or anything you want. As I inherited a local mandoline slicer over a year ago and have never used it, I decided it was time:

Tajada Time!

Slicing plantains so thin was time-consuming, not to mention a bit dangerous; bare hands near a wide blade required careful attention. I wish I had taken a picture of the uncooked strips to demonstrate how delicate they were.

Here I am frying them up in a generous pool of sunflower oil.

The ideal tajada is thin and crispy like a potato chip. After a few batches, I got the hang of it!

All the hard work paid off when the tajadas were served! We topped them with refried beans, soy "meat," shredded cabbage, and my new homemade hot sauce--see below for recipe. On the side I served cooked chayote squash.

I am always experimenting with new salsa recipes, this one is a favorite. and very easy! The recipe I found calls for jalapeños, for which I substituted our local chile pepper, congo. Congos are tiny so I used a whole handful--use your own discretion when choosing spiciness level. Hot peppers, along with several tomatoes and a few cloves of garlic are tossed with olive oil and then broiled.Once the tomatoes are blackened, remove from oven and cool. Peel off tomato skins, then blend it all up. Add cilantro, salt, and a squeeze of fresh lemon. that's it: roasty, flavorful, spicy sauce!

¡Buen provecho!

A Medicine Woman, A Soybean Project, & little old me

I was a lucky lady to spend a day with the knowledgeable and wise Doña Aura, a practiced natural healer and nutritionist, not to mention accomplished author, and director of the Ahualcatl Center of Natural Therapy. She hosts a series of hands-on medicinal plant/healthy foods workshops, (including the preparation of salves, soaps, teas, and foods) based on our local climate, crops, and culture--this was a Nutrition/Food Preparation class.

First Doña Aura revealed the unofficial four food groups of Latin America and which local foods fit into which category
We decided that my farm has a great start in each group! I was advised to plant yucca (a staple carbohydrate) and more sunflowers (with the intention to harvest and press the seeds into oil). Doña Aura was very impressed at my attempt to grow soybeans, a highly available plant protein source in Nicaragua AND the featured food in our workshop.

The Soybean Project

After an overnight soak, we rubbed the beans to remove the clear skins (which contribute to gas).

Next up, grinding the softened soybeans into a thick paste--Aura uses a hand grinder, a great arm workout, though a blender will also do the job.

Add the soy mash to a pot of boiling water and stir occasionally for about 15 minutes, until a froth forms on top.

Remove from heat. Once cool, squeeze the milky mixture through a cheese cloth, retaining the solids in the cloth and saving the liquid in the pot.

Said liquid IS your freshly made soy milk! Doña Aura prefers to add lemon leaves for flavor and also recommends vanilla, cinnamon, and a bit of sugar. yuuum!

On to those soy curds that were separated out from the milk.
Doña Aura actually makes this stuff on a regular basis and sells it as soy "chorizo" (sausage); it is that good!

We enjoyed each other's company over heavy chopping: feast your eyes on our rainbow of sliced and diced onions, peppers, cabbage, celery, tomatoes, and carrots.

The diced bits were mixed in with our soy "meat," along with a dash of salt, to create the coveted chorizo de soya:
Doña Aura's fresh soy sausage can be spread as is on bread or toast, or fried lightly in oil as a crispy patty.

As for our Homemade Four Food Group Luncheon Extravaganza, the larger veggies pieces were sauteed in a sumptuous stew topped with fried cheese. ¡Que rico!
It was an honor and a privilege to spend the day with a gardener and nutritionist of such enviable experience and delightful demeanor. ¡Muchas gracias Doña Aura!

Deep Fried Squash Blossoms: a spontaneous breakfast

I got out to the garden early this morning and was beckoned by bright orange squash blossoms! They said " Eat us!" and so I endeavored to do just that.

• First I picked 6 of the blooming beauties, all male blossoms, leaving several on the vine for pollination.
• Rinse and remove stem, stamen, and any lurking insects.
• Prepare filling: I chopped onion, garlic, tomato, chili pepper, cilantro, and baby spinach. and grated 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, plus a dash of salt and pepper.
  
  
  

• Mix filling ingredients together (I chose to sautee the garlic and onion first, eliciting their ultimate flavor potential, which was brilliant as the cheese got nice and melty)
  
  
• Gently stuff the awaiting squash blossoms full. I read that you should twist the petals to close the flower up, but they didn't stay shut for me.
  
  
  
  
• Dip and roll each blossom into first, a slightly beaten egg; second, a mixture of 1/4 cup flour with 1/2 cup cornmeal + 1 tsp salt
  
  
• Fry baby fry! (did i say this was healthy?) Allow all sides to become a crispy golden brown.
  

• Optional scrambling of leftover egg--I added one more to make the meal complete.
  
  Welcome to yum city! A hearty farm fresh breakfast to kick off the day!
  

BREADFRUIT: weird & wonderful

Breadfruit is a new food to me. that is to say, it's not big in Virginia (although as fruits go, is it ever!) We are fortunate to have two gigantic breadfruit trees on the farm and right now, they are producing like mad.

I have been pretty intimidated by this ostrich egg of a fruit, from its green iguana-like skin to its spongy mushroomy insides.

I was encouraged by Ancel over at Island Farm , who has impressive tropical fruit knowledge and claims a fondness for the bizarre but beautiful fruta de pan.

Attempt #1: Rolling up my sleeves, I approached the monstrous carbohydrate ball that would become dinner.

My recipe was simple: boil, stuff, bake.

After 15 minutes or so in a pot of boiling water, I removed the breadfruit and attempted to excavate the soft flesh. I was met with more resistance than expected, i don't think it was tender enough. Nevertheless, i diced the softer pieces and mixed them with chopped onions, carrots, and tofu cubes, then re-filled the breadfruit halves and drizzled with olive oil.
My hope was for edible baked boats, but though the filling was scrumptious, the inside of the breadfruit never tenderized enough.

Attempt #2 was more successful. After harvesting, it takes only a few days for breadfruit to soften; there's a fine line between ripe and rotten. I was lucky to catch this one at the perfect moment for a dessert.
It was easy to scoop the sticky sweet flesh out this time. I tossed it in a saucepan with milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar to create a creamy delicious tropical treat!

The hands down favorite style in this casa is pan-fried slices, breadfruit's incarnation of the french fry.
Crispy yet.....bready.

Next up I am excited to try a recipe for breadfruit pizza dough! that i found here. Tropical culinary adventures, keep 'em coming!

out of the garden, into the frying pan

The past few months of gardening I've been testing different seeds, various varieties of my favorite vegetables, most of which i purchased in the U.S. For this reason i've planted sparingly, noting which plants are adaptable to the hot tropical climate, which are pest-resistant, which are tasty, etc. Later i will know which varieties i want to plant in great quantities.
i came home the other day with my latest harvest, eager to cook up a farm-fresh meal!
except,
this was my bountiful cornucopia:

Succotash?

Luckily, i have access to an excellent local market where other farmers regularly bring in diverse harvests! So with a little help from my friends,

and this friend,

dinner began to take shape.

My corn and zucchini, plus broccoli, peppers, onion, carrots, and cabbage quickly fried in olive oil, tossed with a garlic, ginger, and soy sauce combo, toasted cashews on top, all served over brown rice:
One day i hope to grow such a gorgeous array myself!
I tried garlic earlier this year; somehow it all disappeared. rabbits? And ginger grows here as well, though i haven't been able to get its watering needs right. keep on keeping on, eh?

I am bringing in a larger percentage of this delicious Italian favorite:

BASIL ALMOND PESTO

1 large bunch of basil
1 head garlic
1/4 cup almonds
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

1) Separate basil leaves from stems and rinse well; peel garlic
2) Toast almonds (if raw) in an ungreased skillet over high heat, stirring CONSTANTLY, until golden brown

3) Blend all ingredients in blender or food processor (sorry i have no photos of this, but i'm sure you can picture it), adding salt and pepper to taste
4) Spread pesto onto homemade carrot bread

and find a taste-tester

Success!

I used almonds because pine nuts are unknown in these parts, as is fresh parmesan. i've also heard of using walnuts, but you don't see those around here either.