Welcome to Lisa's Feijoa

Welcome to Lisa's Feijoa, a gastronomical haven which embodies my quaint experiences and memories pivoting on food. Feijoa is a shade tolerant, evergreen shrub that prefers living near or under trees. Quite like myself, I prefer a more sheltered reserved lifestyle. 

Feijoa Flower

The only thing adventurous about me would be my palate. I did not know some flowers were actually edible until I stumbled upon an interesting article which was a summary of The Martha Stewart Show, April 2008. To view the summary you can visit http://www.marthastewart.com/265744/edible-flowers.

Edible Flowers used to make decorative ice-cubes

 My Caribbean upbringing instilled, that one must wait for the flower to become a fruit. I would hear my grand-father’s voice beckoning in the distance, “Do not beat off the flowers from the mango tree. You would not get any mangoes to suck.” My lustful desire to sink my teeth into a half-ripe Julie mango was my motivation to leave the flowers to mature. The viscous, sticky, yellow juices that flowed freely down my elbows as a devoured the mango flesh to reveal a pale white seed. 

Flowering mango tree with budding julie mangoes

Fully Matured Julie Mangoes

For a second I got caught up in that fond childhood memory. Back to business, the convincing mechanism to my blog’s name was the undisputed fact that Feijoa has hundreds of applications to the culinary world. It is locally known as Pineapple Guava due to its distinct pineapple smell and taste and the extraordinary guava-like appearance inside-out.

Feijoa Fruit and Flower

 Feijoa can be preserved for future use, using techniques such as drying, freezing or steeping in oil. It can also be used in drinks, jellies, salads, soups, syrups and main dishes. Feijoa-flavored oils and vinegars are made by steeping the flower petals in these liquids. Candied flowers can also be made crystallized by using egg white and sugar (as a preservative). The stamen of Feijoa can be infused to custards to make delicious desserts. 

Detailed view of Feijoa fruit displaying it' guava like appearance

Feijoa Stamen infused Panna Cotta with poached feijoa fruit

Feijoa stamen infused Panna-Cotta

Eight servings

I love this dessert and the great thing about Panna Cotta is that it demands to be made in advance. You can make them up to two days ahead and keep them well-covered and chilled. You can find instructions for using sheet gelatin at the end of the recipe.

·         4 cups (1litre) heavy cream (or half-and-half)

·         1/2 cup (100g) sugar

·         2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, or 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

·         2 tablespoons of Feijoa Stamen (Dried)

·         2 packets powdered gelatin (about 4 1/2 teaspoons)

·         6 tablespoons (90ml) cold water

1. Heat the heavy cream, Feijoa Stamen (Dried) and sugar in a saucepan or microwave. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

(If using a vanilla bean, scrape the seeds from the bean into the cream and add the bean pod. Cover, and let infuse for 30 minutes. Remove the bean then rewarm the mixture before continuing.)

2. Strain the cream mixture and discard the stamens.

3. Lightly oil eight custard cups with a neutral-tasting oil.(Canola Preferably)

3. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a medium-sized bowl and let stand 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Pour the very warm Panna Cotta mixture over the gelatin and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.

5. Divide the Panna Cotta mixture into the prepared cups, then chill them until firm, which will take at least two hours but I let them stand at least four hours. If you’re pressed for time, pour the Panna Cotta mixture into wine goblets so you can serve them in the glasses, without unmolding.

6. Run a sharp knife around the edge of each Panna Cotta and unmold each onto a serving plate, and garnish as desired.

To make Panna Cotta with sheet gelatin: Soften 25g (approximately six sheets) in a liter of cold water for 5 to 10 minutes. Wring the sheets out and stir them into the warm Panna Cotta mixture in step # 4, until dissolved.