The Writer's E-Zine Home

Writers' Village University - F2K: Free Fiction Writing Course - ePress-online
Writers' Village University Membership Information

Catherine's Kitchen

Catherine Manning

Wondering

Well, I'm sitting here wondering what to write, before Margaret sends me a polite 'Do we have a column this month' letter!

The dogs are outside barking protecting the fence; two of them can jump the four feet to the top of the wall and run along inside the picket fence on the top of the wall; they can also jump over and go behind the monkeys, who do their best to irritate. There are a group of them. I have photos of the four youngest monkeys, who posed for me, though there is only one around now of the young ones. I call him Mr. Cheeky as that is what he is; he has no fear of dog or human. He is getting a little too brave and I'm scared that the dogs will catch him as he will jump over the fence and run from one end of the lawn to the other, with ten dogs in pursuit, which is pushing his luck. He sits on the lowest branch of the trees with his tail hanging just out of the dogs' reach, which drives them bananas. I have a rain gauge on the fence and one of his favourite pranks is to take it off the fence and throw it on the ground; so I can't measure what little rain we're getting at the moment, though I can always tell from the amount in the water pan I have for the turtles. It's usually none, as we are in a drought.

Mr. Cheeky has found my paw-paw tree growing behind the house, which is full of fruit, about thirty or more lovely paw-paws, round ones with very thick orange flesh, which are the best. (I threw out seeds and this appeared). I have been trying to leave them on the tree as long as possible for the best flavour and had picked two almost ripe ones and left the others which were just beginning to turn. Then I went out one morning to find a bite in one very small one which was obviously what we call "force ripe," so I decided it was time to save some of the others. Monkeys can be very destructive; they don't just eat one fruit, but will bite several and spoil them, or pick them and throw them on the ground to spoil, so I have to be ahead of the game. For several years we have had a problem with paw-paw here, the trees developing what is called "bunchy top" a disease which kills the trees; however, I think I have a throwback here from the old stock, hope so.

Paw-paw is mainly a carbohydrate with a small amount of protein and fibre. It's also a good source of vitamin A and contains vitamins B, C, calcium, phosphorus and iron. Paw-paw also contains the enzyme papain which acts as a tenderizing agent and the immature fruit can be used in stews, etc. I have also used the leaves to wrap meat for an hour or so to tenderize it. Underripe fruit can also be preserved and used as a dessert, though I prefer a ripe paw-paw with a squeeze of lime and, if necessary, a sprinkle of sugar. There are many other uses for the pawpaw. The turtles love the skins. I have thirty of them: land turtles or tortoises, babies, youngsters and others of all ages and I have eggs that I saved from the dogs, which I hope will hatch. I was going to give you a recipe for Preserved Paw-paw, but instead I'll do the Preserved Melon Rind, which came out really well. I'm getting free water melons just to do the rind.

PRESERVED MELON RIND Take one watermelon, cut out fruit for eating and save rind. Peel rind and cut remnants into strips of about 2" x 1". Cover in water, bring slowly to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and cover with cold water for two hours. I put the bowl in the freezer. Drain and squeeze dry between towels. For every pound of fruit, have a pound of sugar and to every pound of sugar have a cup of water. Make a syrup of the sugar and water and boil for ten minutes or so, add fruit and simmer till done. Bottle in sterilized bottles and use on ice cream or as you would preserved fruit.

TALKING ABOUT the four-legged monkeys brings me back to the two-legged species; the grey matter might not be too much different.

One Sunday, we went to church. I don't want that to sound as if we never went to church; we did as my mother made us. My father had his own ideas and was religious in his own way and supported the church always. Every harvest day truckloads of produce went free to the church and the church made the money selling it. But this Sunday in question might not have been the right time, though I think the congregation had fun as usual as they used to look forward to seeing us children in church. Like the police. We discovered this afterwards; we never thought about it at the time.

My mother gathered us together and managed to get us in the car and our father waved us off as usual. We had a pew in church which was ours only, right up front under the pulpit, but when we were all there, my mother sat at the back of the front section, if you get my drift! This Sunday in question, my mother's attention must have drifted for a bit, as all I remember seeing is my three brothers' backsides crawling over the pews and under the pews, over and under the pews, till they got to the pulpit. The Reverend Johnson, whom we knew well, was silent for quite a while after they said 'Good Morning Reverend Johnson' and made their way back down. My mother was livid. She stopped on the way back home and made the boys go and pick the whips she was going to beat them with; she did too but hadn't gotten far when my father had a hearty laugh, as did we girls! A few years later, one of the regulars told my mother how much they looked forward to seeing us in church. It made their day! My poor mother said to me not long ago that she's not sure why she's still here. Because she's strong, I guess, and has her place with the great grandchildren now, who adore their "Nan." She spoils them silly. The youngest is Brandon, who is one year old on Wednesday and I have to make his birthday cake which is going to be chocolate at the request of his older brother Jake. So I'm going to make a:

DEVILS FOOD CAKE 6 ozs. flour 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda Pinch of salt 2 oz. cocoa 7-1/2 fl. oz. water 4 oz. margarine 10 oz. castor sugar 2 eggs Oven 350F. Sift dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Blend cocoa with water and set aside. Beat margarine and sugar till light and fluffy. Whisk eggs till frothy and add to sugar mixture a little at a time and beat well. Stir in the flour alternately with the cocoa mixture. Divide the mixture between two greased and floured 8" cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes until skewer comes away clean. Leave to cool and then sandwich halves together and cover cake with your favourite frosting.

Bon Appetit
Cath