Hi there, beautiful souls in the virtual realm!
I have avoided anything resembling a blank page since the beginning of the year. For many reasons… the state of the world and my mind. But alas, as the wise meme once stated, “The horrors persist, but so do I.”
If truth be told, I am forcing myself to write this post. If I continue to wait for the right time, the right time may never come. Life is precious but fleeting.
Anyway, before I go down another one of my Dark Side of The Moon rants, I’d like to share a few must-try local yummies and a recipe now that Spring is officially In Bloom 😉.
First up is Longan Berries, also known as Dragon Eyes in Chinese, because when you bite into the white meaty fruit protected by the outer brown shell, the dark black seed is exposed, appearing like a dragon eye.
They have a sweet, nutty flavor with a hint of vanilla. Surprisingly, they are highly juicy and refreshing.
“Longan is one of the premier blood tonics of Chinese tonic herbalism. This fruit has a high iron content, about 20 times that of grapes and 15 times that of spinach”. Those with excess iron should consume cautiously, meaning don’t eat the whole bag in one sitting. After all, food is medicine….
“Longan promotes tranquility and can promote deep, refreshing sleep. Traditionally, it is used to increase physical stamina and promote peripheral circulation, warming up cold hands and feet.”
We love to grab a bag of these on our way to the beach and snack on them! The best place to find them is Foodland, Hawaii’s largest locally owned and operated grocery retailer with many local produce and products. As always, when you’re visiting, please consider shopping local to support the local economy outside the tourism industry.
The next thing to grab while you are at your closest FoodLand is guava jam! Our favorite brand is Maika’i. It is also made in Hawaii, and the ingredients are pretty clean. I had a tub of ricotta cheese and peaches at home that needed to be used ASAP because my mom’s voice told me from my subconscious, “Aquí no desperdiciamos comida” (Here, we don’t waste food). So I decided to see what to do with it and the guava jam.
I was pretty pleased with the outcome… a tropical twist: Guava Mint Bruschetta Delights!
Tropical Twist: Guava Mint Bruschetta Delights
Equipment
- 1 cookie sheet
- 1 knife
- 1 chopping board
Ingredients
- 1 French Baguette
- 1 c Ricotta Cheese
- 1 Peach
- 1 c Fresh Basil
- 1 c Fresh Mint
- 1/3 c Guava Jam
- 1 c Balsamic Vinegar
- 3 TBS Coconut Sugar or Brown Sugar
Instructions
- Combine sugar and balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan and whisk together.
- Bring Mixture to a soft boil over low-medium heat.
- Simmer for 12 minutes until it thickens, stirring occasionally. Set aside once done.
- Next, preheat over to 350 degrees.
- Thinly slice baguette and arrange them in rows on a cookie sheet.
- Rinse and cut peach into very thinly sliced pieces – set aside.
- Rinse and julienne basil and mint. Do not combine them and set aside.
- Place cookie sheet with baguette slices in the oven and toast for 10-15 minutes.
- Once baguette slices are toasted and slightly cooled off, with a butter knife spread the ricotta cheese on all pieces.
- Place sliced peaches on half of the baguettes and spread the guava jam on the rest of the pieces.
- Garnish the guava pieces with mint.
- Garnish the peaches pieces with basil and drizzle the balsamic glaze on top.
- Arrange on a pretty serving platter and serve!
So there you have it 🙂… Whether you’re savoring longan berries or spreading guava jam, you can be transported to the sun-kissed shores of Hawaii! 🌺🍓🍯…. I’m not trying to be a food blogger, but as a Taurus Sun & Moon, fancy food is my love language, and extra brownie points if it has a functional health benefit.
Buen Provecho 🤤
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