Welcome to this week in my kitchen …Our high season is here which means it is very hot in the kitchen so methinks it is time to dust off the BBQ and cook in my second kitchen which has doors at either end and is more open so if there is a breeze when it blows through so much cooler.

My jackfruit tree has fruit and for the first year, I have flowers on my curry trees and apparently when it fruits they are edible something new to try…

Jackfruit is also becoming a popular alternative to meat for vegans, vegetarians and anyone wanting to adopt a healthier lifestyle as when cooked the texture is similar to pulled pork.

When ripe jackfruit is eaten as a fruit but unripe jackfruit is prepared as a vegetable. Young jackfruit is used in stews or curries, boiled, roasted; or fried and eaten as a snack. The seeds can also be eaten as a snack after being boiled and then roasted.

Spicy jackfruit salad which in Thai is called Tam Khanun or Tam banun it is made by pounding boiled jackfruit with chilli paste and then stir-frying.

First step over and that was cutting the Jackfruit…I can guarantee if you use an oiled knife and grease your hands the latex doesn’t stick…You do have to keep re-greasing the knife though but any which attached itself came off easily with the cooking oil…

My jackfruit slices are now simmering gently on the stove…

Once they are tender and cooled down enough for me to remove the outer skin I will be doing so…

Ingredients for Tam Kanun:

• 400 gm green, young Jackfruit
• 100 gm minced pork (optional) if vegetarian or vegan.
• 5 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 10 Cherry tomatoes cut in quarters.
• 3- 6 tsp Chilli paste ( depending on your taste)

To serve:

• 2 spring onions sliced
• 5 dried birds eye chillies fried
• 1 tbsp fried garlic.
• 1 tbsp coriander

Let’s Cook!

Once cooked drain the jackfruit well, pound in a pestle and mortar and set to one side. I had heard cooked this looks like pulled pork and it does…Or tinned tuna…

Heat a little oil in a pan and fry the garlic until it is nicely browned add the chilli paste and stir-fry for a minute.

Add the minced pork ( if using) and stir-fry until it is cooked 3-4 minutes stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes and the jackfruit stir-fry to combine well add the kaffir lime leaves and remove from the heat.

Serve with sticky rice and the fried garlic, chillies, spring onions and coriander as garnish.

The first time I made this dish… We were very pleasantly surprised if I hadn’t cooked it and it was put in front of me I would never have known it was Jackfruit…Truly ☺ What do you think??

Tam Kanun Spicy Jackfruit Salad… we all loved it and I would definitely make it again.

The ripe Jackfruit arils (pictured) below are eaten here with sticky rice just pushed into the centre.

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Sourdough…Update I am feeding it twice daily and it is definitely a lot livelier so we may (fingers crossed) get our first loaf this weekend…What am I going to call it after giving me so much trouble either Matilda or Phoenix ( Sally’s ) suggestion…What do you think???

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As you know our in-laws bought a few bananas when they came so Banana bread it was…I love Banana bread but could eat it until it goes out of favour so I am limiting myself and

encouraging everyone else to eat it…haha…The passionfruit butter is always a hit when I make it we all love the sweet and tart taste of the passionfruit…

Recipe for Banana Bread and Passion fruit Butter

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Last week on my trip to the market I bought the lovely Majong fruit which is now in season, green mango, lots of herbs and some fish, Passionfruit is abundant at the moment but I gave that a miss the apples are very nice at the moment nice and crisp and a little bit tart…I also picked my cheese up and a lovely piece of blue cheese which was new in…I have had to be very strict with myself as it needs to last and it is a large 750 gm piece which means I can do some cooking with it.

Down on the Farm…The fruit and vegetables on the farm are doing well we have 2 new baby turkeys and the radishes are ready to pick…Nice and hot apparently…Grandad will love these…

 

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This week’s Curry:-  Jerk Fish.

Does Jerk Fish count? Well, it has some heat and as fish is quite abundant at the moment here goes I hope you enjoy as much as we did…spicy, spicy skin but the fish, sweet and lovely.

Jerk Fish:

Ingredients:

• 3 medium size Perch.
• I tbsp Allspice berries or ground allspice.
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves.
• 1 large pinch ground cloves.
• 1/2 tbsp muscovite sugar.
• Few sprigs Thyme picked and chopped.
• Few sprigs fresh coriander chopped.
• 3-6 birds eye chillies finely chopped.
• 2 clove garlic finely chopped.
• 3cm fresh ginger.
• 2 spring onions.
• zest of 1 lime.
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 11/2 tbsp honey.
• 2 tbsp golden rum ( optional)

Slash fish 3 times across diagonally and put in oven proof dish and put on one side.

Pound allspice, peppercorns and bay leaves together. Mix in cloves, sugar and honey. Add herbs, chillies, garlic, ginger and bash together.

Tip into a jug and add chopped tops of spring onions, lime zest, a drizzle of oil, a pinch of salt and the rum if using. Mix well.

Pour marinade over the fish and massage well in both sides( it’s a good idea to wear gloves for this )

Leave in fridge to Marinade for at least one hour.

Pre-heat oven to 220 degrees or gas 7. Cook for 20-30 minutes until slightly charred and cooked.

   Serve with Lime slices, Salsa and rice or new potatoes. This marinade can be used with Chicken or Pork.

Next week I will ( I hope) to be showing you how well my taco cases turned out made with Crispy Pork skin…We love crispy crackling and the thought of a taco shell made with it has all of us salivating here…Wish me luck…

We are waiting for little Lily to come it is her weekend and then next week she is coming to stay for two months or so she tells me as the schools here have their long holiday during the high season…Happy Days….

That is all from me this week in my kitchen…Tomorrow is my market shopping day I wonder what new fruits or vegetables I can find…I always look forward to Saturdays xx

Thank you for reading I hope you are enjoying my week in the kitchen…

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!

Carol is a contributor to the Phuket Island Writers Anthology: https://www.amazon.com/Phuket-Island-Writers-Anthology-Stories-ebook/dp/B00RU5IYNS

Connect to Carol

Blog: https://carolcooks2.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRealCarolT
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Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all having a great weekend xx