Hoja Santa - Root Beer Plant

Last month Loretta, a friend from Kilauea pointed out this plant to me. It had been going wild in my banana patch and I thought it was pretty and had a nice aroma when the stems were broken. Well after reading up on it I will report back on cooking with it. Here are a few ideas courtesy of the Washington Post...Hoja Santa

Peach Palm/Pejibaye/Popunha

Just got a bunch of Peach Palm fruit shown here with a Canistel fruit and Cacao pod.

 I have about six clumps of these palms growing and want more! Good for heart of palm ,  harvested from the stalks.

I like to cook these fruit in a crock pot then use the fruit in salads and soups. A nutty flavored orange flesh with the texture of a dry cooked yam.

Peanut Butter Fruit/Bunchosia argentea

I got this fruit from Frankies Nursery over 20 years ago and now have about five trees scattered around the farm . Its a pretty tree and the fruit really does taste like peanut butter!

Rambutans!

Walking back home from the stand last Sunday when I noticed fruit on the old seedling Rambutan tree we got as a gift from Candice Strong. Its at least 20 years old and a hurricane survivor. Seedling trees aren't the most reliable producers but for the last four years this one has borne fruit every other year. Its a climb to get them and I usually end up topping the tree, but they are sweet .

Acerola or Barbados Cherry

Was surprised yesterday morning to see these Barbados Cherries ready to be picked . We planted this as an experiment about five years ago and pretty much forgot about it. I'm going to try some air layers and hard cuttings and plant more as I think the fruit would make good juice to add to smoothies.