G and I chanced upon a farmer’s market on route to San Diego last weekend and decided to make a quick pit stop to check what was available. The outdoor market was reasonably-sized, housing about a dozen or so stalls and a wide array of products from cheeses and cured meats, artisan bread and pastries, jams and preserves, herbs and spices to fresh fruits and vegetables. Much to G’s chagrin, our quick pit stop turned to a good hour as I wanted to stop at every stall and poke around. Ha! He should have known better than to let loose a food blogger in a farmer’s market.
I was very pleased with the few things I bought but I have to say, my best loot of the day were the organic Asian vegetables I scored for cheap. Okra, Thai eggplant, long beans, patola and kalabasa that were far crisp and fresh than the ones I usually find at Seafood City and which I quickly turned into a pot of ginisang gulay the next day. Simply sauteed in tomatoes, onions and garlic and flavored with half of pound of shrimps and a splash of fish sauce, this vegetable dish is plain awesome over mounds of steaming hot rice. Enjoy!
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
- ½ pound shrimps, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 cups water
- ½ small calabasa, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 bunch sitaw, ends trimmed and cut into 3-inch lengths
- 2 to 3 Thai eggplants, stems trimmed and quartered
- 2 medium ampalaya, seeded and cut into ½ inch thick
- 8 pieces okra, ends trimmed and cut in a bias into halves
- 2 medium patola, peeled and cut into ½-inch rounds
- salt and pepper to taste
- In a pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until aromatic. Add tomatoes and cook, mashing with back of spoon, until softened and release juices. Add shrimps and cook, stirring regularly, just until color changes. Add fish sauce and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add water and bring to a boil. Add calabasa and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes or until half-done. Add long beans and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggplant, ampalaya and okra and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add patola and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender yet crisp. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot..
Thank you for sharing your recipes from your book recipes, I surely will try them all specially the vegetables and desserts. God bless you with your advocacy!
You’re welcome. I hope you enjoy the recipes and find them useful 🙂
Hi Lailane I’m so blessed with you recipes in fact I’ve tried some of them already.Thank you so much in sharing them!
Thank you, Clarita. I am glad you find the recipes useful 🙂
Hi Lalaine,
Love your website! My family is from Pampanga in a barrio, Margot, Angeles City, next to what was once Clarkfield Air Force Base. We moved to Keywest, FL since 1969 and have not been back since. I learned to cook Filipino foods from my mom’s good friends (Navy wives) and their many, many potlucks. I currently live in Miami, FL, married to an all American guy for 45 years who loves Filipino foods and have since learned to cook his favorites! We both love to cook and I’m always looking for good recipes not just find something new and different but to compare to what I already know.
I don’t have any children but I work in a busy Trauma ICU and I love to bring food to feed all my adopted “work children “. They call me Momma Terry and the Filipinos call me Tita Terry. Love of good food is our common bond, where there are Filipinos there’s good food! I encourage my young friends to cook for their families or just for themselves instead of fast foods, take outs or spending too much money going out all the time. That is why I’m so happy to land on your website I have somewhere to send them for good recipes and learn good methods, not so intimidating for beginners.
Looking forward to this gastronomic adventure with you. Thank you for sharing your talent and heart through your recipes.
Tita Terry
Thank you so much, Tita Terry, for the feedback. I am glad you’re enjoying the recipes 🙂
hi there,
komusta kayu pu? i’m pure kapampangan from San Fernando,Pampanga. ilove to cook
and i’m enjoying your recipes.
nanu ing difference ning menu (ginisang gulay) from our pinakbet?
thanks,
angie
Almost pareho lang including the vegetables. The difference lang I used fish sauce instead of shrimp paste na ginagamit sa pinakbet 🙂
owh……. thanks for share your ideas. to how to make ginisang gulay
You’re welcome. I hope you enjoy it 🙂
when would i put the roma tomatoes?
Hello Mico
I corrected the recipe 🙂
I just want to say thank you for sharing us your recipes. I may may not be able to use all the recipes now for my household, reading the recipes and looking at the pictures of the finished product makes me happy. It’s kinda therapeutic.
Comfort food! brings back memories of my lola going around the bukid and coming back with all these, plus patani for either bulanglang or ginisang gulay! Yummy!
Lalaine I’m in San diego, let me know the next time you are down and have a bit of extra time I’d love to meet you and have you over 🙂 this dish is simple bit SO good ! Comfort food for sure
Hello Marcelina
Oh wow, what a missed opportunity! I will email you next time. I’d love to meet up and have lunch 🙂