My husband
and I recently returned from our vacation on the magical island of Barbados. The force in which we were shot back to reality
came quick the morning after our arrival home as we woke to a blanket of snow frightening
us along with all the buds and sprouts that could have sworn it was
spring. But spring in Canada vs. spring
in the Caribbean are a bit different I suppose.
Where was the everyday “pure sun and 30 degrees” we had become so accustomed
to in 1 short week? I know…spoiled
rotten we were.
But still,
it was nice to get home to the kids, dog, friends and family. It would have also been nice to bring the sun,
ocean, sand and island hospitality with us.
I made sure to buy a Bajan cook book before I left so we could transport
ourselves…if not in body, in mind…to the flavours of the island whenever the
mood struck. The staple Bajan seasoning
they used on fish and chicken was amazing and I don’t think a day went by
without us scarfing down a few fish cakes dipped in pepper sauce. This is making me hungry.
We also visited
St. Nicholas Abbey up on the northern side of the island which is a 350 year old
plantation house surrounded by fields upon fields of sugarcane.
We had the
opportunity to watch the process by which they extract the sugar cane juice
from the stalks and even taste the cane in it’s raw form.
Today I
think it would be fitting to reprise my recipe for the “Island Baby” puree I had
posted once upon a time. Somehow the
name brings with it so much more meaning to me now than it did before our trip to
a real, true beautiful island. I was
thinking the exact same thing this week when the island inspired song, “One
Love” came on the radio. I’ve probably
heard the song 5000 times before and each time, sure, it brings to mind fictitious
island parties, bold hibiscus flowers on cotton button down shirts and sundresses
and the sun, sand and surf, but now it seems to mean much more and I’m not sure
how to describe it other than to say, a warm, good life.
Ready…Set…Evolve…
Island Baby
Ingredients
·
1 ripe Papaya
·
2 ripe Mangos
·
Mashed banana to add to puree just before
serving
Baby Steps
·
Peel and seed mango and papaya, then chop
into small pieces. For instructions on
how to do this see earlier post “Sunny Side of Grey”.
·
Add fruit to a food processor, blender or
large bowl to use a hand blender to puree.
·
Puree to a smooth thin consistency. Feel free to add a little bit of water to the
mix if the puree isn’t thin enough.
·
The mango and papaya puree can be transferred
to freezing trays to be used within 3 months, or to a food storage container in
the fridge to be used within 48 hours.
·
When you’re ready to serve to baby, stir in a
bit of freshly mashed banana to the puree for an over the top tropical
experience…or maybe just a bit of added sweetness.
Makes - Approx. 11
Servings (1 serving = 2 tbsps.)
So now here
we are back to reality. But what if with
each trip we take we bring back little pieces of what we’ve learned, who we met
and what we experienced and apply them to our everyday reality? All of a sudden would our reality become a vacation?
Let’s try! Fish cakes anyone?
