Garden inspired us.
Have you ever been afraid you won't be able to eat the next day? I think it's a normal feeling. From this feeling of fear, we learn a lot about how to create our own food by growing vegetables.
From the garden that feels peaceful, there are many days that are helped by a filling dish on the dinner table. Togetherness and the beauty of sharing are encouragement like sunshine that grows the warmth of the soul with love.
This time I'm going to serve up a simple garden-inspired side dish. Sweet corn and chayote. I grew up surrounded by large areas of cornfields. The smell of corn leaves was pungent, lingering like the sweat of parents trying to feed their children. Just like my late parents, they always try to serve it at our dinner table together. Even though it was only stir-fried kernels mixed with some veggies that were available that day, or, my late parents will pick edible vegetables around our home garden.
Kernels are easily combined with many vegetables. If we don't have stock baby corn, then we use kernels for a filling side dish. Another thing we love about kernels is their texture, which is a sweet little pop in the mouth.
Baby chayote, or big chayote, we can mix them with kernels. With the richest ingredients, you can add coconut milk like a curry dish. But with one simple one, we can just stir-fry them without coconut milk.
Like what I did this time, I cooked kernels and baby chayote without coconut milk. I chose it for a fresh taste, not as heavy as the taste of the dish if you use creamy coconut milk. If as a complement to eating rice, I prefer the fresh one compared to the side dish which is a creamy one.
For chayote, we can use any type of chayote. My reason for choosing to use baby chayote is because the texture is crunchier and easier to peel. Also, their sap will be less in the baby chayote state. As they get older, chayotes will have several sharp spines on their outer skin. So make sure you pay attention to the chayote that you buy at the market.
Use Your Favorite Seasoning.
An important key in cooking that is the simplest to apply is the use of your favorite seasoning, or what your tongue knows best.
I use chili and onion seasoning for my fav daily stir-fried veggies. Slices of red chili, slices of red onion, and slices of garlic. Then, the other thing, add flattened ginger for extra flavor.
Baby chayote has a skin that is thinner and easier to peel. So I use a potato peeler to clean their skins. Then, I cut them lengthwise.
Heat cooking oil. Then, stir-fry slices of garlic and red onion until they smell good.
After the onion becomes fragrant, add slices of chili and flattened ginger. You can also use red bell pepper to replace red chili.
Add kernels and baby chayote. Keep stirring them, then add a little water so they don't burn, and also to help them cook evenly.
Cook them for about five minutes with the pan covered. Add salt and pepper before removing. Taste correction.
I serve them sprinkled with chili flakes. Enjoy a dish of stir-fried kernels and baby chayote while it's warm, with warm rice.
Maybe nothing that looks special. But for the family members who can be satisfied with this dish, everything becomes full of gratitude.
From the garden, we learn to appreciate the edible things that live in us. From the dinner table, we learn to share what we have. From friends' posts, we learn that every family has its own way to survive and take care of each other.
Greetings full of love, from a messy kitchen, that unites many souls. Full warm greetings from the garden which is occasionally filled with shrubs. We are not perfect, but we perfect each other. <3
Best Regards,
Anggrek Lestari
Anggrek Lestari is an Indonesian fiction writer who has published two major books. Now She is a full-time content creator. She has a goal to share life, poem, and food content that makes others happy and can get inspiration.
Contact Person: [email protected]
Discord: anggreklestari#3009
