"GULAY" - VEGETABLES

SAUTEED VEGETABLES - GUISADONG GULAY

On any Filipino tables, vegetables always comes sauteed with bits of pork meat with fat on it and a handful of shrimps. "Bago-ong is sometimes used for flavoring. Always with garlic, onions and tomatoes. Vegetable dishes are part of the grilled or broiled meat or fish entrees. Fresh vegetables are cooked tender crisp never "wilted-dead" in the pot." They were prepared just in time, piping hot before everybody sits for the meal. The Chinese have their stir-fry, the Filipinos have their "guisado' which in any way have no difference in execution.

The varieties of vegetables in the Asian market can boggle your mind. Any ethnic group who has a penchant for a certain vegetable won't be disappointed from the selections. My early day here in America, I always maintain a vegetable garden. While living in Italy, in a high-rise apartment, my garden was all potted in the terrazzo. I plant bitter melons and other Filipino vegetables hard to come by in the Italian market. It the early '60, snow peas are not available as today. I have to improvise, taking off the inner skin of sweet peas and teat them like snow peas without the seeds, Without the "patola," zucchini serves the purpose.

The backyard of most of the Filipinos have a little space even for the lowly sweet potato plants, not for the tubers but for the young sprouts that is used for sour soup or like me, I harvest them and pickle them, save then and have it with for accompaniment with fried fish or meat "tapa".

I plant squash, not much for the gourds , but for the male blossoms. This is hard to come by in any super market even today. They are specially sold to high class restaurant for the gourmand. The are good stuffed with mozzarella cheese, dip in eggs, rolled on bread crumbs and sauteed in little oil. I maintain some herbs like oregano. rosemary, lemon grass and basil's. Sometimes I plant several garlic cloves for "guisadong bawang" with "stanghon." We have our perennial lemon and calamansi trees and the bay leaves tree.

BULANG-LANG - MIX FILIPINO VEGETABLE SAUTE

Prepare the vegetables, wash, cut and slice accordingly;

1 Chinese eggplant. cut in bias 2-inch thick
2 bitter melon, "ampalaya", cut length-wise, scoop the seeds and the pulp with a teaspoon, discard and cut the same as the eggplant.
1/2 lb, string beans "sitaw" cut into 2-inch long
1/2 lb. "kang-kong "rao muong" in Vietnamese, wash thoroughly, discard old leves and cut 2-inch length.
1 lb. "kabucha" squash, seeded and cut 1x1/2 squares. This Japanese squash variety need not be peeled. You can eat the skin too.
1 lb. baby okra

Brown;

1 lb. lean pork, cut in cubes bite size pieces or pork spareribs cut on half. But you have to par-boil them, season and fried before adding to the vegetables.*

In the same skillet, add and cook until tomatoes are soft;

2 minced garlic cloves
1 diced medium onion
2 quartered tomatoes

Stir an cook for 3 minutes;

Add;

1 tablespoon "bagoong."
1/2 lb. shelled shrimps (or more)

Add the vegetables in the following order;

"kabucha squash, cook until soft
eggplant and bitter melon
string beans
baby okra
"kangkong"

Simmer until all the vegetables are crisp tender.
Correct seasoning with fish sauce and ground pepper.

Serves 6 to 8

*Note: Grilled beef ribs or other cuts of meat can be used in the recipe. In the countryside, grilled or fried fresh fish are incorporated with the cooked vegetables. Don't forget the "bagoong"!

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"AMPALAYA" - BITTER MELON

Bitter melon is classified as momodica charantia.

Although the bitter melon gourd is common throughout the New World Tropics, it is actually native of the old world. At maturity, the warty yellow gourd splits open to reveal its striking seeds, are covered with bright red aril. The attractive seeds are eaten and dispersed by birds. In their acquired culinary value, the young gourds, light to dark green color are used for astonishing variety of ailments, for chronic colitis, and dysentery to burns,gout's, cough, and severe menstrual periods.

If by chance you notice a warty cucumber like vegetable with a bumpy-glossy skin in one of the Asian market, they are bitter melons or "ampalaya' as the Filipinos calls them. They have a pleasant-bitter taste raw or cooked. When cut in halves, seeded and sliced thin cross-wise, them blanched in salted water will eliminate some bitterness, can be cooked as the recipe below.

Bitter melon can be stuffed with ground pork like zucchini or sliced very thin, squeeze with salts and rinsed for salads. They can even be cooked in syrup, candied and eaten as sweets,


BITTER MELON GUISADO

Wash and cut length-wise in half, Scoop the seeds and scrape the white pulp. Slice thin diagonally. Par-boil in salted water for about 5 minutes, drain and dump in a iced cold water (this will stop the cooking process). Set aside.

4 medium size bitter melons

In a wok saute'

2 cloves of garlic
1/2 inch fresh ginger, julienne
1 diced onion
2 diced fresh tomatoes

Cook until the tomatoes are soft.

Add;

1/2 ground lean beef or pork
1/2 lb. shelled shrimps
2 tablespoon "tausi" black bean

Stir;

The drained bitter melon, stir to heat about 3 minutes. The bitter melon should have the tender crisp touch.

The last minutes of cooking time add and stir;

1 beaten whole egg, stir again until the eggs are done.

*Note: Since the black beans has a lot of salt content, no need for salt. Correct seasoning with ground black pepper.


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STUUFFED "KABUCHA"

I was very pleased that the supermarkets now carries this variety of squash. I first tasted this in Sasebo, Japan during my "food hunt." I was leery at first when I saw the skin, but brave enough, I ate it and found that they are edible. I figure if the Japanese eat it, I can eat it too.

This recipe is my own innovations.

Make a circle cut on top of a medium size squash to make a lid. If it has a stem attached to the squash, the better.

Scoop the seeds and the pulp with a spoon. Set aside.

Mix well and stuff with:

1 lb. lean ground pork or even ground turkey
1 can water chestnut, grated
1/2 cup cloud ears fungi (pre-soaked in hot water
1 chopped small onion
1/2 teaspoon chopped fine fresh ginger
1 slightly beaten egg
2 tablespoon corn starch
salt and pepper to taste*

If you have powdered chicken bouillon, use about a teaspoon instead of salt.

After filling the squash, place the lid and wrap in aluminum foil
Bake in moderate oven 350 for 1 1/2 hours
Let rest for fifteen minute and unwrap, transfer to a serving dish.
Sliced six to eight equal portions and served with sweet and sour sauce or any flavored gravy.