RAINBOW BURGER – A COLOURFUL CULINARY EXPERIENCE

            EATING FLOWERS is probably not every one’s idea of a meal. I used the term “probably” and NOT “definitely” as culinary experiences have certainly gone bizarre. I mean how do you explain paying to eat in total darkness (acceptable for me), gourmet insect meals (I can still handle this), dinner in the sky over 100 ft in the air (going a bit far up) and at Alcatraz E.R., diners are handcuffed and taken to their “cells” (that 's really walking the GREEN mile to your table). All these are meant to enhance your total eating experience. Ya, OK, but what’s wrong with eating with the family at home in our own dining room? I guess, by today’s standards, this is not an enhanced total experience anymore!

         OK, OK I have digressed from the main topic again. Back to my long-time pal Rose (our children grew up together), she is into all things natural. And is a wonder at it too. Don't believe me, well this is her seedless lemon (300 grams), the lemon tree cutting was from Australia. 

   My super-market bought lemon at a little over 100g with seeds too. Can you see it?

     Can anyone of you grow a winter melon this big - 3.6 kg? Her 1st winter melon 

from her pant that is still reproducing like rabbits.

and she just spotted her 17^th melon. So not fair, I took months to grow measly bean sprouts 😫 and was bragging about it.

          Winter melons can be kept for ONE year and MORE in a shady place as long as one does not wipe away the white ash protective layer. Besides eating this monster, she also plucks the young melon shoots and cooks them in coconut milk ("masak lemak" style).

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   This is her RAINBOW BURGER – 

Bread bun from Village Grocer spread with black sesame Tahini/peanut butter and sandwiched with flowers, herbs and veggies from her garden. 

Nothing bought, burger ingredients: 

        1: Kedongdong shoots (Ambarella)

        2 & 3: Moringa leaves, young and mature (Moringa oleifera)

        4: Coral vine flower

        5: Brazilian spinach

        6: Bunga telang (Butterfly Pea flower)

        7: Dill

        8: Hempedu bumi (Andrographis paniculata, a herbal antibiotic)

        9: Mulberries

      10: Hibicus flower

      Yellow flower centre piece: winter melon flower and burger bun

       A different burger experience from cucumber, lettuce and tomatoes, no doubt. OK, I know what all of you are dying to ask, “Doesn’t Rose get a stomach ache?” That was the first think I asked after oohing  and aahing ... over the pretty colours. “No tummy ache lah. All just a change in mind set. More antioxidants, more colours the better," she said.

Are you ready for Rose's Rainbow Salad?

        Rose has been into organic gardening since 1997. She used to volunteer for 11 years in a group called Cetdem (Centre for Environment, Technology and Development, Malaysia), a group promoting sustainable development. They are the Kuala Lumpur organic warriors. 

        Thanks Rose for the pictures and for educating me on your herbs, fruits and vegetables in your organic garden. Please save one fat winter melon for me, and I will definitely try your rainbow burger, but maybe we'll keep the Rainbow Salad for another visit. 

Keep well my friend.

FOOD BITS

        Hibiscus flowers are said to have a cranberry-like taste with tropical notes (sounds like wine?), often infused into drinks. An article in the Journal of Nutrition 2010 quotes Hibiscus tea may lower blood pressure in people at risk of high blood pressure. Meta-analysis studies in 2015 reported that drinking hibiscus tea lowers both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. However my take is, always do your own research and evaluate what quantities fit your body.

         Moringa oliefera or drumstick tree: Touted as medicinal super food and known as the tree of life. The leaves can be stir-fried with grated coconut and the pods (looks like and also called drumsticks) can be added to curries and stews. High in vitamins, magnesium, iron (said to be able to help in treatment of anaemia) and  proteins. Again, the quantities taken will differ with each person. I did do a stir-fried moringa leave dish and ate quite a bit for dinner with rice. Oh my goodness ... did Gismo man and I have diarrhoea, stomach upset and flatulence the whole night. Moringa in large amounts has laxative properties, obviously I didn't do my research!