Hardy's coconut farm

The Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera) is a member of the Family Arecaceae (palm family). It is the only species in the genus Cocos, and is a large palm, growing to 30 m tall, with pinnate leaves 4-6 m long, pinnae 60-90 cm long; old leaves break away cleanly leaving the trunk smooth. The term coconut refers to the nut of the coconut palm. An alternate spelling is cocoanut.

The coconut palm is grown throughout the tropical world, for decoration as well as for its many culinary and non-culinary uses; virtually every part of the coconut palm has some human uses.

The coconut has spread across much of the tropics, probably aided in many cases by sea-faring peoples. The fruit is light and buoyant and presumably spread significant distances by marine currents. Fruits collected from the sea as far north as Norway have been found to be viable (and subsequently germinated under the right conditions). In the Hawaiian Islands, the coconut is regarded as a Polynesian introduction, first brought to the islands by early Polynesian voyagers from their homelands in the South Pacific. They are now ubiquitous to most of the planet between 26ºN and 26ºS.

The flowers of the coconut palm are polygamomonoecious, with both male and female flowers in the same inflorescence. Flowering occurs continuously, with female flowers producing seeds. Coconut palms are believed to be largely cross-pollinated, although some dwarf varieties are self-pollinating.

Coconut milk is a sweet, milky white cooking base derived from the meat of a mature coconut. The color and rich taste of the milk can be attributed to the high oil content and sugars. In Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia coconut milk is called santan and in the Philippines it is called gata. And in Thailand it is called ga-ti and used in many of the Thai curries. It should not be confused with coconut water (coconut juice), which is the naturally-occurring liquid found inside a coconut.
Composition of coconut water and coconut milk
Coconut Water (%) Coconut Milk (%)
Total solids 4.71 10.29
Reducing sugars 0.08 0.35
Sucrose 1.28 1.40
Total sugars 2.08
Ash 0.62
Sodium 1.5
Potassium 3.12
Calcium 2.9
Magnesium 3.0
Iron 0.01
Copper 0.004
Phosphorous 3.7 3.3
Sulfur 3.4
Chlorine 18.3
Protein 0.80
Fat 7.10
Carbohydrate 1.75
Source: Subrahmanyan, V., and Swaminathan, D., (1959), Coconut in food, Coconut Bull. 13, No. 5, 153-158.

Thai Coconut Rice

Ingredients : 4 taels chicken meal

1 coconut

1/3 cup of coconut milk

Some rice, green pepper, red pepper & jack fruit

Method : (1) Cut off the top of a coconut, pour out the juice &

reserve it. Wash rice thoroughly. Add coconut juice &

cook till done.

(2) Scope out the coconut pulp & dice. chop jack fruit, red

pepper & green pepper. Mix chicken meat with dash of

light soy sauce & cornflour.

(3) Heat 2 tbsp oil, saute chicken meat. Add the cooked rice,

cup coconut milk & dash of salt.

(4) Add green pepper, red pepper, jack fruit & coconut

pulp, stir fry till cooked. Put all ingredients into

coconut shell, bake it for a while. Serve the whole

coconut.

Kha Nom Pa Grimp Kai Tuew have a great coconut taste sweet dessert so typical of Thailand.

Ingredients

50 gms Sticky Rice Flour

25 gms Rice Flour

1 Tablespoons Cassava Starch

50 ml Rose Water

200 gms Sugar

250 ml Water

200 ml Coconut Milk

A Pinch of Salt

Water for Boiling

A Bowl of Cool Water

Preparation

1. Mix the rice flour, sticky rice flour and starch together. Add enough of the rose water to form a stiff dough and knead it a little.

2. Bring a pan of water to the boil.

3. Pinch off small pieces of the dough and roll them into worm shapes and small balls and drop them into the boiling water to cook. They cook quickly, typically one or two minutes depending on size.

4. Scoop out of the hot water and drop into the cool water to cool down.

5. Make a sugar syrup by adding the sugar, to water. Add just enough water to cover the sugar, then heat until the sugar is just dissolved and leave to cool.

6. Put the coconut milk on the heat, add a pinch of salt and just warm it till steam starts coming off, you just want to warm it.

7. To serve put the worms and balls in a bowl and pour the warm coconut milk over it and a spoonful or two of sugar syrup to sweeten to your tastes.

<2>Kha nom Ta ko Ka noon

Ta Ko, you've seen before in a different form here. Here is a variation in bi-tua leaves with jack fruit (shown at the back in the photograph). Ta Ko (also known as Tahko) is a traditional Thai dessert with a sweet layer and a salty topping.

Ingredients

200 gms Mung Bean Flour

800 ml Water

700 gms Sugar

100 gms Rice Flour

880 ml Coconut Milk

200 gms Jack Fruit (Chopped)

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Bi Tua Leaves (For Wrapping)

Directions

1. Use the bi tua leaves and make little trays (gar tong), you will find it easier if you use a stapler to do this.

2. Mix the mung bean flour with the water in a saucepan.

3. Heat slowly, stirring continuously until the flour has cooked, thickened and gone clear. This can take 25-30 minutes.

4. When it's nearly cooked, add 500 gms sugar and stir until it is dissolved.

5. Stir in the chopped jack fruit.

6. Fill the bi tua trays half full with the mixture and leave to cool.

7. In a saucepan, mix the rice flour, coconut milk, salt, and remaining sugar. Stir slowly over the heat until the flour has cooked through and the sugar dissolved and the mixture is thick.

8. Spoon this mixture onto the top of the earlier layer.

9. Leave to cool and serve.

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

* 1 cup milk
* 1 (14 ounce) can cream of coconut
* 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
* 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut (optional)

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DIRECTIONS

1. Combine the milk and cream of coconut in the container of a food processor or blender, and mix thoroughly. Stir in cream and flaked coconut.
2. Pour into the container of an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

FOOTNOTES

*
Get out your ice cream maker and we'll let you in on some of the secrets of sweet success with homemade ice cream.
*
Note: Do not confuse sweetened cream of coconut-used in this recipe-with unsweetened coconut milk or cream. The sweetness in this recipe comes from the cream of coconut.