Thursday, July 29, 2010

Kitchen Rescue by Reggie Aspiras

The Inquirer's Reggie Aspiras featured the Malagos Farm Fair in her Inquirer column yesterday. The Malagos Farm Fair will be held on August 7 & 8.

MANY OF us, myself included, have been contemplating on the possibility of owning our own little farm where we could raise animals and grow our own flowers, vegetables and herbs.

While for many it remains a dream, Bert and Charita Puentespina had farmed their way to success and is now about to celebrate their 50th year, as a couple and as farmers.

The risks they took have allowed cooks and flower enthusiasts to enjoy ingredients and blooms that we never thought would thrive on Philippine soil.

According to their son, veterinarian, Dr. Bo: “We will celebrate their anniversary on Aug. 7-8 by holding a Farm Fair at the Malagos grounds to showcase the products and services that my parents worked so hard for. It is also an occasion for us to honor Davao and the people of Mindanao.

“We will teach and show interested/ would-be farmers the technology, what it takes to run a cacao farm, a dairy goat-cow and an organic fertilizer and vermi-culture operation.

“There will also be seminars on agriculture—water systems, animal feeds, vegetables, fruits, raising ornamentals and flowering plants.

“Our livestock/farm animals (dairy goats, cows, sheep, cocks, horses, peacocks, pheasants, ostriches, fancy chickens, dogs and ornamental birds) will also be on sale. We will also teach the buyers how to raise them properly and how they could turn a hobby to a business.

“There will be a cheese-making seminar, farm games, an adventure race, a lot of food to taste. Try our Bignay wine and homemade cheeses. There will be different types of beer for tasting, too.”

For the Malagos Farm Fair, contact Dr. Bo Puentespina at 0917-5481867.

I love cooking with Malagos produce. Their fruits and vegetables are fantastic. Their goat, pheasant and guinea fowl, delicious—and their cheeses, sublime—which is why they fly the friendly skies.

My every visit to Malagos is a culinary adventure, and tasting the way they prepare their homegrown produce, always delightful.

Here are some recipes from Malagos we cooked during my Davao Culinary Tour. Enjoy!

Quesong Puti

This is so, so good.

10 l milk

Rennet, smidgen (Dan Asia, 0916-5918031)

Heat pasteurized milk at 40°C; 70°C if fresh milk. Add rennet, leave to rest 30-40 minutes. Cut curd and whey. Leave until curdling process ends approximately 10 minutes. Scoop out curdling and put on basket over bamboo lined with cheese cloth. Drain till desired firmness. Slice. Wrap in banana leaves. With the remaining whey, make ricotta cheese, 5-6 liters of whey at 80°C. Add 50 ml vinegar.

Continue to cook to 100°C until curd forms, drain curd on strainer lined with cheese cloth.

One of the things I love to do with ostrich is tapa. You must try this!

1 ostrich breast, sliced thin and pounded

¼ c soy sauce

3 tbsp brown sugar

3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

Combine, marinate ostrich. Pan fry with a little oil.

Guinea Fowl Adobo

1 guinea fowl, chopped

¼ c olive oil

1 c garlic cloves, whole

1/3 c vinegar

¼ c soysauce

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 fresh bay leaves

Thyme sprigs

Sugar, pinch

Freshly ground pepper and salt

Heat oil. Add fowl. When fowl is almost brown, add garlic. Add the rest of the ingredients and enough water to cover. Simmer until fowl is soft and liquid reduced.

Pheasant Stew with Straw Mushrooms

1 pheasant, chopped

2 c Malagos Bignay wine

1 head chopped garlic

1 c apple juice

¼ c honey

¼ c mushroom soy sauce

Chopped rosemary

½ kg straw mushrooms

Salt, to taste

Marinate pheasant in Bignay wine, garlic, apple juice, 1 tsp whole peppercorns, honey, overnight. Heat 3 tbsp of oil. Sear pheasant. Add marinade. Simmer until tender. Add mushrooms, herbs, and season to taste.

Whole Roasted Malagos Cabrito

1 whole baby goat

3 c olive oil

3 heads garlic

100 g rosemary, basil, oregano, garlic, chives

¼ c mustard

1 c honey

½ c balsamic vinegar

Juice of 1 whole lemon

Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Process. Rub over goat. Marinate overnight. Roast over coals.

Tableya Cake

3 eggs

¾ c vegetable oil

3 c white sugar

3.5 c all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

16 tablets tableya

1.5 c boiling water

1.5 c evaporated milk

3 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp salt

Melt tableya in boiling water, cool.

Add milk to tableya.

Combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Beat vegetable oil and sugar in a mixer. Add eggs one at a time. Divide dry mixture into three and the wet into two. To the eggs, add dry ingredients (flour) alternately with wet (tableya). Start with dry end with dry. Pour into two greased and lined 9” baking pans. Bake 30-45 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven.

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