The falling flowers. Decorating the floor with cream colored flowers...
...and intoxicating the air with sweet scent of heaven...Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Bunga Durian
The flower season has ended. Weather condition will determine if the flowers survive and grow into fruits. Pak Su Dir commented that the flowers might not survive given the alternate hot and rain weather lately. We'll just wait and see... And they said that the "masak lemak bunga durian" is nice, I have not tried though...
The falling flowers. Decorating the floor with cream colored flowers...
...and intoxicating the air with sweet scent of heaven...
The falling flowers. Decorating the floor with cream colored flowers......and intoxicating the air with sweet scent of heaven...
...the Day After
Somebody has disturbed the eggs cluster, but for the rain, it still grow. The obvious, we can see the stalk coming out of the egg...
The new batch of survivors...Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Stinkhorn aka "Kulat Pak Pandir"
The stinkhorn or locally known as "Kulat Pak Pandir" is not edible for its foul smell - though not so strong. Less common than the cow dung mushroom, but grow all year round. Usually left undisturbed but for the curious who would stop to admire its beauty...
A cluster of stinkhorn "eggs" at the bottom of one cili padi tree trunk. One mushroom book reported that the egg stage is edible (no smell yet) and posesses aphrodisiac (what else?) properties... 
The egg would cracked open and a spongy stalk and sticky cap would emerged. It's name is really inappropriate for its beauty. Who would have think of such a funny name?
Close-up to its stalk - the more common type has yellow "veil" and not white like this one.... 
The foul smell attracts insects to its sticky cap - nature's way to spread its spores... 
...at the end of its life, the mushroom wilted and "sujud"... I hope to have a similar end, amin...
A cluster of stinkhorn "eggs" at the bottom of one cili padi tree trunk. One mushroom book reported that the egg stage is edible (no smell yet) and posesses aphrodisiac (what else?) properties... 
The egg would cracked open and a spongy stalk and sticky cap would emerged. It's name is really inappropriate for its beauty. Who would have think of such a funny name?
Close-up to its stalk - the more common type has yellow "veil" and not white like this one....
The foul smell attracts insects to its sticky cap - nature's way to spread its spores...
...at the end of its life, the mushroom wilted and "sujud"... I hope to have a similar end, amin...Sunday, April 12, 2009
Red Hot Cili Padi!
"Cili Padi" or "Cili Burung" is common in Malay cooking. It is the smallest but also the hottest local chilli. Like I mentioned in the earlier post, other types of chilli simply cannot substitute it's taste. Although all "cili padi"s are generally the same, however, upon close scrutiny, you will find that the "cili padi"s are slightly differerent in size and shapes and level of its hot taste. Here are my observation on the "cili padi"s in the farm:
The most common, the "regular" type of "cili padi".
This is the newly fruiting, wild grown chili - similar to the regular type, but a bit longer, that make its look slimmer...
Another regular type that is high ripe.
This one is similar shape to the regular type, but about 30% smaller. And it was said that the smaller the type, the hotter it taste... There is only one tree that bear this type of fruit so far...
The "blunt" type - shorter and rounded end... There is also one tree that produces this type of fruit.
...sometimes the shape looked so obviously different from other types...
The most common, the "regular" type of "cili padi".
This is the newly fruiting, wild grown chili - similar to the regular type, but a bit longer, that make its look slimmer...
Another regular type that is high ripe.
This one is similar shape to the regular type, but about 30% smaller. And it was said that the smaller the type, the hotter it taste... There is only one tree that bear this type of fruit so far...
The "blunt" type - shorter and rounded end... There is also one tree that produces this type of fruit.
...sometimes the shape looked so obviously different from other types...Tuesday, March 31, 2009
The Citrus
The common citrus in Malay culture, Lime has been used extensively, from adding jest in dishes, more often than not, is to weaken the fishy smell in laksa's gravy, budu, belacan or grilled fish, to refreshing drinks. It is also used for "mandi langir" in the olden days when soap and shower foam is not yet available. The lime is also a must item in "bomoh" rituals, either to use for spriritual cleansing or prophecy. Those who tried the "mandi bunga/mandi limau" knows what I mean...
The kaffir is used for the aroma, either from its fruits or leaves. Only after the influx of "tom yum" in Malaysia about some 20 years back, sees the popularity increase of the kaffir leaves used in cooking soup. Otherwise, it is used as one of the many herbs for the "mandi serum" for mothers in confinement and the sicks, to help improve blood circulations.
While the kalamansi is getting popular about the same time as kaffir - used as drink or milder alternative to lime.
The lime sapling, bought in Balok Pasar Tani at RM9/tree - from branch graft - so it is ready to produce fruit anytime...
The lime flower - emitting sweet citrus aroma. Look at the flower bud - a bit strange, with its 4 halves, but blooming out 5 petals...
The kalamansi sapling - bought at the same place at RM7/tree. Compared to lime, kalamansi is easier to care and has higher resistance to pests. That is why lime is fetching higher price in the market...
The kalamansi flower - also emits sweet aroma...
Kaffir tree - this one is transferred from my sister Jamilah's pot. It grows better in the farm, but the tree looked less "bushy" than it should, for both mother and son keep on plucking the leaves for "tom yum" and instant noodle respectively... hahhaha
The kaffir is used for the aroma, either from its fruits or leaves. Only after the influx of "tom yum" in Malaysia about some 20 years back, sees the popularity increase of the kaffir leaves used in cooking soup. Otherwise, it is used as one of the many herbs for the "mandi serum" for mothers in confinement and the sicks, to help improve blood circulations.
While the kalamansi is getting popular about the same time as kaffir - used as drink or milder alternative to lime.
The lime sapling, bought in Balok Pasar Tani at RM9/tree - from branch graft - so it is ready to produce fruit anytime...
The lime flower - emitting sweet citrus aroma. Look at the flower bud - a bit strange, with its 4 halves, but blooming out 5 petals...
The kalamansi sapling - bought at the same place at RM7/tree. Compared to lime, kalamansi is easier to care and has higher resistance to pests. That is why lime is fetching higher price in the market...
The kalamansi flower - also emits sweet aroma...
Kaffir tree - this one is transferred from my sister Jamilah's pot. It grows better in the farm, but the tree looked less "bushy" than it should, for both mother and son keep on plucking the leaves for "tom yum" and instant noodle respectively... hahhaha Friday, March 27, 2009
Catching the Dew
Sometimes the morning dews were caught on the leaves and spider webs attract more than a passing attention, especially when the morning sun rays hit them...
...like a sparkling jewels
...one web in the grass
...the other on the ground next to the chili tree
...from a different perspectivePerfect Love....
The heart shaped leaf of "ubi besar" (big tuber) that we planted late last year, has sprouted and growing well, climbing the young duku tree - faster than u can say "go"!
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