Of bruschetta and kurobuta at Orchard Valley in Pavia

It was great to be back at Orchard Valley Organic Farm in Tigum, Pavia last Thursday. It was an invitation I couldn't resist, as I remembered the memories of touring it for the first time and a having a delightful picnic under a mango tree.

This time it was for the blessing of its training room and dormitory facility. The training room can accommodate around 100-150 people (hope my estimate's right) and is set in the middle of the farm. The alfresco facility gave an authentic farm ambiance and experience at the same time a cooling breeze that could lull us to sleep.

And sleep if we must, there's the dormitory having these standard accommodations perfect for an overnight farm experience.

But if there's one thing that always get us to say "yes" to this organic farm invitation - it's the food. From the rustic and bucolic to the gourmet - it's always both a visual and gastronomic treat.

How about some balinghoy (cassava) French Fries? Now there's more to tinanok (nilaga) and cassava cake to kamoteng kahoy.

Fresh strawberries (and grapes if you notice) from its sister farm in Bucari, Leon, which we also had the pleasure of visiting last year. Check it out Strawberry Farm in Leon. Nothing beats strawberries eaten fresh

Like kalabasa (squash)? You'll definitely love it more when it's made into a trifle! This take on the English dessert made from thick custard, fruit, sponge cake , fruit juice or jelly and whipped cream; still haunts my gastronomic dreams.

Fruit salad can never get fresher and more organic with most fruits just coming the backyard - papaya, watermelon, strawberries and more.

Take a bite of these tasty Lamb Burger sliders with the lamb meat sourced a few meters from us - a fenced sanctuary with sheep and goat happily grazing within eyes reach.

One of my ultimate faves - pandan crepe filled with bukayo (strips coconut cooked in sugar), how I wished I took this whole plate!

Hand-rolled pasta made with kangkong, kalabasa and red beets. I was engrossed with them that I forgot to take photos of the sauce and trimmings it came with.

How about a native litsong baboy - need i say more?

As always, I take everything that pleases the eyes - bruschetta, squash cookies, eggplant ala lasagna, malunggay and kalabasa muffins, deviled eggs and tacos!

To burn all these calories, we then around the farm meeting its residents and seeing all those patches of vegetable and fruit gardens.

Here are some ducks (where did they go?) and geese frolicking in their own watering hole as well these "Kurobuta" hogs perfecting the art of doing almost nothing.

And the sun set, it was time to say goodbye to another rustic experience. The ambiance and the food was a break from the hustle and bustle of the city. But nonetheless, Orchard Valley Farm in Pavia, is just 30 minutes away from the city - if we need another respite from it!

Operating since 1999, this 22-hectare farm in Brgy. Tigum,Pavia is the ONLY CERTIFIED organic farm in Iloilo. Home to a variety of animal and livestock, Tigum farm boasts of producing all-organic vegetables, herbs, fruits, organic milk, and dairy products, poultry products such as organic eggs and chicken, honey, coconut, and other farm products. The Tigum farm, which stretches just behind Pavia river is divided into a vegetable plantation, orchard, an area for vermicompost, a wide pasture land for the livestock, and coconut tree plantation. Certified by the Negros Island Certification Services (NICERT), Orchard Valley is the first and only certified organic farm in Iloilo that has passed its standards. NICERT is the first organic certification body accredited in the country by the Department of Agriculture.

Orchard Valley Inc. is located in Brgy. Tigum and is accessible via the C1 road from Leganes or Tagbak area or Ungka or through the poblacion of the municipality of Pavia. You can also contact them through 033-337-3510 local 104, 033-335-0935, 0932-876-6673 or 0922-892-3415.

Orchard Valley Iloilo supplies organic farm produce to the following establishment: Days Hotel Iloilo, Bauhinia Filipino Cuisines, Mojave Grill and SteakHouse, Amalfi Cucina Italiana, Nothing but Desserts, Coffeebreak and Iloilo Supermart.

Training and Dormitory Facility photos from Orchard Valley Inc Facebook Page.

Ultimate Ilonggo Favorite: KBL Kadyos, Baboy, Langka

K.B.L. or Kadyos, Baboy, Langka is the ultimate favorite dish of most Ilonggos. It is also one of the most missed native dishes as kadyos and the souring ingredient, batwan , are hard to find when outside of the Ilonggo region. Basically, it is boiled/stewed pork dish owing its "deliciousness" to the combination of the soft and tender pork, the tamed sourness of batwan and the malinamnam na sabaw . One of the "secrets" of the malinamnamn na sabaw , is the fact that the pork, whether just the plain meat or pata (hocks) are first grilled or broiled. This gives the broth a rather smoky taste that makes it more appetizing.. Learn how to make the Ilonggo dish KBL (Kadyos, Baboy, at Langka) with the recipe below. Ingredients 1 kilo Pata (pork hocks) or pork cubes, GRILLED and sliced into bite size pieces 1 unripe Jack fruit, cubed 2 cups pigeon pea (kadyos) 6-8 pieces batwan fruit (or tamarind powder) 1 piece pork broth cube (

An Ilonggo favorite - Valenciana

Found in almost all occasions like fiesta, birthdays, reunions and others, Ilonggos really love valenciana because most if not all have grown accustomed of having it in special gatherings at home. A complete " go, grow and glow " dish because it has the carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals in just one spoonful, Valenciana is really an " occasional dish ". Here's the recipe for Valenciana

Takway

The gabi (taro) is just one of those plants which is edible from "roots to tops". The most popular of which is the tuber part which is used in a variety of dishes and mostly in combination with coconut milk. Its leaves, of course, is the main ingredient of a Bicol specialty, laing . It is dried then chopped and sauteed with other ingredients including, again, coconut milk. Then there is takway . The local term for its tendrils/runner, that part which is torn between being a stem or a root for it neither grows upwards nor downwards - it grows sideways . Scraped off of its outer skin, takway is often a key ingredient in vegetable dishes like laswa and the gabi tuber with coconut milk and local snails know as bago-ngon . It is also popular when cooked adobo style with guinamos , the local bago-ong . It is very popular in the region that even big supermarkets sell takway in style - cleaned and plastic wrapped in styro with some additions to make it easier to prepare.

Batwan

Ilonggos know batwan or batuan by heart as the fruit is almost endemic to the Western Visayas. Its scientific name is Garcinia binucao, derived from the Tagalog name for the fruit, binukaw. It is a large green fruit with large seeds and its a favorite souring ingredient in most Ilonggo dishes especially KBL or kadyos, baboy, langka and the Ilonggo-style paksiw known as "pinamalhan". It is characterized by a tamed sourness compared to tamarind and kamias . The fruit is sold by pieces or kilo in wet markets and even big grocery stores. Batwan is the preferred souring ingredients for the Ilonggo favorite- KBL. The photo shows boiled batwan with skin and without skin (right) A favorite riddle when we were young - "Among the many fruits in the forest, but one (batuan) is the best. What is it?"

A cooking weed called Lupo

Lupo is a weed that is commonly found in ricefields and roadside in provinces. It is most prevalent in Ilonggo cooking compared to others as it is mostly the Ilonggos who can recognize lupo , though maybe called differently in other places. Most commonly used in laswa or monggo dishes to add greens like kamote tops, it also makes a good partner in sinabawan na isda recipes. It has hints of bitterness but don't expect it to be ampalaya-bitter like. It is mostly sold in wet local wet markets by the tumpok .

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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