Roasted Root

Did you know that Cayman has Africanized "Killer" Bees?

Well, we do.

I'm not sure if the bee that stung me this morning was Africanized or not, but it felt like a searing bolt of liquid-laser lightning slamming into my hand, and I can still feel my heartbeat in the sting site. So, until it stops throbbing, I'm telling everyone I see that I got stung by a Killer Bee this morning. HARD!

It started on our morning swim. I see all sorts of bugs floating in the water, but almost never stop to examine them (unless I accidentally suck one in while taking a breath.)

I saw the KILLER BEE struggling in the water, and for some reason completely devoid of any merit whatsoever, decided to try to help him. I scooped him out of the water, and held him on the back of my hand so that he could dry out. I waited a few minutes, and was going to deposit him onto the top of a buoy floating nearby so he could fly off when he had warmed up.

I figured that I would save his life so that maybe he could pollinate more mango flowers or guava blooms, and I could pick up a little karmic recharge for the day.

Instead, the little EFFER STUNG ME as I paddled toward the buoy.

So, in a nod to my first grade teacher, Miss Jackie Price, I reinacted the "Mashing Up the Baby Bumble Bee" song, punctuated with curse words so foul that the water around me began to BOIL.

Not really boil, but I did cuss a lot. HARD!

By the end of the swim, my hand swelled up to look like one of those 30's-style Baseball Mitts.

It's back down to normal now, which is more than the KILLER BEE can say for his condition.



Anyway, enough about him. I want to talk about callaloo and bok choy.

Have I mentioned Callaloo before? I can't remember... either way, it's a type of green, leafy plant that is eaten wilted, like turnip greens or collard greens. The stalk is also edible, and has an asparagus-like texture. It's full of iron and fiber, and tastes lovely. It's also a huge pain in the ass to clean, so we buy it pre-chopped whenever possible.

Bok Choy here is the same as Bok Choy anywhere, and is eaten in the same manner as the callaloo. (That's the Bok Choy above... they also call it "Chinese Cabbage" here...)

This was the first week that Bok Choy had finally gotten big enough to harvest, and so we bought some at the Farmers' Market on Saturday morning (while still reeling from almost crushing a baby to death.)


The Caymanian manner of preparation goes like this: you sautee some garlic, onions, and peppers along with the callaloo and/or bok choy stalks until tender. Reduce the heat, season, and add the chopped leaves. Stir occasionally, and it should be ready to serve in about 25 minutes.

It steamed up the lens in this pic, but this is how it looks when it's done:



We had it last night with roasted potatoes and pumpkin, and it RULED. HARD!



...and I'm having a pumpkin-greens-and-garbanzo burrito as soon as I hit "publish post."

We'll have some when you come and visit us, so c'mon down.

Until then, avoid killer bees. Hard.

Ta.