Never boring local

We hear the mantra all the time “eat local, support local.” I am guilty of preaching this on a daily basis. I don’t feel guilty per se, because they are words that need to be said.

Recently I was thinking on our local foods, recipes and meals prepared, foods that I grew up eating, and foods that I still enjoy and prepare. Back then we were provided with a home-made local meal every day, which consisted of meat, chicken, fish or beef, stewed peas, rice, salad and a "surprise" as I call it; that surprise was a small bit of boiled provision, provision pie, plantains, boiled or fried, green fig pie or macaroni pie. That is what I by-passed the rice for! It was a balanced, tasty meal prepared by my mother from a variety of all-local ingredients.

Nothing has changed since then, we still see the same vegetables and provisions at the market and at the groceries. The difference today are the choices we now have when we shop. Alongside sweet potatoes, green figs, cassava and eddoes we find many types of imported starches and vegetables.

It’s the imported foods that are easier to prepare and so have become a mainstay in most kitchens in favour of our local carbs and veggies.

The truth is that our local indigenous foods are so much healthier, satisfying, and flavourful than their imported counterparts.

Browsing the market last Sunday, I came home with African yam, green figs, sweet potatoes, and the regular vegetables, tomatoes, eggplants, bok choy, kale, salad ingredients, silk figs, and orange, in-season fresh pigeon peas and herbs. The yams were made into mashed yams and went perfectly with the stewed pigeon peas, the green figs accompanied stewed saltfish for lunch, and are sometimes made into a zesty salad as well. The sweet potatoes will be peeled, sliced and oven baked for sweet potato wedges. The eggplants were roasted and peeled and mixed with peppers, herbs and a vinegary dressing for a perfect salad.

I often wonder, when callaloo bush is purchased, is callaloo made or is it cooked bhagi style? When was the last time a thick slice of coo coo accompanied callaloo and a tasty slice of stewed king fish bought fresh not frozen? Or, when last was hops or coconut bake made at home to enjoy with buljohl? When pigeon peas are in season as they are now, will it be used in a pot of chicken pelau?

Our local foods will never go away, so go ahead and make the shift towards incorporating more fresh local foods into your diet. The romance, nostalgia and the taste will leave you wanting for more.

Smoked herring buljohl

4 whole smoked herrings

1 lime, halved

4 tbs olive oil

2 onions, peeled, finely chopped

1 hot pepper, seeded and chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

6 ripe tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Drop in fish, boil until the water turns a slightly golden colour.

Remove fish and drain, cool.

Remove head and discard.

Pull the fish off the centre bone and discard bone.

Now break the fish into tiny pieces with your hand, removing as many fine bones as you could. Squeeze on some lime juice.

Heat oil in a frying pan, add onions, pepper, and garlic.

Now add the herring, toss and add tomatoes.

Cook for a few seconds.

Serve with bakes or bread.

Serves 4 to 6

Stewed fish

6 4-oz fish fillets, king, salmon or carite

2 tbs herb marinade

2 tbs chopped Spanish thyme

4 tbs French thyme

1 tsp salt

2 tbs vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

½ onion. Finely chopped

1 pimento pepper thinly sliced

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

Freshly chopped parsley for garnish

Wash fish, rub on herb marinade, Spanish thyme, French thyme and season with salt.

Let sit for about 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a medium sauté pan, add garlic, onion and pimento, sauté until garlic just begins to turn brown and onions are translucent, add tomatoes, cook this for about 15 minutes until the tomatoes are very soft and have lost their acidity, you may add a little white wine at this point to deglaze or some broth or water.

Add fish fillets and turn once to coat with sauce, cover and cook for 4 minutes, until the fish is opaque. Uncover and check the fish, the oil in the sauce should start to separate.

Adjust seasonings add parsley and remove from heat.

Serve hot.

Serves 4

Coo coo

3 cups yellow cornmeal

2 cups coconut milk

1 cup chicken broth or water

½ lb fresh ochro, finely chopped

4 pimento peppers seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Boil water or broth in a large Dutch oven add ochro, peppers, garlic and salt and pepper.

Simmer for 15 minutes until ochroes are tender.

Add the coconut milk and return to a boil.

Pour in the cornmeal whisking vigorously to prevent lumping, stir well and cook until the mixture becomes stiff and smooth and moves away from the sides of the pot.

Generously butter a bowl, add coo coo to bowl and shake it around to form a ball. Let set.

Slice and serve.

If you cannot roll it into a ball in your bowl then simply pour it into a shallow glass serving dish and cut into squares before serving.

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