Before I had children, we lived in a tiny house off an unnamed, unpaved road that was set against an overgrown jungle of plants ruled by squatting roosters and their hen harems. The buzz of a million mosquitoes and fruit flies filled the air with white noise. Any food we threw in the trash, or the occasional fruit left on the counter would be teeming with life in no time — the area was just that lush and fertile.
A large ulu (breadfruit) tree hung over the house and the fruit would crash onto the roof in the middle of the night. I had zero experience with breadfruit before we lived in that house, and I barely knew what to do with it even as it rained upon us. It was the most abundant plant I ever knew.
A few times, a couple of guys in a truck came and offered to “take them off our hands.” They would load up the entire truck bed and leave us five. Since one fruit can serve a large group or last a few meals, it still seemed too much to handle for a family of two.
Soon after, I borrowed a friend’s book, “Hawai‘i Cooks from the Garden” by Maili Yardley, which I must admit I never returned. It is exactly what I like in a cookbook: informative, instructional, simple and specific. I studied the breadfruit section and have found that I prefer to bake it whole, even if my electric pressure cooker would take care of it in only a few minutes. I know it can be eaten as the softest, sweet pudding when quite ripe, but I prefer the version that represents a feathery, but chewier, potato.
I no longer have an ulu tree, but now I know what to do when I get ahold of a breadfruit, and I’m grateful that I do.
ISLAND STYLE ZUPPA TOSCANA
By Mariko Jackson
- 3 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 pound pork sausage, without casing
- 1 onion, diced
- Red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
- 6 cups chicken stock (if unsalted, add salt to taste)
- 2 cups thinly sliced, 1-inch pieces cooked ulu (breadfruit), preferably baked; see note at end
- 3 cups baby kale leaves
- 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk (about 2 cups)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
In large soup pot or Dutch oven, cook bacon and stir until crisp. Set aside.
Cook sausage and onion in the drippings, breaking up sausage with a wooden spoon as it browns. If you like red pepper, add it here. Saute 1 minute longer.
Add chicken stock and, over medium, bring to a boil, then lower heat and add ulu and kale. Stir and simmer about 5 minutes.
Take soup off the heat and add coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir again, then serve. Serves 6.
>> To Bake breadfruit: Wash skin thoroughly. Poke all over with a fork. Rub about 1 tablespoon oil over skin and wrap in foil. Bake at 400 degrees for about 1 hour. (Use a mature, rather than overripe, fruit. Overripe will be too soft in texture.) Slice into quarters, seed and core. Remove skin with paring knife; it should come off easily.
Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including salt to taste): 570 calories, 46 g total fat, 25 g saturated fat, 70 mg cholesterol, 1,650 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 10 g sugar, 16 g protein.
Mariko Jackson blogs about family and food at thelittlefoodie.com. Her column runs on the last Wednesday of the month. Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.
