Harmonize Nature

Apricot Banana Jam

The WWOOF host mother's recipe.

• Apricot (choped and seed removed)
• Banana
• Sugar
• Jars with lids

• Place apricots in a pot without peeling the skin, add sugar.
• Bring to a boil so liquid comes out of apricot, stirring occasionally.
• Add bananas.
• Remove the pot from heat when the mixture is thickened enough. (To check the thickness, drop 1 tsp of the mixture to a plate, tilt the plate and see how quickly it runs.)
• Wash jars and lids with very hot water, leave them upside down on clean cloth.
• Ladle the mixture into the jars within 5mm of rim, while both are still hot. Cover with lids, leave them upside down until they are cooled enough. Refrigerate any unsealed jars.

Artichoke

Recipe of a lovely old Italian-Brazilian lady who lived nearby the house I stayed in São Paulo.

• Artichoke
• Anchovy
• Stale bread
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

• Crumble the bread.
• Put the bread, olive oil, anchovy, salt and pepper into a bowl and stir until the bread absorbs oil and get softened.
• Cut off the stem and the top part of Artichoke by 4cm.
• Using scissors, cut off the end of each leaves, as well.
• Put the mixture into each and every single space between the leaves.
• Steam up the stuffed artichokes with steamer.

Pineapple Juice

My favourite! My host mother in Sao Paulo made this when she cut pineapples.

• Skin and cores of about 2-3 pineapples (meaning, the parts that normally go to garbage can, you have to use organic pineapples!)
• Water
• Sugar
• Glass bottles with lids

• Place cores and skin of pineapples into a pot, add just enough water to cover them, and simmer until aromatic.
• Remove the pot from heat, filter the liquid into a different pot, add as much sugar as you wish before while it is still hot.
• Let cool. Pour it into glass bottles to store in the fridge.

Sweetpepper

Recipe of my good friend Maria, who was then studying in Baeza, Spain.

• Sweetpeppers
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Jar with lids

• Rinse sweetpeppers, place them in the oven, grill for about 10min..
• Take sweetpeppers out of the oven, let cool completely.
• Peel off the skin, then slice them.
• Put them in a jar with garlic (without skin) and olive oil, leave it over night.