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Thursday, May 26, 2011

We Likes Them Raw and Wriggling!

This is what happens when a pregnant woman craves fish.....she eats them raw and wriggling! 

The above fish, alfonsino, is creamy tasting and firm textured.  Excellent for sashimi.  Similar to hamachi or yellowtail.  See http://www.sushiencyclopedia.com/sushi_menu/yellowtail_sushi.html


This fish is called cavalo, in Portuguese.  It is a mackerel, an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E.  It can be eaten raw only right after being caught, being a rare delicacy enjoyed by fishermen, their freinds and family.  The flesh breaks very easily, so it requires a bit of finesse to fillet the fish.  And a very sharp fillet knife. It is known to spoil quickly, so salt it overnight, before curing it.  Konswan´s curing process involves a brine of weak chamomile or green tea, minced garlic, dried juniper berries, fennel seeds, and a bit of lemon juice.  For spiciness, add a bit of dried chili peppers.  The Japanese use rice vinegar to cure the mackerel.    

The fun of sushi and sashimi is the garnishes and sauces.  The rice is cooked with a bit of white wine vinegar, 1\2 teaspooon of brown sugar, and mixed with dried green seaweed or nori.  The brown sauce is made of soy sauce, lemon juice, grated home-grown daikon radish and garlic.  It is similar to a tataki sauce.  The bright green sauce is wasabi.  The lighter green sauce is Konswan´s wasabi yogurt sauce with minced shallots and black pepper.  Edible garnish of cilantro or shiso leaves complete the presentation.



Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Spring Weather and Gardening

This year is the first one in over fifty years that the sun is allowed to shine fully on the Fruit Farm gardens.
We have been steadily clearing the forest around the Farm for four years. The sun now is able to come streaming through our valley without hindrance and strike our gardens as it rises from the ocean.


Below are the primary vegetable gardens that supply us with 80% of our yearly vegetable consumption. This photo was taken at 7:55 in the morning. In previous years the forest blocked the sun until nearly noon.



Magnus is renovating the Herb Garden in order to utilize the fantastic sun exposure for Tomatoes and other Sun Lovers.



Magnus is sporting his new Summer Hat that Konswan knitted for him, as he removes the Rosemary hedges for translplanting. The new hedges will be placed in one of the newly available areas recovered from forest land.


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