Good morning we had much-awaited rain last night which was very welcome…it has laid the dust and cooled it down somewhat…
Last weeks post Charcoal making was a very popular post and raised the question that we should all be looking at alternative means to electric and coal burning fuels just in case…
What is happening this week down on the farm? ….
Man Saeng are a Thai potato it is only found in the jungle and not sold commercially…..If someone has been foraging in the jungle you may find a few being sold very locally on a market.
Man Saeng is not only native to Thailand but neighbouring Burma, Cambodia and Laos.
Here in the North they are often found growing by the river and the vines often attach themselves to a tree and then what I call runners are the tubers which are light brownish and slightly hairy.
It can be added to soup or fried like the fried bananas in a batter or breadcrumbed and my son who had them boiled for his supper last night said that they tasted a little like our new potatoes and he really liked them. They can also be steamed or ground into a flour to make desserts.
They are quite fibrous and if overcooked have a sticky texture… somewhat glutinous.
This video shows them being harvested from the jungle and also where a few are being grown for the farmer’s own consumption.
This week we also harvested a few nuts which are now ready to eat..my nutcrackers do not work as in cracking them..my son’s partners uses a knife..mmmm…I think I will leave that to her or I will end up minus some digits…That’s for sure…
They taste a little like a cross between a brazil nut and macadamia nuts which I would use in my cooking if someone shells them for me that shell is impervious to my nutcracker…lol
It is generally the old grandmother who gets this job as she is very skilled with her machete type knife no-one will argue with her…lol
Notice there are no mod cons here…
The turkeys are still laying eggs I am getting quite used to turkey eggs now. Scrambled eggs made with turkey eggs are lovely, creamier than scrambled eggs made with chickens eggs and not strong flavoured like ducks eggs.
Sadly our handsome big boy met an untimely end…He had strayed into the road as they do sometimes in the search for food …it is a quiet back road which gets the occasional car or bike…it did toot him and he turned and ran the wrong way…he was popular with the ladies and I am sure he is missed by them although it gives the other boys a chance now…
Sticky rice and banana parcels made by Tik’s mum…Jamie took the photos but he couldn’t get a smile out of her still…But he carried on and took some photos for my blog..isn’t he a good boy?
Everything is ready to make these lovely sticky rice and banana parcels
Bananas cut into halves, uncooked sticky rice ( Khao niaow), sugar pot, banana leaves cut into rectangles and bamboo strips to tie the parcels. These are then cooked in hot water for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
The halved bananas are rolled in the sticky rice..which is uncooked with a little sugar added.
They are then wrapped in the banana leaves and made into a neat little parcel tied together with the bamboo.
The parcels are then stood upright in a pot of hot water and covered with some bamboo and cooked for 2 to 2/12 hours until the rice is cooked.
When ready you have these lovely parcels of sticky rice with a banana they are very tasty and can also be found on all the markets although it is wise to ask what is in the bamboo as it is not always bananas and rice…
Quite a lot this week with Turkey eggs, nuts, potatoes and banana parcels I wonder what next week will bring…Something new is always coming up and surprises me…
Thank you for reading about my life in Thailand I do hope you enjoy it 🙂
About Carol Taylor:
Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.
I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.
Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and wellbeing.
The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year
Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…….Then, I will be happy!
Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have a creative week xx
Retired? No one told me! 
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loved reading this post about your life in Thailand. I wish I had kept up with reading your posts a month ago when we visited Bangkok! That banana and sticky rice meal sounds quite good. Look forward to reading more of your posts!
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Ahhhh thank you, Jim at least you will be well prepared for your next visit..I hope you mangaged to see everything that you had planned to see and it lived up to your expectations :)…It would easy to stick to being a vegan here many dishes are vegetable /fruit based and Jackfruit which grows here everywhere when cooked is like pulled pork and apparently vegans love it….Here is the link if you would like to check it out https://carolcooks2.com/2018/06/22/fruity-friday-the-unusual-jack-fruit/
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I did have some really good pad Thai meals while I was there. Wish I had known about the jackfruit. We did get to see most of the things we wanted to when we were there. But we need to go back. I heard Phuket and Chiangmai are great places to visit.
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We lived in Phuket for 5 years before we moved here… Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are lovely except when they burn the fields so avoid that time…Chiang Mai has beautiful temples the white and the black one…. Phuket has the beautiful beaches. 😊
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those towns you mention sound wonderful! and thanks for the advice about the burning fields…
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My pleasure.. anytime…
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This sound really interesting. I love your country, where its possible to have machete like knifes. 🙂 Lets look for turkey eggs here. Never thought about them to be eaten. Thank you for these great ideas, Carol! Best wishes, Michael
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You can buy any knife or machete you wish for down the markets here…Michael which hasn’t boded well for some husbands…I hope you find turkeys eggs…I came across some Ostrich eggs here the other day they were huge and would feed a party…haha…Best to you, Michael have a fun rest of the week and stay safe from the virus 🙂
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You too, Carol! Thank you. Here bigger knifes (swords too 🙂 ) are forbitten by law.
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Not here… They sell anything…
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Lol – Sounds like here we are more a kingdom, like in Thailand. 😉
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Haha…and the world keeps turning…:)
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Yes, indeed, Carol! Just watching a documentary about the Covid-19. Looks like parts from the Independence Day movie. Best wishes, Michael
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Yes we are getting lots of info from different sources not much officially I will say…It does seem to be taking hold and on the increase …sigh…I have noticed more people wearing masks but masks don’t prevent you getting it basic hygiene may…As a lady of advancing years I am a little worried although generally in good health..fingers crossed..:) x
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The banana and sticky rice parcels sound delicious. I’ve never had turkey eggs but I do really like duck eggs.
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I hadn’t Mary until we started growing our own turkeys I also like ducks eggs which are very popular here 🙂
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The sticky rice and banana parcels look quite good!
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They are lovely a popular snack here 🙏
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Reblogged this on Smorgasbord Blog Magazine and commented:
Carol Taylor has been down at the farm and introduces us to a native potato which is a little hairy, she goes nuts with some macadamias and despite an unfortunate and sad accident for one of the turkeys, Carol does end on a sweet note with sticky rice and banana parcels. Definitely worth heading over to read more…
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Banana in sticky rice parcels blew my mind! I’ve had them in a restaurant, but had no idea of the procedure – fascinating.
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Thank you 😊
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My pleasure, dear friend.
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Another terrific post, learning so much from you!
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Thank you, John…I am learning so much from living here I am always being surprised or shocked sometimes but loving it 🙂 x
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Now that I think about it, I’ve never heard of people eating turkey eggs. I wonder why that is, especially with you relating that they taste good. Maybe because in the US, people eat so much turkey meat.
This blog is much fun to read and so informative. Lovely!
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Thank you.. I am pleased you enjoyed… The turkeys are probably just reared as food and eggs hatched rather than eaten.. as you say… Turkey eggs would probably be found locally rather than in stores… You may be lucky at some point we only have them because we grow our own turkeys I haven’t seen them to buy… 😀
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