TROPICAL TASTE - Finding Tropicals on the mainland - 2

I thought I would be home by now, but instead find myself still on the mainland...in North Carolina, to be especific.  I came to help my siblings settle our parents and their home.  You can read the story in "When roles are reversed..."

 I thought it would be challenging, if not near impossible, to find tropicals available in the winter on the mainland.  Imagine my surprise when I found tropical fruits and veggies available in places like WalMart, Sam's Club and a fantastic farmer's market we pass everyday on our way to and from our brother's place near Winston-Salem and our parents' home in Greensboro.

My brother Tony's wife is American of German descent, but has lived in Spain with my brother while he was working there and has also learned to enjoy Cuban or Caribbean food...her favorite is the 'yuca con mojo' - which is cassava root with the sour orange-garlic sauce we Cubans call mojo (moe-ho).  The yuca we buy in cans, already cooked, since it simpler and easier than cooking the yuca, which takes a long time....the mojo we make ourselves, although you can find it bottled in many Hispanic or Latino markets.

On my first trip to the Farmer's Market, we found these beautiful mangoes.  Some of them were already fragrant although not quite ready to eat.

Also found some Caribbean Red papayas, which are much larger, redder and sweeter than the Hawaiian papayas.  Many people don't know that papayas in Hawaii were 'engineered' to be smaller than the Caribbean papaya, so it would be easier to transport them.  Some of the Hawaiian varieties are still very good tasting and sweet...while others are a bit bland to my taste.

These little baby bananas don't grow over 6 inches and are plump and very sweet when ripe.  This bunch rippened almost overnight and we had to use them up before they spoiled...we made banana-nut muffins.  A trick I learned recently: sprinkle a thin layer of sugar on the bottom of the muffin tin after spraying with oil.  Then after filling the cups, sprinkle some more on the top.  The top and bottom of the muffins will be crunchy and delicious!

I also found dried tropical fruit in packages.  Try them next time you're making a fruit cake instead of the traditional citron mix.  YUM!

Dried pineapple rings and mango slices can be used in desserts as well as in cooked dishes.  Chop some of the dried pineapple rings or mango slices in a cake batter or chop up in a chicken dish and you can make any dessert or meal 'tropical'.

Dried papaya chunks can also be used chopped up when making scones or muffins....add a touch of freshly grated ginger for a real exciting taste.

 Though rosemary is not 'tropical' it does enjoy a temperate climate.  I found this rosemary, covered in gorgeous blue blooms at the Farmer's Market....we bought it and planted it in a pot at my sister-in-law's place...we used some of the blooms in a fresh salad.

 Although we normally don't see pink flamingoes in Hawaii outside a zoo, this vignette setting in the plant shop made me feel right at home!  A touch of the tropics during a very cold and windy day.

In my next article, I will be featuring a typical Cuban dinner, as found in North Carolina....we are already working on gathering the necessary foods!

Meantime, see how much of the tropics you can find around you!

		Sonia Martinez, Gather Food Correspondent
	Sonia's column, 'Tropical Taste' is a regular twice-monthly feature of Gather Essentials: Food. Sonia is a cookbook author and freelance food writer for several publications in Hawaii, and is also a Hawaii Island Journal restaurant reviewer in partnership with her son Anthony Mathis.  She lives in a beautiful rural rainforest area on the Big Island of Hawaii. You can keep up with Sonia's adventures and ongoing love affair with Hawaii by joining her network, or visiting her food & garden blog at Sonia Tastes Hawaii.