Erika came up with a wonderfully challenging theme for Kulinarya Coooking Club last March: Vegetables. Although, Filipino Food may be known for fried pork dishes like Lumpiang Shanghai (ground pork rolls) and Crispy Pata (crispy pork leg), our cuisine has healthy and lighter fare to offer as well.
As a people, we love our vegetables and we have a gardening song to boot! This song precedes the Alphabet Song in most Filipino households.
Bahay Kubo
Bahay kubo, kahit munti
Ang halaman doon, ay sari sari
Singkamas at talong, sigarilyas at mani
Sitaw, bataw, patani.
Kundol, patola, upo’t kalabasa
At saka mayroon pang labanos, mustasa,
Sibuyas, kamatis, bawang at luya
Sa paligid-ligid ay puno ng linga.
Nipa Hut
Nipa hut, even though it is small
The plants it houses are varied
Turnip and eggplant, winged bean and peanut
String bean, hyacinth bean, lima bean.
Wax gourd, loofah, bottle gourd and pumpkin,
And there is also radish, mustard,
Onion, tomato, garlic, and ginger
And all around are sesame seeds.
Today, let us get our ingredients from the second verse, (LOL). While I cannot speak for the rest of the archipelago’s (we have over 7,000 islands) traditional way of cooking, in Bataan where my dad came from, most dishes start with sautéing The Trinity of Tagalog Cuisine: garlic, onions, and tomatoes.
Please note that traditional vegetable dishes from the Bataan peninsula would include prawns and shrimp stock. In this version, try cooking the bottle gourd over high heat until water exudes from the vegetable. This makes a sweeter dish.
Ingredients
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 1 bottle gourd, peeled and sliced to discs then cut about the size of fat French fries
- salt or fish sauce and pepper to taste
Directions
- In a wok or skillet, sauté garlic until fragrant, onions until translucent, and tomatoes until soft.
- Add prepped bottle gourd into the skillet and cook over high heat for a few minutes. Season with salt or fish sauce and pepper to taste.
- Serve over rice.
Growing Bottle Gourd
This bottle gourd produces tender and sweet fruit that are approximately 15″ in length when ready to harvest. This variety has a cylindrical bottle shape with bright green fruit and smooth skin. Young gourds are delicious sautéed with shrimp or added to a soup or stir-fry. ~ Kitazawa Seed Company
- Maturity: Approximately 90 days
- Planting season: Late spring to early summer
Kitazawa Seed Company is the oldest seed company in America specializing in Asian vegetable seeds. Since 1917 they have been the source for oriental vegetable seeds for home gardeners, retailers, and commercial growers.
Please visit them at: http://www.kitazawaseed.com
