I am temporarily displaced for several days so I’m in ‘de countryside’ staying with friends. The place is quiet and peaceful, the wind plentiful and cooling, the skyline unencumbered with no electrical wires, so the sky from any angle is majestic – big, wide, and clear. The hills yonder remind you that you are in a different part of the country. I relish all of it, including the immediate access to fresh fruit and vegetables, just feet outside the door.
Depending on your location and access, most people buy their food at supermarkets or farmers’ markets, these days we also shop online and have our food delivered. However, there is something extraordinary about being in a place and space where you can walk out the door, stroll up to a tree, vine or pot and pick, pluck or pull whatever you need. Nothing compares.
Arriving late afternoon earlier in the week, I was greeted by fruiting cherry trees – Suriname cherries and West Indian cherries. After greeting my hosts – husband in the yard watering his garden, wife busy kneading dough, the smell of curry wafting through the kitchen window, I headed over to the cherry trees and began my afternoon snacking. With my hands full of cherries, I began my unaccompanied tour around the large expansive yard, stopping every now and then to shout to my friend, enquiring about a tree, plant or variety of some herb or vegetable.
As I walked along the perimeter of the property and between the beds of planted crops I was filled with childlike glee and began to think of the things one could do and make with things currently available. I had already decided that the following morning I’d have cherries, cashews and plums for breakfast.
Here’s more of what I thought on my walk around the yard.
● The mango trees are laden, most of the fruit is still green, but I spotted a few on bunches that are turning; an afternoon snack of green mango with pepper (plucked fresh from a tree) and salt would be in order. We could also pick the green mangoes to make and store up on achar and sour; the same can be done with the souree (bilimbi). This weekend we could make some plantain chips also to have with the homemade sour.
● In a week’s time, the passion fruit would be ripe for the picking, drinks, jam and curd could be made with the pulp as well as other desserts such as puddings and cakes. Or we could make a sweet sauce to drizzle over pancakes, custard or ice cream.
● The soursop trees are loaded with fruit – punch, ice cream, smoothies and shakes are all treats to be made. And then there is the pure pleasure of simply eating the fruit with a generous drizzle of condensed milk, mixed together in a bowl. Now picture yourself sitting on the verandah or somewhere under a tree or on the steps, in the shade of the afternoon light eating soursop and sweet milk. That’s the good life.
● An afternoon’s work is made of watering the vegetable and herb beds and pots and then the cutting of coconuts to fill bottles of the sweet water and soft jelly to be chilled for drinking the next few days. Of course, before any of that takes place, we must have our bellyful of coconut water and jelly directly from the fruit itself, taking care not to stain our clothes in the process.
● The beds are filled with callaloo (spinach) of different varieties, perfect for a fry up or to toss into a pot with rice, fresh coconut milk and fresh herbs to make a veggie Cook-up. Now, if only we could get some fresh Bangamary to fry.
● This weekend we could make some baigan (eggplant, choka; roast the baigan in the yard with a fire made of sticks and twigs of the various trees around. The tomatoes are not yet ripe, but we could still roast a couple of green ones to put in the choka, and while we are at it, how about roasting the hot peppers and scallions (shallots/green onions) that you pull from the ground. This would be a hot, fiery, smoky choka! I wonder if I can try and persuade my friends to make such a setup so that we could rest the tawah on the fire to cook a few Sada roti. And for the afternoon Metemgee.
● To accompany the Sunday meal, we could make a big bowl of green salad from the various types of lettuce along with a vinaigrette made with the tart passion fruit juice instead of the regular lime/lemon juice. Possibilities.
When last have you been to the countryside? With so many lockdowns and restrictions, the desperation to travel, or for a change of scenery, we don’t have to look too far. Go spend a weekend or a few days in the country. It could do you the world of good. I am off now to make myself some lemongrass (fever grass) tea.
Cynthia
cynthia@tasteslikehome.org
