Watercress is in the family of Brassicas like radish and mustard relating to their peppery flavor. It closely resembles the taste of nasturtiums and the name is the same but they are actually distant relatives and they are easy to grow. Watercress is not available in the Philippines when I was growing up so I…
Kohlrabi is in the family of brassicas which includes cabbages, brocolli, cauliflower, kale, collard greens and brussel sprouts. The word kohlrabi is a German word meaning cabbage and turnip. I guess its because it look like a turnip but tastes like a cabbage. I decided to plant Kohlrabi because I was curious about the taste…
Mansanita, means little apple in the Philippines. It is a summer fruit, green in color when young and turning yellow when ripe. It tastes sweet and juicy with a little tartness. The fruit has one seed inside, which is hard and not edible. I can compare it to the omebushi (Japanese plum pickle). It is…
I was surprised to see this caterpillar attached to the winged beans. Normally I will see the caterpillars munching on the butterfly weed’s leaves and flowers. I guess since I don’t have butterfly weed this time, they try to find other plants that they will be protected till they turn into a regular butterfly. I’m…
Artichoke is perennial vegetable that belongs to the thistle family of plants. The edible part of the plant is the bud before it opens into a flower. The immature florets in the center of the bud is called the “choke” but its not edible. You have to remove it from the base called the heart,…
Breadfruit is called ‘rimas’ in the Philippines. It is a fruit and vegetable at the same time. We eat the fruit by boiling or grilling and steaming. My grandma always serve us breakfast of boiled “rimas” and freshly grated coconut with sugar. It’s so tasty and good for your health too. It has a texture…