Homegrown Win!
The judges at Taste of St. Croix had a dish we are sure they will remember for a long time. As they received the dish, in came all the parts: a whole pumpkin opened at the top like a jack-o-lantern, a bamboo tray with coconut shell cups containing fresh ingredients, a bamboo insulator with red-hot stones, tongs, safety glasses, and directions.

1) Put on safety glasses

2) Remove the pumpkin lid (which contained fresh local red snapper broth)

3) Add first 2 coconut cups containing fresh hand-sqeezed coconut milk and sliced kaffir lime, grated ginger and turmeric, and finely chopped lemongrass

4) Add red hot Caledonia stones (just pulled from the fire) from container with tongs into pumpkin until water boils, then cover and let simmer for 3 minutes

5) Remove pumpkin lid, let steam off, then add diced heirloom cherokee purple tomatoes and malabar spinach to finish

6) Serve with ladle into coconut cups, enjoy! 

We have to admit, we were surprised and elated to hear our names over the loudspeaker as first place winners, especially with such fine restaurants Savant and Tutto Bene in 2nd and 3rd place in the category! We are sure that with our farm-grown creation the judges really got a true taste of St. Croix!

Thanks to all the help -Jessica, Shelli, Patrick, and Nadja for making this laborious dish a huge success!

Recipe by Nate Olive & Tahirah Abu-Bakr

Ingredients
3* West Indian Locust (unshelled)
1 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp nutmeg
1 gallon water

Preparation
Blend stinking toes with one gallon water. Add nutmeg and brown sugar. Serve with ice.


Recipe from www.jamaicans.com

Ingredients
2 ½ tablespoons flour
2/3 cup cane/natural sugar
1/3 cup locust powder
2 ½ cups coconut milk
2 egg yolks – beat – (set egg whites aside)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
 
Preparation
Combine flour, sugar, locust powder and milk. Stir and cook over double boiler (over boiling water).

Stir constantly, add beaten egg yolk, and continue to cook until it thickens.

Now whip egg white, add salt and then fold together into the mix – set to cook. Put in freezer trays or bowl until frozen.

Serve in tall glasses. Top with whipped cream, ground chocolate, or fresh fruit.

Recipe by Chef Tahirah Abu-Bakr

Serves 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
1-2 Sliced Heirloom Green Tomatoes
3/4 cup Buttermilk
Corn Meal (look for non-GMO)
1/4 cup flour
Salt & pepper to taste
Other dried & cropped seasonings
Vegetable oil, deep or light fry

Preparation
Basically its a mixture of corn meal and flour or panko (a little more corn meal than flour), salt, pepper, and whatever fresh herbs you have.

Dip seasoned tomato slices in buttermilk (if you have, much better than milk...add a little hot sauce in there if you want), then dip in cornmeal/flour or panko mixture, then set on a rack until you fry in vegetable oil.

Also good if you dip in cornmeal mixture, then buttermilk, then cornmeal again. After you fry them, set them in a warm oven until you serve. 

The aioli we made was a mixture of stuff that we kept adding to until we liked it....but basically it's just mayo with a bunch of herbs.....yummy!!

Erin's award-winning 2006 Bush Chef Recipe

Serves 4
Preparation time: 25 minutes

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups fresh coconut milk
2 cups diced green papaya
1 cups diced chayote (WEAR GLOVES WHEN HANDLING TO PREVENT SLIGHT CAUSTIC AFFECT)
2 tablespoons curry power
1 teaspoon minced turmeric
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon coconut oil

Directions:
Saute onions & green papaya until papaya gets soft. The add chayote & other seasonings, mix to cover chunks with seasoning. Both chayote and papaya really soak up the seasoning! 

Once soft, add coconut milk and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add some whole hot peppers before this step for optional extra seasoning. Do not overcook, or chunks can lose firmness.

Serve hot, but let cool slightly first, as papaya and chayote can really retain heat even when the rest of dish is only warm.

Recipe by Shelli Brin, inspired by Angletta Pascal