Regulars please read this post. I have often wondered why I continue to maintain this blog after 7.5 years and 3,200+ posts. For the most part, I still enjoy it immensely, and continue to learn from readers and somehow draw energy and knowledge, though it takes a substantial amount of time to update and maintain the blog. Over the years, marketmanila.com has placed hundreds of recipes on the net, lots of information on ingredients, markets, purveyors, hotels, etc. that is now available to anyone who searches for it. There is an aspect of free public service, and I have also learned a lot in return. Readers have chimed in with a wealth of knowledge, and almost any topic or question raised can and does elicit terrific discussion. The blog has promoted Filipino food and cuisine, brought attention to hard to find ingredients, featured artisanal producers, and provided an audience for Marketman’s occasional service/plagiarism related rants (quietly a reader favorite I can tell from hits to those posts). The blog has also helped to provide over PHP3million (!) pesos in funds to marketmanila.com feeding programs, providing over 150,000 nutritionally complete meals for malnourished public school children in Manila and Cebu. It has spawned a new business, Zubuchon, that employs nearly 100 people that supports and feeds an extended family of say 500 folks. But the one thing that continues to really amaze me, is that there is a core “community” of some 10-15,000 marketmanila readers of mostly like minds (with an occasional nitwit, that’s the reality of an open net) that comes to visit the blog at least once a week, and often daily, from wherever they may be on the planet. More than 95%+ of those community members have NEVER or VERY RARELY even chimed in with a comment, and yet, I know you are there. :)
So why am I blathering on about this? Read on. The photo up top is of some wonderful LOCALLY GROWN borlotti beans. I was stunned to receive them, but even more touched by the marketmanila.com related story behind them. Regulars will be able to relate. Gejo is an organic farmer i met at a weekend market and long time marketmanila reader; if you recall, I featured his farm, and lots of his produce, we did a Jessica Soho segment together, he supplies several restaurants I have written about as well. Over the years, on the blog, he has chimed in often, and on one occasion, BettyQ, our other resident alter-ego, as she always does, graciously and generously, offered to send Gejo seeds of unusual produce for Gejo to try raising in his Silang, Cavite farm. I am out of the loop now, friends have connected on their own, off-line… Packets of wonderful seeds are collected or purchased, they mysteriously manage to cross the Pacific and are delivered to Gejo, who in turn plants them on his farm.
Some of the seeds thrive, others fail. Marketman is pleased when Gejo texts to say he has some wonderful “new” produce, courtesy of BettyQ’s seeds… so I get a handful of borlottis, a bunch of the most spectacular multi-colored swiss chard, a single fabulous deep red carrot, a few other beans I am not familiar with, and I stare at these items for a good five minutes, amazed by how they came into being and into my possession… From a virtual community, to seeds from a wonderful lady just outside Vancouver, to a transpacific transit, to a small organic farm in Silang, to a personally delivered basket of produce to our home in Manila. I don’t know about you, but I find that just simply amazing. And it’s only one of many such stories, and it is probably a big part of the reason I still maintain the blog. Thank you BettyQ, thank you Gejo, and thank you to all marketmanila.com readers who have participated in the community in some way or another.
So what to do with all this produce? How to capture the warmth of the moment with food? A hearty pot of of “BettyGejoMar” Soup, of course! Heeheehee. I am biased, of course, but let me tell you, this was a REALLY GOOD POT of soup. If I could have emailed each and every one of you a bowl we could have had a collective Marketmanila Soup Bowl… get it? :)
First, I made some broth with a ham bone that was hiding in the freezer. Ham bone, onions, carrots and celery into a soup pot and let this simmer for two hours or so. Strain and set aside. Taste for saltiness, as it can get quite salty. Into a large enameled pot, add some olive oil and saute some chopped onions, carrots, celery and fennel. Sweat them. Add lots of other vegetables, as your markets or fridge obliges… in our case, some diced potatoes, Gejo’s green beans, the borlottis, red carrots, zucchini, etc. I added in some minced serrano ham from the leftover stash, some prosciutto or ham would work as well… Added some fresh and canned tomatoes, chicken and ham broth, some canellini beans, lots of chopped herbs like thyme, a touch of rosemary, basil, italian parsley. A stray rind from a wedge of parmesan. Salt and pepper…
After simmering for almost an hour, the soup was nearly ready to serve. I added some leftover macaroni noodles (just a handful), and after a few minutes, lots of chopped swiss chard. The soup got nice and thick when the noodles absorbed the liquid, so keep an eye and have some extra broth ready in case you need to add some to the soup. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with some olive oil and grated parmesan cheese on the side. Yum. Pasta e fagioli meets vegetable soup meets leftovers and odds and ends. Delicious. Tasted even better the next day! And yes, for this particular instance, we called it the “BettyGejoMar” soup. :)
80 Responses
Kinabahan ako sa first paragraph. I thought you were gonna announce that you will be leaving the blog again. Good thing that wasn’t the case. Yup, this mini-online community we have here is great. I personally don’t cook a lot but I have learned so much from this blog and from other commenters that on the rare occasion that I do cook, I experiment more. Cheers to all the newly formed friendships brought about by this blog! *clink*
oh wow, for some reason, reading this post gave me goosebumps. Amazing indeed! Mabuhay kayo, MM, bettq and gejo!
MM,
This post is timing with my thoughts lately. I recently threw out a bunch of old kimchi from the refrigerator. I instantly remembered when I went back to the Philippines in 2008 and met with one of your reader fans to exchange homemade kimchi (by a korean friend’s grandmother) with sinigang pouches (my son is a sinigang freak). Because of your blog, I have met other foodies, hooked up with ex-college mates (Melissa and Lee), and even have done some foodie exchanges through the mail.
This reminds me, I should seriously update my long languishing food blog. :)
For any MM readers who want to have Korean food ingredients and stuff, I would happily send you what you need. Just email me and introduce yourself.
And MM, rock on. I do hope you get to visit Korea soon. I would love to give you a foodie tour around Seoul and in my area (land of the peaches and pears).
MM, you should start having a “super like” button on your posts! hehe.
May this great blog carry on in perpetuity!
Hi! I’m one of those who “NEVER or VERY RARELY even chimed in with a comment”, hahaha! But I’m so touched with your post right now I feel I have to say something. Checking your blog almost everyday became a part of my life. Kudos to you MM, keep inspiring! :)
OMG!!! who would have thought that this “virtual world” called marketmanila world of readers could have “come together” in a pot of soup? it really is mind boggling!!! most people agree that emotions play a huge influence on our appetite, no wonder this pot of soup taste fabulous!!!
Otherwise known as minestrone.
Since this post has beans on it I think it’s also time to spill some from my side.
This Friday to Sunday, March 23 to 25, Marketmanila regulars and Cebu eyeball “classmates” will indulge in a Negros Occidental food tour. Oh and how this little food trip came into fruition! It all started with a few Facebook comments and messages and the next thing these crazies had their flights booked! Na “libro” na according to the “consciencetious” of the group, in the words of “waitlisted” Joey P. I made an itinerary, with the help of Lynel G, and I really hope that appetites will be satiated. Moni, Joey P, Chris B, Edik, Marla, Roy, Ging, Joan… dalawang tulog na lang! Millet, we dedicate our first spoonfuls to you :)
The virtual community has become real. :) thanks Marketman
really really great! i super love this blog! hope to be able to visit korea and meet doddie, vancouver and meet ms. bettyq..and of course, cebu to eat at zubuchon, and hopefully see MM in person!
It looks like pork and beans made in a local version.. ^_^
This blog is like a thread that binds us all together and weaves a fabric of interconnection that is truly amazing and wonderful.
I always open your site! I have picked up so many wonderful ideas primarily about cooking from you! Keep it up! I live in Davao City and am about to retire. In the last few years, I have filled up my own bucket list with ideas that I got from your articles. thank you so very much!
That is amazing!! Parang pay-it-forward except it’s plant-it-forward!
I go to your blog around 5 times a week kasama ng pagbasa ko ng local newspaper. :)
i also want to become an organic farmer after my stint as an ofw. i have started by collecting seeds, preferably heirloom so kung meron dyang gustong mag donate ng seeds and send to me, please do, hahahaaha. i agree with the general observation here, i had a withdrawal syndrome last time this blog was infected by virus as i could not login for quite sometime. Thanks MM for the continued interest to maintain this, God bless!
I can only but say thank you very much Marketman!! Food adds color to our lives and connects worlds apart. The color of the veggies are just so jumping out of the pictures!!!
I dont know why but I am teary-eyed reading this now heheheh
Ive been attracted to the idea of organic farming, purchasing as much organic produce whenever I can. And we do grow some of our own food already. I guess it comes with being a vegetarian..lol.
You also take excellent photos of food its hard to resist Not trying out the recipe when it seems doable. You make everything seem like it anyway(; Like the rest of your readers, reading your blog has been part of my daily ritual at least for the last 5 years. We truly appreciate the inspiration(: You rock!
i agree with maricel at #12 above. it is really amazing developing friendship via this blog. keep up the good work MM. =)
keep on blogging MM! you are an inspiration to us!
I have been reading this blog every day since 2005 and all I can say is…..thank you so much Marketman :-)
Hurraaayyy to MM and all it’s readers! may you have 100 more years to blog MM! :) thanks for all the recipes, how to, and new products/plants/veg you introduced us! :)
I first chanced upon this blog through the Yummy Magazine feature on Marketman, and eversince then I would regularly visit the site. And for whatever it’s worth, before I really wouldn’t cook, but now I do. :) So thank you Marketman for inculcating this newfound “love” through your regular posts, I’m sure a lot of readers could relate in a way or another. :)
looks like minestrone!
okay, I’m in the 95% :) thank you so much for all the posts, MM! I’m learning a lot. Keep inspiring! And please don’t leave yet.
love being in this foodie online community….mm your blog often accompanies me to my ‘treatment time’ where i simply read back thru the archives of your posts. at the very least, i get tickled pink of some posts with your wonderful one-liners :), most often i get hungry as imaginary food smells will come wafting up thru my pc and what im having in reality is very bland,bland food…, i also had been tagging along with your family on your escapades and celebrate in your ‘virtual’ table silently taking notes of table settings,flower arrangements and menus…,been often amused by ms.bettyq,apicio,silly lolo,ms.millet,marisawalangkaparis,sister,lee,etc on their knowledge and easy bantering in the comments section…missing the ‘taste of real’ pinoy food i come to be satiated with the recipes you keep posting and thus gives me a sense of connection to my most missed pinoy viands (very painful since i cant have them all)….being away from home(pinas) and doing medical treatments on my own, juggling studies,work and treatments is one hectic schedule but there is one thing i will never take off from my very busy day…hah! opening and reading the posts of the day in marketmanila,its part of my ritual..so thank you for being my companion : MM and Family and Crew, and the MM community (i tell you, treatment is no fun without you guys!) hope to see you soon in beloved pilipinas (and hopefully attend an EB, mm? ) as soon i can get permission from doctors ‘fit to travel’ one line in bucketlist—-have a taste of zubuchon and EB dinner at the garden in cebu with mm feast on the menu.see? this is making me looking forward coming home…
I have always thought that nothing brings a community together the way food does (:
Your Marketmanila blog is my virtual family…love soup and this sounds yummy….Days are incomplete when I dont read your blog…even if am quiet…cheers MM!!
Hello…am still here =) Even if I only got a few minutes to go online lately dahil sa bago kong baby…always pa rin MarketManila ang first na vini-visit ko. Your soup looks like the minestrone that the Italian Nuns serve in Canossa when I was doing part time work while studying high school ages ago. It’s a complete meal on its own =)
Since this is an invitation I’m going to join you. I have parmesan rinds lurkin in the fridge, no ham bones but a nice slab of smoked pork belly, lots of veggies, borlotti not in season so I’ll have to use dried but the first little feves ( broadbeans ) are out and they are a beautiful pale green like jade. Some time on the stove, and at the end just a drizzle of ‘pistou’ which is simplified pesto as they use in Provence, just basil, garlic and olive oil quickly whizzed together. And with a glass of good red I’ll be toasting you and all the MM community!
Me too had met so folks through this site, ECC and BettyQ who has been so gracious in sending me a lot of goodies. And when I meet other Pinoy who blogs, I tell them I belong to a known food blog – Market Manila and I don’t get surprised when they say in awe ‘ Really?” I feel like I am really in a community of “good” folks. Thanks for maintaining the site. I hope to come visit you and attend the Eb someday.
Thank you MM, from one of the many “often-hourly” (!) regular visitors at your blog. You have broadened our knowledge, understanding and appreciation of food – and produce – so much. While you have acquainted us with ( and made us salivate for) the many nternational cuisines, dishes, ingredients from your vast knowledge and experience with food, your blog unmistakably communicates a deep love for Filipino cuisine, and a healthy pride in being Filipino. … balanced by the rants ( ha ha!)
I personally have learned so much from Market Manila. If not for you, I would have thought Borlotti was Italian for Borloloy! Among many other wonderful things…
The friendships and relationships made through your blog are the highlight – – Exchanging comments and notes with many others from every corner of the world, in the process getting to know them a bit – really, only through Market Manila could this have been possible! I always read the comments – a collection of humor, more information, and warm fellowship.
Specially experiencing the warm friendliness and generosity of bettyq, among others, through her comments and e-mails – Bettyq, your messages are full of youthful energy and joy! Maraming salamat! (I hope you received my recent e-mails) .
Already I look forward to another future activity spawned by a Market Manila post – parol-making (di ba, Papa Ethan?!) .
Allow me to say this too – I must admit that it’s always a thrill for me when you feature the farm’s produce in the blog! And it’s a thrill to see your reaction when you see the produce! I am very grateful that you appreciate what fellow farmers and I do, and how you help others learn even more to value what farmers do.
And so, we continue our regular ritual of visiting Market Manila. And are the better for it.
“More than 95%+ of those community members have NEVER or VERY RARELY even chimed in with a comment, and yet, I know you are there. :)”
natamaan naman ako sir..hehe..i do always read your blog via google reader..everytime may new posts ay binabasa ko…
i’m an engr here in laguna..nawili lang ako sa food blogs kasi foodies din mga pinsan ko and they also maintain their own blogs
thanks for your interesting posts..more power!
hooray for blogs like this and the people involved! how wonderful for the Philippines to be exposed to various produce. I dream of living in a neighborhood in the Philippines with a resident butcher, baker, greengrocer, and even a candlestick maker. :) Then I don’t have to be subject to wilting, pre-packed, sitting-on-shelves products that look sad, unripe or overripe, and badly mishandled.
You stare at beans and a red carrot for five minutes! You have a love affair with produce and food, its amazing and infectious! God bless you Marketman for the joy of cooking you share with all of us!
sus – reading the first few lines of your blog this morning, my heart started to sink – speaking for all of us who look in every day, I am always so appreciative of your generosity to share – big heart, intellectual curiosity, compassionate, zest for life…. I could go on and on- I have mentioned in the past you are a Renaissance man! Thank you, MM for sharing.
I share the sentiments of everyone, MM…for keeping us entertained though I know that you delete the comments of the “occasional nitwit…”, for introducing us to all these fruits and vegetables that look alien to me ( I just saw the snake fruit in the Asian supermarket yesterday)…for being our travel guide (I can just take you with me by taking my IPad when we go to Italy this summer) …for being our stock broker and our financial guru (learned a lot for you about stocks and bonds) among other things, too!
But from where I stand, your blog was the vehicle of the friendships I have formed from people I have never even met! Gejo, making me feel like part of his family!…Can you believe TG offered to buy my plane ticket to go to Florida?!? NOw, how generous and gracious is that as well, MM!…Millet bought for me a TSOKOLATERA, BATIDOR, and TABLEA! …Carol bought a PALAYOK for me so I can make her TULINGAN which I have longed for tasting for such a long time…Sister sharing her baking expertise taking the guesswork out of so many stuff… Footloose, being our history expert of the food and gadgets you introduced us to, and SILLY LOLO providing comic relief in this world that would be otherwise so blah!…
Yes, MM…it is high time that all these things became a hard copy or even a soft cover!… that I, for one, will never tire of reading… that will keep us going as we face adversities like sitting on that chair for hours as we undergo life saving procedures to take our mind off such procedures!
Hey Dodie! I’m one of the people you met up with here in Manila. Our exchange was homemade kimchi (you) and dried mangoes (me). Right in front of Gbelt :)
One a side note, the artisanal/DIY nature of this blog is what keeps me reading. Often I am intensely bored by other food blogs, so it is refreshing to come to yours and see a clear screen without pop-ups, then commune with a a lively group of knowledgeable commenters.
The three tenets of Marketmanila: 1. All things local, 2. Value and excellence, and 3. Doing things properly.
Cheers.
waaah…also thought of bad news….it turns out it is! (for my stomach and takaw-tinginitis)
now I’m hankering for soup! this is on top of my longing for really good sinigang for the last couple of days now :(
Amen and amen from an ‘almost hourly’ reader…
Hi MM! It’s my first time to comment, although I have followed your blog on a daily basis for a good number of years. I don’t eat pork (because of religious restrictions,) so I can only leave it to the imagination how Zubuchon tastes like (and I live in Cebu City for that matter!) I love your posts about unusual produce and I frequently scour Carbon market for the occasional find.
The world is flat. In a very good way!
dear MM:
I am out of those readers who make it a habit to visit your blog everyday and this is my first time commenting…. hope to connect soon to other regulars in your blog… keep up the good work !! ( i read a lot of foodie blogs and yours is my top favorite! )
<3 :)
wow, just wow!!! can i have a bowl of that too (even just in my email!). It will certainly counter the cold weather here in Calgary (on a business trip).
just want to chime in also how giving BettyQ is. She gave me a very nice lumpia wrapper maker!! it never fails to wow everyone everytime i take it out and use to make fresh lumpia wrappers. Just like BettyQ, marketmanila readers are generally awesome and kind!!! cheers to everyone!!
btw, MM, the whole clan will be in manila next month for a wedding and i am hoping to finally taste that lechon!
i was watching discovery channel last night and the philippine episode of no reservation was on. lucky me, i watched the whole episode again! i almost licked the tv screen when it came to the lechon part!!! scrumptous indeed!!
Wow, Gejo…Those were the “barloloys” you planted in January? What in the world did you put in the soil and nurtured them with?…manure tea?
RobKStar…what vegetables do you have in mind?
love my fish pan (real one) from bettyq…..always handy for midsized fishes..thanks and thanks!!
Natie…do you know how to maintain it? Cut a lemon in half and smear the cut side with coarse salt and rub the surface of the copper side with it.
Zoi…you are doing me a favour by sharing your lumpia wrappers I taught you how to make and putting the crepe maker to good use! Like MM, I am ALWAYS the recipient of every imaginable kitchen gadget and small appliances as birthday, Christmas presents and the like. If you could see our basement, you’d think I own a store!
…which gives me an idea. So, La Emperor, Cwid, Zoi, Mrs. P, Stewart, Joseph, et al…what do you say, we have a MM COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE in someone’s yard (weather permitting) early or late spring? ….their area should have a lot of good foot traffic, lots of parking without annoying the neighbours, etc. Collectively, what we can raise will go to MM feeding program. Anything not sold is free for the taking! At any rate, I will just donate whatever stuff I have left for I do not want to take it back home!
Blogging has lead me to connect to a yacht chef (she has been reading my blog then figured it out we are from the same industry) …. whom I connected when I was in Florida and she was in Barcelona.
Who would have thought my story about the Lebanese restaurant in Cannes led us to meet in South of France.. and months later we would meet again in Florida.
And 2 years later she offered me to be her sous chef. That is blogging so keep going!
The soup sounds very Florentine…
Hello Marketman,
I’ve seen your blog occasionally when I’m searching for a filipino recipe or food. You deserve a BIG thank you for maintaining and putting so much time and effort to keep this blog.
What is borlotti beans? Is this a cross breed or GMO? I wonder how it taste like.
Keep up your great work!
Hi bettq! I don’t know, probably a combination of the weather (when does it grow well in your garden, when it’s cool or warm?) and the usual way we prepare the soil (composted farm waste, vermi-compost, rice or coffee hull and rotted chicken manure). We also spray bio-dynamic preparations. The care of the farm crew. Do you make or use manure tea? Do you have a brewer?
They’re not very productive yet, so Ill try growing them from the seeds produced for the rest of the year, to see when they grow best. They’re truly stunning, from the “skin” (what’s the right term for the balat?) to the beans themselves! Maraming salamat talaga!
Got my e-mail?
Ms. Betty Q,
Don’t forget the many ensaymada molds you gave me; and the many pearls you’ve given us in making dishes and desserts more savory and more delicious. You didn’t want any remuneration for the ensaymada molds; a token for MM’s feeding program was made instead.
You and MM & company are indeed both were giving. Maraming salamat sa lahat. You will be blessed a hundredfold.
I too am one of the many who “very rarely even chimed in with a comment” but I have made this blog my ritual after reading the news online everyday. And mind you marketman, I even see you at Salcedo Market once in a while..and yes..I just watch you walk by :-)
Thank you that you have continued on with this food blog. Your well written posts and beautiful pictures are all VERY much appreciated not just by me but also by my siblings near and far. Keep up the good work!
Hello Gejo…the barloloys grow well when the weather gets really warm. I usually direct seed sometime in mid to late June. What I do to speed up germination is soak them in warm water till they plump up and then lay them on damp paper towels and into a zip plock bag. In a day or 2, the roots start coming and in the ground they go! Did I send you the bush type or pole? I also do successive planting so I can harvest them forever! I used manure tea on my tomatoes and boy …you should have seen them! I have an old Italian gardener friend who looks after my plants by telling me his secret concoction. But what it is is just manure in a bucket topped with lots of water and he lets that steep. He covers the bucket and every morning he mixes the tea and then scoops up some in his watering can and diluted it with water. After a week of watering his tomatoes with it, his transplants look like they were on steroids! I know that proper brewing of manure tea….you need to aerate it to keep the oxygen going so the beneficial microorg. are kept alive. But my friend does not have an aerator and yet his plants are soooo big and healthy!
What is in your bio-dynamic spray? …if it is a trade secret, I do not want to know!…that is OK!
I could be wrong but I think bean pods are what you meant?
If you want the pole type of borlotti, I can send them to you as well. I am not Italian yet my gardener friends who are mostly Italians consider me an Italian now! They supply me with the seeds every year so I can grow them.
:-)
Hello Betty,
I’m in. Sayang, because I gave out a lot (and I mean a LOT) of stuff when we downsized twice. I will still be able to get some stuff for the garage sale through friends who are still downsizing.
You are truly one generous lady, Betty.
slightly off topic but i’m traveling from the bay area and going back to manila and would like to bring cheese back. what’s the best way of doing it? suggestions and recommendations most welcome!
This post definitely brought a smile to my face! Yes, you have certainly proved a venue/catalysts for all these ‘real-life’ connections! Aside from all the purveyors I discovered through you I’ve also made some great friends (from your very first eyeball) with whom I am still in contact :) Love this story of BettyQ’s seeds reaching Gejo and then finally ‘bearing fruit’ and finding their way back to your doorstep!
And yes, the soups does sound delicious!!
Yummy!
Thank you MM!
Hi betty q! Pretty soon the official Philippine name for these beans will become borloloy, or borlaloy – ha ha! Thanks! I’ll try that method ( I usually just sow them straight to the ground) . I don’t know if the hot summer months here are the same as your “very warm” weather.
Good you reminded me of compost tea! A great way to multiply the potency of rotted manure. I’ve been spending a fortune on chicken manure. I’ll start doing the tea.
No trade secret with bio-dynamic agriculture and the preparations. For me, bio-dynamic agriculture is the highest form of organic agriculture. With the permission of MM, I can pass on info on seminars on bio-dynamic farming given by an authority on the subject in the country. I combine different techniques from different schools of thought on the farm though.
The bio-dynamic preparations are the same the world over. But I don’t make them myself. I get them from someone who does. BD501 is made in quite a unique way. Part of the process is stuffing cow horns with cow manure, adding some specific plants, then burying in the ground at a specific time, then waiting for several weeks or months before digging up.
Italian gardener friends …. must be a lot of fun gardening with them!
I always thought borlotti beans were more of a temperate climate plant and wouldn’t take well to the tropics. I gotta get me some of that…
Oh…so that is what it’s called! …like the no dig gardening!!!! One of my plots is sort of on the low side that each spring when the rains come, it is really soaked! So, to build up the soil, I asked the other gardeners to dump their spent plants on my plot and they are more than happy to to do it for it saves them quite a number of wheelbarrow trips to the compost area. Then I alternate layers of spent plants and manure and dried leaves, etc. and cover them with black biodegradable cloth. Come late spring, I make a hole or X on the cloth and that is where the zucchinis and winter squashes or watermelons go.
What I love the most about your bio dynamic thing is that what I do…no digging required!
We have short summer months here and only reaching a little over 31 degrees degrees…that is hot enough for me! But it is hotter in the Interior, sometimes reaching 37 degrees!!!!!
The decomposed manure and cow horns are brought up from the soil to make the BD501 (I don’t know the other steps involved, if any). The BD501 is then mixed with water (even the mixing is done a certain way, mixing the preparation with water in a steel pail, changing the direction of the swirl alternately). Then the mixture is sprayed throughout the farm just once or twice during the year. Then magic. The farm seems to attract all these beneficial micro-organisms that promote growth and healthy plants.
There still is digging required. You don’t dig anymore? Wow!
Hot summers here can reach from 37 – 40 C I think. The haricots vert have a hard time growing in those conditions, so I doubt if the borlotti can.
Jelo, I had no idea what the best conditions for borlotti beans were. Did not even have an idea what borlotti beans were! Ha ha! Jan – Feb is just the coolest time of the year, so we just went on and planted. Let’s see if they turn out to be suited to even at least a portion of the year.
Many thanks MM for sharing this wonderful BGM soup of which I and your regular followers are just so happy to partake.
Bettyq, you are one generous lady and an eternal source of culinary delights and other creative pursuits. Re: your lumpia wrappers, could I have your recipe,pls? I use a regular teflon pan, but the results have been so-so. Here’s my email: marrow@gmail.com. Many thanks!
Can’t help but follow the thread Bettyq and Gej on biodynamic/organic gardening. There is a company here in Sweden that sells liquid organic preparation. Here is the link, unfortunately info only in Swedish. I have tried Biobact before and it did help improve the soil quality (at least for my container garden).
https://www.biobact.se/biobact_vaxtnaring.aspx
Gej, thank you for sharing your wonderful agricultural experiments and it’s fantastic to read the results of your efforts through MMs virtual community. Good luck with the organic farming!
Gejo…when I plant something, I need to keep in mind the number of days to maturity. KNowing that the wet weather comes as sometimes late August or early September if we’re lucky, then I need to put the borloloys when the optimal temp. of the soil is at least 21 degrees up to 32 is OK….that is why I do successive planting para before the rains come in, the pods would have matured by then. Now, where I am …in the NOrthern Hemisphere zone 5, ideal time to plant them is late May up to mid June. …so you hit it on the nail by planting it in January over there. People in the Southern hemisphere start planting the borloloys ( I really like that name a looot!) in October and harvest them by January or February.
When does the rainy season start over there? If it is over by November or December, maybe planting them by December is worth a try. Don’t you worry about keeping the rest of the borloloys for seed next year. I can send you more than you will ever need. All what I harvest this year will have your name on them!!!
A little trivia…the borloloys originated in Colombia not Italy!
Let me just repeat what I said before: Your blog has brought so many kindred spirits together (all in the name of food;-) and have fostered friendships that we hope to continue to nurture for a very, very long time. We (here is Vancouver) are particularly blessed to have Betty Q in our midst. Her generosity overwhelms and her kindness is overflowing. BQ, et al, let’s make the project a reality and do our bit to help. I’ll take a look and see what I can put together for the g-sale.
MM, our sincere thanks for all the learning you have imparted through this platform. Reading it continues to feed our minds and tickle our hearts. We hope you to see you and Mrs. MM again in our neck of the woods.
What an absolutely wonderful and touching post!!! Those borlotti beans are so pretty, the Swiss chard are stunning, and I never even knew carrots came in that color! And it looks like you certainly came up with the best way to use them, MM…a soup as heartwarming as the story behind it. :-)
As Joey said, your blog and EBs have blessed me with unforgettable experiences and great “real-life” friends. For that, I could never thank you enough. <3
I discovered the blog while googling our farm, and have been an avid reader ever since,
MM from another of the almost 95%, I keep your blog on most days all day long. Others have Facebook or twitter, I have Market Manila.
By the way Gej, the produce looks great!
There’s something about food that brings and binds people together…Thank you MM for bringing the “community” together through your blog.
Just grateful… MM,Betty Q ,Sister & others..Thanks !!! time is so precious, but a daily visit on this site is a must for me..i feel that i am missing out on “something” .I guess this blog is so unique it connect people & build friendship,albeit i am not one with connections personally..i still feel like i belong,Your generosity has been so much appreciated by me,i never been a blog reader before,let alone comment on things on line,this site changed me a lot on my perspective on way i see life and broaden my horizon, it open up a new way of eating,by trying things that are new .. total awesomeness on every posting..and everyone benefits.
I check on my email first, then your site, and then my facebook account. Everyday. Unless I’m on sabbatical from the internet.
With my aunt from Bangkok on the 17th of this month, flew to Cebu for the day just to taste Zubuchon. And really, Pacman missed a lot …
After reading this post, it definitely put a smile in my face, knowing that im part of marketmanila.com family as well, (yes, im claiming it, hehe). Who would’ve thought that after another food blog i was reading a few years back, made reference to marketmanila.com, and after checking it out, it would be a start of an addiction i can gladly and openly admit! :) I may not be a regular commenter on the site, but i do visit regularly and i have printed and tested various recipes on the site, both from MM and Ms BettyQ! For that, i am grateful that readers from all over the world are somehow connected and able to interact with each other! More power and i hope the posts just keep on coming, i know that keeping this blog takes a lot of your time and energy specially now with your new venture, but we will always be here for you MM, thank you so so much!
Ms BettyQ: i wish im close to you guys,( im in toronto), so when you finally have that garage sale that you’re planning about, i’ll be one of the early birds for sure :) and not just for the garage sale you know, i wish we are neighbours so i could be your taste-tester/left-over eater, and i’ll take any hand me down kitchen gadget you may have as well :)
Hello MM and to my fellow readers,
I belong to the 95%. :) I found this site in 2005 when I was searching for recipes. Being here has always been a wonderful experience, I feel the spirit of friendship and sharing. Thanks to all of you! I always feel energized after reading MM’s posts plus your comments and ideas.
MM, I have learned a lot through your posts, not only about food and cooking, but also the knowledge and experience you’ve shared. Thank you so much, MM! May God continue to bless you and your family, and give you extra time and strength to post more topics. :)
Because of Market Manila, I became so inspired that I decided to continue our small restaurant project in Bulacan. I wish to open it as soon as I return from my U.S. and Canada trip.
By the way, MM, have you ever thought of having a shout out window on the side of the web page, where everyone can post short messages? Or maybe another button for a discussion forum with specific topics? It may encourage more interactions.
Thanks again and more power! God bless everyone.
Akeeno, we have discussed a forum of sorts, but it needs to be moderated, which is a lot of work… so we nixed the idea a couple of years back. Hi everyone, thanks for the kind comments… it’s nice to hear that the community of like minds and a healthy interest in food is still thriving and enjoying…
Betty Q, Ros-anna , Cwid et al,
We’re cool with the idea of a community g-sale to support MM’s feeding program and should be able to host it in our place. Our village have ample parking and our home has a big enough front yard to set up numbers of table. Hell, we can even roll out the BBQ so we can try the beef ribs in MM’s recent blog entry together with some imported libation..:-)
I’ll call for a kape kape night so we can discuss details.
On another note, MM we tried a modified version of your liempo on bamboo over the weekend, using an oven ( it’s still too cold to BBQ outside ) and it was a big hit despite some shortcoming on the saltiness side. Friends and my teens love it and will certainly continue numerous attempts in the future to improve results. I love it even more because the preparation was pretty darn easy.
Am also planning to try your paella recipe since I recently received a paellera from a dear friend. I already got some of the ingredients and also picked up the saffron recently from our local Mediterranean goodies specialty store. Just waiting for our weather to warm up a bit.
Anyway thanks again and more power to this blog.
La Emp, Ros-anna, Cwid, et al,
If I can go outside with a toque on and boots and sink my feet into the snow to get to the barbecue , so can you! Don’t let a little windchill factor deter you from enjoying grilled liempo on your barbecue rotisserie!
Next time you need any hard to find ingredients and gadgets, come to Betty Q’s emporium!
not that hard to buy heirloom and more “exotic” seeds. anyone can buy them online. although the risk of them not arriving is always a danger. i myself have a big collection of seeds of all sorts of vegetables and herbs that i grow here at home.
After reading the comments,I’m just in awe!