Cassava Pone

 Ingredients:
4 medium sweet cassava  

2 small dried coconuts
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

 a sprinkle of allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper
water as needed

Directions:

1. Peel, wash the sweet cassava 

and the coconut

then grate together

and mix together in a large bowl.

2. Work butter in with a fork 

3. Add sugar, vanilla, spices and enough water to bind the mixture into a fluffy consistency. 

4. Pour the mixture in a greased baking pan,about 2 inches deep.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1-1/2 hours until it begins to brown.  

6. Butter the top and continue baking 

until golden brown.

7. Cut into squares

AUNTIE DORIS’S MOUSSAKA

This is Karanambu’s version of the Greek favorite.

A soft layer of potatoes, on top of it thick slices of freshly sautéed eggplants, a layer of sautéed vegetables from the garden; all covered in a light creamy, crispy, cheese sauce and baked to perfection.

INGREDIENTS (8-10 servings)

4 large eggplants peeled and sliced

6 potatoes peeled and sliced

1- 2 tomato sliced

4 small onions thinly sliced

5 sweet peppers thinly sliced

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1-teaspoon salt

Black pepper to taste 

Veggie Filling

Small cubed potato

Small cubed carrots

1 inch sliced of bora or green bean

1 sliced onion

2 clove chopped garlic

1 parcel chopped pak choy

- any other vegetables that look inviting -

For the topping 

2 tablespoons butter 

3  – 4 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

3 well-beaten eggs

1 cup grated cheese

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg  

1-tablespoon flour

Salt 

Pepper

Nutmeg (optional) 

METHOD

Peel and cut the eggplants and onions into slices.

Heat olive oil in a deep frying pan with heavy bottom and fry the onions and eggplants until soften without getting brown. Add the sweet pepper.

Boil the sliced potatoes until soft.

To make the veggie filling; heat olive oil and sizzle the onions and garlic until it golden browns without getting burned.  Add all other vegetables; stir constantly, a bit of salt and pepper.  Cook until vegetables are soft. 

Arrange the slices of potato, eggplant and onion slices in a medium size-baking dish, sprinkle with the veggie filling and continue with another layer of eggplants, onion and potato. 

Prepare creamy, cheesy sauce as follows: In a small saucepan melt butter, remove from the heat and add flour, stirring constantly with a wooden ladle till the mixture thickens.   Add cold milk and place the saucepan in the heat, in low temperature, stirring constantly till it becomes a thick and creamy sauce. Sprinkle cheese and add a touch of salt and nutmeg and spoon the sauce over all.  

Bake for 25-30 minutes in a preheated 180 degrees oven until the sauce golden browns. Served warm. 

Enjoy with a fresh salad from the garden...

 FRESH FRESH FRESH

BREAD (BIRD FOOD) PUDDING

The delicious smell of cinnamon, nutmeg, glove and brown sugar baking fill the air at Karanambu when the bread pudding is baking in the kitchen. In true Karanambu style, we serve it with "Lashings of Creme".

 

Ingredients

• day-old bread
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup raisins or dates (optional)
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• a sprinkle of glove

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Tear bread into small pieces into a glass baking bowl. Drizzle melted butter over bread. If desired, sprinkle with raisins, dates or any other dried fruit.  
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, glove and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down  until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.

LIME Achar

Lime Achar

Achar is a pickle relish made from local fruits. This Spicy, Sour, Salty, relish that is a local favorite!  Today the lime tree at Karanambu was laden with limes, so we made lime achar

 Ingredients

• ½ bucket yellow limes full of juice
• 1 ½ cups chopped hot peppers 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup vinegar
• ¼ cup salt (or to taste)

Directions

1. Blanch limes in boiling water for 5 minutes, until soft but full of juice.
2. Remove the seeds from the hot peppers. 

(A trick is to wear gloves and remove the seeds under water to avoid burning your hands and eyes).

3. Slice hot pepper and cook them for a few minutes in the pot covered with a little water, until soft.
4. In a large bowl, place the cooled blanched limes. Slice them in half and remove the seeds.  Then slice into strips with a scissor. Add all the juice!!
5. Mix in the chopped peppers.
6. Add in the vinegar
7. Salt to taste
8. Spoon in to boiled canning jars (or whatever you have)
9. Seal and place in the SUN!

 

Lime Meringue Pie

We have endless limes are Karanambu.  Sweet, tart and filled with juice.  We are always trying new recipes with the limes from our own trees.

PIE CRUST

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold water

Directions

1. Mix shortening, flour, and salt together with a fork or a pastry blender until very crumbly. Add as much water as needed to hold together, and mix lightly with a fork.
2. Roll gently on a floured pastry cloth to about an inch larger than pie plate. Fold carefully in half, lift to pie plate, and unfold. Press into pan. For a single-crust pie, trim with a small knife to about 1/2 inch beyond rim. Fold up, and pinch so edge of pie is raised from rim.

FILLING & MERINGUE

Ingredients

• 6 egg yolks
• 2 (14 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup lime juice
• 1 (9 inch) graham cracker pie crust
• 5 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon corn starch
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk until well blended. Gradually whisk in the lime juice. Pour into the graham cracker crust.
3. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the center is set when the pie is gently shaken. Set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
4. In a large clean bowl, whip egg whites with corn starch until soft peaks form. Gradually sift in the confectioners' sugar, while continuing to whip to stiff peaks. Spoon on top of the slightly cooled pie, sealing the meringue to the edges of the crust.
5. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until the meringue is lightly toasted. Cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Eddo Curry

Eddo Curry

Eddo (also known as Taro root) is a starchy vegetable that is commonly used in place of a potato. This Curry is a very tasty way to feed a crowd. The smell of the curry frying fills the Compound at Karanambu! 

 Ingredients:

1 large raw Eddo (peeled and cubed) 

1/2 cup light cooking oil

1/2 cup curry powder
1 cup chopped garlic

2 cups chopped onions 

2 cups water

salt to taste

Directions:

1. In a cup, mix the curry powder with enough water to make a loose paste.
2. In a large cast iron pot, preheat the oil for frying.  When the oil is HOT, fry the curry paste. Stir to avoid burning over a low-ish flame.

3. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and fry all in the curry mixture.

4. Add the cubes of Eddo and coat in the curry mixture.

5. Add water as needed while the Eddo cooks to maintain a thick coating.

6. Add salt to taste
7. Continue to simmer until the Eddo is soft enough to slice easily with a fork.

Eddo curry is especially nice if served with Roti.

 We will post Salvador's Roti recipe in the coming days.

Dolores's Fruit Salad

Dolores (Granny) was known for her Fruit Salad.  Once you've tasted it, no other Fruit Salad will ever come close!  There are a few secret ingredients, but most important of all is to use your hands when mixing the fruit.  It really does make a tremendous difference.

Ingredients:

1 Golden Ripe Pineapple 
1 Beautiful Sweet Papaya
4 Glorious Mangoes
6 Juicy Grapefruit
6 Ripe Bananas
1/2 cup of Honey (to taste)
1 Tablespoon of bitters
1/2 bottle of Guyana Rum (at least)
If you can find Passion Fruit Juice, add a can for the original taste!

Directions:

1. Peel the pineapple, rub salt into it and then rinse it.  Now cut it in chunks removing the core as you go. Place the fruit into a large, deep bowl.


2. Slice the Papaya in half and scoop out the seeds. Gently peel the thin skin and slice the fruit into chunks and add it to the fruit in the bowl.

3. Slice the Mangoes, with the skins remaining, down the side on either side of the pit.  Take each "cheek" and score the fruit into 1 inch cubes.  They will easily pop out of the skin and slide right into the bowl with the other fruit.    

4. Peel the grapefruit,  section and remove the white pith, leaving only the fruit and mix it into the rest of the fruit WITH YOUR HANDS.

5. Slice the bananas and add them to the rest of the fruit. 

Mix the rest of the ingredients into the fruit.  First the honey, then the bitters and finally the Rum....MIX WITH YOUR HANDS and taste.  ADD a little bit more of whatever it needs...generally it is the RUM...chill for at least an hour.

Nothing beats Granny's Fruit Salad to put a smile on your face and pink in your cheeks!