The weatherman said that the interment heavy rains does not mean summer is officially over. Apparently there are conditions that need to be met before it can be declared that the rainy season is upon us.
That’s good news! My hubby still needs to supervise the final stages of the repairs of our windows and gutters. I, on the other hand, have just completed the “revamp” of my garden.
For years, I have managed to create a garden look that had a “wild” feel about it. I was very permissive as I allowed flowering vines to curl up any which way they wanted. With no general plans, I mixed up herbs and vegetables with my garden mainstays. No rules. If it grew, it stayed. Visitors were kind as they described my garden as whimsical and forest-like. My hubby, being a sticker for order, would occasionally shake his head and suggest that I tidy up my mess of a garden.
This time, I took his comment to heart and got the help of a recommended landscape expert, Manong P. Initially, Manong P drew up a plan that called for the total discard of all my wild and over-the-hill plants. In place, he suggested well-behaved (currently in fashion) plants. But the price he quoted was too wild for what I had in mind.
In the end, we agreed to use much of my existing plants (white anthurium, lily-like plants, periwinkles, bangkok ground orchid, jasmine and an assortment of ferns) but planted in a more organized manner.
I agreed to Manong P's buying some hardy (read: cheap) perennials like Japanese bamboo, pandakaki, forget-me-nots and miniature santans to use as hedges and boarders.
My very old gumamelas have been transferred to the vacant lot adjacent to my garden. Maybe a new location might encourage it become lush again. I had to bid my lantana, boganvilla and YTT bush good-bye as they prove to be too unruly. They will be missed.
In six days, Manong P and his team of three transformed my wild enclave into the beginnings of a garden that although more orderly does not have a manicured feel to it. Although less messy, it still retained some air of freedom.
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| My Narra now sports a crew cut of sorts |
Right now, I have to ensure that the ground stays moist so that the roots of the new plants take hold. In a month’s time, Manong P will come to visit to check on his handiwork. By then, the rainy season would be upon us. By then, my garden will be ready to continue giving me great joy.
Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain.
---xxxoooxxxoooxxx---
I like my garden lush, colorful and fragrant. I like how birds, bees, butterflies and lady bugs go on with their business during the day and how crickets, fire flies and croaking frogs take over at night. Mixed-matched. Hodge podge. But somehow everything working together.
This is so much like this recipe I would like to share with you: Pinakbet or pakbet. So much color and flavor and somehow everything coming together in a delicious manner.
There is no right or wrong way to cook Pinakbet. In the end, you put in the vegetables cubed or roughly sliced up in the way you want and enhance it with your favorite shrimp paste.
Pinakbet
Prepare half a cup to a cup each of the following peeled and cubed/sliced vegetables:
Eggplant (place in a blow of water)
Squash
Ampalaya (remove center core of seeds and pulp)
Sitaw (Beans)
Okra
Tomatoes
Onion
1 T chopped garlic
200 grams of either:
cubed pork
or chicken
or a mix of seafood (shrimp, squid, fish fillet)
½ chicken cube dissolved in ½ c water
2-3 t shrimp paste
Patis (fermented fish sauce)
Salt and pepper
To guarantee that the vegetables do not become mushy, I picked up the following technique from an old recipe book.
In a wok or kawali, place 2-3 T cooking oil. Saute the following: onions, garlic and tomatoes. Add the sliced eggplant and squash. Stir it around until just a bit tender but not cooked thru. Add the okra and ampalaya. Stir for about a two-three minutes. Add half of the shrimp paste, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Place in bowl and set aside.
In the same pan, add some cooking oil and saute the meat. When cooked, add the remaining shrimp paste, salt and pepper. Return the vegetables into the pan and add the broth and patis. Mix, cover and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
Taste and correct the seasoning to your liking. Serve with lots of piping hot steamed white rice.
Note:
1. For a more decadent dish, use pork lard instead of vegetable oil for stir fying.
2. Before serving, top the vegetables with slices of lechon kawali or chicaron.
3. Impress your guests and serve the pakbet in a hollowed out squash (something I saw at a restaurant).
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