May 25, 2010

You put the lime in the coconut

and drink it all up

Kalpa vriksha, sanskrit, "the tree which provides all the necessities of life."

When I am away J eats us out of house and home, and in the process has made a lovely discovery and my new obsession. Young Coconuts! I had bought the white pointy Cocos nucifera with little intention of actually doing anything with it, and in his desperation, J to the rescue.
-The coconut water, found in young coconuts, is full of fiber, proteins, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and provides an isotonic electrolyte balance.
-It's nature's sports drink.
-It is filtered through the trunk of the palm and sterile until opened. It has even been used for blood transfusions during World War II.

-The nut (fruit) meat contains saturated fat and protein and the vitamins iron, phosphorous, and zinc.

-Harvesting the bud, the heart-of-palm, kills the palm and is therefore a rare delicacy referred to as "millionaires salad."


This man taught J how to open his coconut and has since become our best friend. We enjoy blending the gelatinous meat with the water and one whole vanilla bean for an island-life-giving smoothie, or just sipping the water and scooping the flesh.

I use the empty husks as tea light holders or as chocolate pudding pots!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Wicked" fun site Astrid. If you hadn't noticed we here in New England think that anything is better if you put wicked in front of it. Never did get to tell you how much I enjoyed your start to the Round Robin. Peace IN and Peace ON. Jai

Debra
Cape Cod

Astrid said...

Thank you!
it was wicked fun meeting you

love