Sunday, May 27, 2012

Ia rahi te Aroha



Aroha : 1) Disinterested love such as God’s for men or love humans should have for one another.
          2) Compassion


I traveled the world and made my way around because of "aroha", a Love humans have in their heart and that links each of us beyond any barrier. 


Another nice swell hit this week-end, I had nice morning session and decided to paddled to one of the island, off the reef to have a nap and rest for an afternoon session. I landed on the motu (a sandy little island), some women were enjoying their day at the beach under the shade cooking breadfruit for lunch. I also picked myself a shaded spot to land, left my boards on the beach and grabbed my snorkeling gear. The water was really sandy and agitated so I snorkeled on the beach, where the water hits the beach, wondering what a whale could feel like... I let myself go with the water movement and traveled thru sandy valleys, it was trippy and I loved it, relaxed me to the most...

I took a walked around the island and met  a man and his children walking around looking for fire wood and coconut leave. He said hi, and we had a short courteous  conversation. I went off my way looking for auteraa (little nuts shapped like almonds), I love these nuts as they remind me of my childhood. My mom used to take us to the beach and we would spend hours looking for auteraa and braking them. They are quite small but very tasty. Then I went back to my spot, pick some leafy branches on the way, laid them on the sand and took a nap there, by the water in front of the waves. I woke up and checked the waves, undecided about going back or not... I looked back and saw the man coming towards me with a big plate of food. "I felt "aroha" for you, I saw you eating auteraa, staying here all alone... I wanted to make you a plate of food... do you have water ?" I was so HAPPY ! You can't imagine ! The plate was full, some raw fish marinated in lemon, some delicious BBQ chicken (I don't eat chicken usually but this one looked too good), some rice, beautiful bananas and a huge piece of bread... I couldn't thank him enough but I think the big smile on my face said it all...
I enjoyed my lunch looking at the waves. I haven't had tahitian style BBQ chicken for ages and it was one of my favorite way to eat it. I saved the bananas for later and the bread was going to make Kitty Kat (alias Pumpkin) very happy.

This surprise lunch gave me all the energy I needed and I paddle back out. The waves got better and I had a great session with the guys laughing, sharing waves and having a good time all together.

This week, my co-worker Charles and his wife brought a fish he caugh, an ume and the best shellfish you could have on earth, called varo. They are like soft shell lobster you find in the sand, they are very expensive to buy because they are so delicate and hard to find.

We prepared a beautiful lunch we shared with their kids. I cooked the fish with some long green beans, onion and sweet potatoes in olive oil, she cooked a special polynesian bread called ipo, made with flour, coconut milk and shredded coconut, the dough is placed in leaves and steam cooked. 
Under Charles supervision, I cooked the varo in some butter and garlic. It was delicious and we closed the meal with some home made banana ice cream : frozen ripe bananas, that I mashed with coconut milk. Everybody loved it !

My first ever veggie was a sweet pea... well I think I will have to grow at least 30 vigns of sweet pea if I ever want to have a plate of it :) Have you heard about the story "La princesse au petit pois" translated as "The sweet pea Princess", it's a really cute story... 

It's been pretty stormy since 4 days now, today I felt like baking my first ever home made baguettes. Thomas, my "boulangier" teacher gave me his recipe and I had every ingredients I needed.  I had no scale but did an "a peu pres" ("approximative") measurement. I don't have any oven neither so I used my gas BBQ and some slate tile as baking stone. I ended up with a pretty good result and my mechanic/friend Fabrice REALLY like it ! :)

If you have some time, check some of my favorites blogs/website :
Liz Clark's www.swellvoyage.com
www.jveuxetrebonne.com, a beautiful and is "everything you wish to have in your cooking blog" (french & english). 
www.leisureactivistgroup.com, my friend Adrian's amazing project/dream to sail and share his love for the ocean. He is planning on doing a ocean crossing kiting+paddle boarding from Tonga to Australia...
www.wwoof.org for those who would like to travel the world learning about organic farming. We are on their list at Fetuna !
They are worth the "detour" as they say in french...

Oh ! Also take a look at this very interesting documentary project called "I'm fine, thanks", and support them (I did) . The teaser is great, the topic of the doc is universal, not only for the USA... Click here and support ---> http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cranktank/im-fine-thanks

Bisounettes cacahouettes

Poema
My assistant cook, Mihi and Marania 
behind the beautiful and delicious parrot fish their dad caught

My first veggie to be ready, a sweet pea bean

Growing growing growing

Precious basil, I keep dreaming of my future fresh homemade pesto

Some of our pineapple plants I replant. It is one of the hardest fruit to harvest, especially the tahitian ones as they have thorns and it itches for days.

My outdoor shower dream to become true soon

Another sunrise in Fetuna

One of the most delicate shellfish on earth "varo"

Ready for degustation

The Raioaoa (translated as happy supreme Chief or Happy sky/heaven) Family, Charles, my co-worker, his wife Esmelissa, their daughters, Mihi and Marania, and Kitty Kat...

Operu (like sardine) with sauted veggies

My fruit basket of the day, fei (red banana to cook), sweet potatoes, mango, grapefruits, and apple banana (rio)

Mint from my garden ready for an infusion

My bread dough

Turn into baguette

On my baking tiles

ready for degustation...

And Kitty!



Sunday, May 13, 2012

I Popsicle, you popsicle, we popsicle...


My new discovery... "Popspaya" red papaya popsicle !!!! It tastes delicious and just the perfect refreshing healthy treat after a day working outside under the sun...
They are really easy to make, get a mold (usually you can find it easily in USA) or a small plastic cup, pick a fruit you love, put in the shaker/mixer just like if you were making a juice and pour it in the mold or the plastic cup, add a piece of wood to hold you popsicle when frozen (for those without mold). For my Popspaya, I used some red papaya and a little water to ease the mix !

Enjoy your popsicle party ! More popsifruity to come ;) !

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Poreho Earrings

 I was surprised to find my earrings kit as I thought I left it somewhere on the road... so I immediately grabbed some shells I found in the lagoon... simplicity and nature is my inspiration...

I had a great afternoon marathon mowing grass around the house... it smells great, it reminds me of my childhood. My mom used to take me in the garden while she was cutting grass.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

First day of surf

I woke up early this morning, I knew the right swell for my coast hit last night and I prepare my surfboard, my kayak ,mask and fin and drove along the coast to look for the best spot. I kayaked out, I was alone, the waves were glassy, I can explain how excited and happy I was. I looked back and saw one of the most beautiful view I’ve seen from a surf spot, thousands of water falls going on and off here and there. I caught my first wave and a black tip shark came to welcome me there, dolphins were swimmig out on the ocean, a leopard ray surf a wave…  the water felt so good, I wish I could live underwater sometime. When I’m underwater, I feel like one with the ocean… It’s one of my favorite place to be…


I surfed all morning by myself, I love the silence, hearing the water moving, my heart beat thru my whole body, feeling alive. Surfing taught me patience, I follow the ocean and respect her. A rainbow over the waterfalls wall reflect herself in the lagoon, sharing her beauty with the coral garden... back home Pumpkin was waiting for me, I think we human are a little like cats, we complain only when there is someone to hear it...

Full moon rising over the lagoon surprises me on my balcony... I'm gratefull for my life and I wouldn't want to do anything else than what I'm doing right now.

I hope you also found happiness and love within you

Love :)



View from the water on the property and more...
From the water with the house behind

The entrance



My veggie garden sprouting


Long green beans, they were the fastest to grow...



Watermelon



Zuchinni



Sunshine papaya juice



Sunrise at the house






Cooking one of my favorite food, breadfruit.



Thursday, May 3, 2012

Coconut oil

I did it !!!! I'm so excited and happy I made my first organic cold pressed (with my hands) extra virgin coconut oil. Three day ago I grabbed 5 coconuts, peel the husk, grated the coconut "meat", milked the coconut shred and let it sit 3 nights in a seal container (temp about 27 *C). A decantation happen thru the night, the water and the "cream" separated. It took two nights to start the second decantation, in the "cream" substance, where oil was starting to form. Tonight I strain the oil and with about 500 ml of coconut milk, I obtain 125 ml of fine oil. I will use it for my cooking, my skin and my hair ! Free oil from my garden !

I just mixed a mosquito repellent  (coconut oil + eucalyptus essential oil + citronella oil) with the left over and it feel and smell amazing !!!!

I'm posting my first photos from Fetuna and Raiatea...


The coconut oil in a glass container... beautiful ! :)




My fruit basket of the day... until I eat half of it tomorrow hahahaha... Organic, simple, whole, delicious, healthy, beautiful, local (from the garden) food... Life is great !


At my first Vanilla Auction. I went there to learn, watch and enjoy the show... It was a great day, people were wondering who I was but were really welcoming and I learned a lot from them with fun.




The coconut grater, the machete (essential and one of the most useful tool in the tropics) and the coconuts halve. I sit on the grater, put the bowl in between my legs and grate the coconut halve on the sharp dented end of the grater.



Freshly grated coconut, I love eating it while grating it, with or without banana... The coconut is ready to be milked. No machine ! I put it in a white fabric and squeeze it.


 I love this night view of the living room bed with coconut in the bowl and a bouquet of wild ferns, Opuhi (red ginger flowers) and white ginger flower. It smell so good...



This one is for my friends and family who miss my face !!!! And I would like to introduce Pumpkin, our Fetuna (the town where I'm living) cat. He is a fighter, loves to talk and he is very affectionate... My everyday friend ;)...



Bisous... Poissons...

Poema