It's beginning to look a lot like....Chocolate!

It is cocoa harvesting time at Crescent Moon! Although we have only two cocoa trees on the property they bear twice a year and plenty. We are major consumers of cocoa through cocoa tea, cocoa chipolte ice cream, and cocoa espresso torte. There is a lot of talk lately about the health benefits of cocoa's flavonoids acting as antioxidants and blood pressure regulators but all studies will qualify that the closer to the source the better.

Our process starts with picking the pods from the tree. This is fun to watch as David bounces atop the rubbery boughs of the tree. He sends, his assistants, me and Leo, the pods and we catch (most) of them. Then we use our own preferred methods to open the red, orange and yellow, football shaped pods. I like to knock them on a sharp stone and David taps them three times with his cutlass like a magic wand and, voila, they open and expose creamy covered deep purple seeds. Next we scoop out the pulp and seeds which leaves our hands softened and smooth and collect them in a pail. We all can be seen sucking on a few seeds as we go along. The pulp is a special sweet yet tart taste, a sensation one wouldn't relate to cocoa unless you have been a harvester.

The cupped pods are given back to the tree's roots as fodder for the next generation and the seeds are spread out on a long sheet of metal in the greenhouse to dry and slightly ferment.
Once dried to the supervisor's satisfaction it is fire time. David stirs the seeds in a big pot over the open flames until they have been well cooked and the outer shell cracks (similar to coffee). They are pealed, once again, of the last shell layer. We then take turns grinding the seeds through the hand mill, transforming them into powder. Next is packing the grains into form. This takes an intuitive amount of pressure between two hands (David and Jolo have an innate sense of perfection!) as you use the natural oils to bind it all into the shape of a log or a ball. They are ready to grate as unsweetened baker's chocolate into cake recipes.

The way I make cocoa tea:

Boil 6 cups of water, grate into it a thick cocoa stick.
Add one big piece of cinnamon bark and a bay leaf
Simmer until all cocoa is melted and cinnamon and bay drawn
(a cured vanilla pod is also a decadent addition!)
Sweeten to taste
Add cow, goat, or coconut milk to desired creaminess

Sip, savor, and celebrate!

The Best of All Worlds

Sorrel and sun dried tomatoes? At the same time? In the same place? Ahhh, only at Crescent Moon.

Amid downpours of our seasonal December rains here we are savoring the succulence of a "sun dried" tomato. Thanks to our big umbrella (the greenhouse) and our rich composted soil, our first tomato crop of the season has been a dream come true.

But it is not as if we have too many tomatoes that we don't know what to do with them. Leo eats them whole like an apple. Mom drinks zesty tomato juice. Dad sauces them with mammoth basil and garlic. David does them sliced with arugula. My favorite is the classic tomato/mayo sandwich. The remaining ten pounds are slow baked in the dehydrator to condense and transform that juiciness into a sweet and tangy trip to the Med. So far these tiny bits of powerful flavor have made it into bread, salad dressing, and marinades. They also make a nice dried fruit snack.

Meanwhile, back a yard, Christmas is coming in the hue of deep maroon! In Dominica the beginning of the holiday spirit is heralded by the return of a seasonal favorite: the Sorrel or roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa). To those unfamiliar with the plant, it grows similar to okra and makes a small, soft hibiscus petal which then gives way to a waxy sepal. We steep the juice from these gorgeous flowers after our fingers have been stained purple from the de~seeding. We are making juice, jam, and sorbet from David's plentiful and timely plantation. My favorite sorrel drink is a warm tea with local spice and ginger.

Regardless of the little sympathy we get for the "cold season" here in Dominica, this month has been known to send our visitors from England to New England under multiple blankets! For us at Crescent Moon, it is that time of year that permits us to wear our reserved cozy sweaters, peal roasted bread-nuts, drink something festively red and cinnamon~y, feast on delicacies, and celebrate the peace in our rainbow laden valley.

The Macro Lens Sheds New Light on the Microcosm

"The aim of this approach is to raise mankind to the same level of development as the environment and thus eliminate the imbalance between them." ~ Maria Montessori.

For ten years now we have been creating a collection of ornamental tropical flowers, fruit bearing trees, exotic creepers, and unusual ground covers in our gardens. While we have been appreciating the miracles of nature all the while, this new photo series Dad is working on has opened our eyes to the gorgeous complexities of mother nature.

Check out the intense detail of some of our familiar flora and see if you can guess which plants they belong to:

http://picasaweb.google.com/rviveralli/Lines#


Now that this photographic eye is roaming the Crescent Moon grounds, we have all become hyper~sensitive to the action that goes on in minute corners of the property. Sometimes a day is just about getting from here to there but when you start looking at the drama found in nature, it is hard to take two steps without being in awe of the details.

Just the other day I was dividing some torch gingers and came upon my favorite butterfly, Godman's Leaf (Memphis dominicana), feasting on the fermenting carambolas on the ground. I paused to watch as he returned repeatedly to the same piece of fruit, unrolling his yellow tongue like a red carpet (proboscis). Later in the day I went to throw my pile of weeds into the compost heap, I heard the choppy sound of someone trying to mimic the song of the sifle moutayn (Rufus Throated Solitaire, Myadestes genibarbis). Expecting the perpetrator (whom i suspected to be my husband) to be nearby, I looked around and saw a young solitaire on the Bwa Riviere branch just a foot above my head. He was practicing his song as if for the first time and was in no way threatened by me. For as often as i hear them i have never been as fortunate to see one so close. I tried my version of a mountain whistler back and he just cocked his head a little confused. Unfortunate for the photo album, my tool in hand was the cutlass and not the camera!

Meanwhile, Dad had been observing the patterns of nature elsewhere on the property and noticed that the insects around the lily pond and pool were keeping to a schedule. He was awaiting the 2 p.m. arrival of his favorite dragonfly on the blue vervain when he noticed the return of the cricket in the water lily.

As minuscule as these lines, textures, patterns, relationships, and developments may seem....taking notice of them often makes us feel even smaller in this complex and natural world.

romance is in the air

While many people wait for just the right moment to "pop the question" we were flattered that our most recent guests chose during the main course to be their moment!

Congratulations to Pleuni and Rudolph on their recent engagement! After dating and traveling the world together for six years, this lovely couple found Dominica and Crescent Moon Cabins after watching the travel show "3 OP REIS" on Dutch television.

http://llink.nl/3opreis/viewpage.php?page=bestemmingen&id=1642

Ironically, the camera man who filmed the show has also come back this season with his new bride to spend their honeymoon at Crescent Moon!

Rudolph was romantically crafting the moment from the time the sun rose by taking his sweetheart on an early morning walk up to Buena Vista in the next valley. They had a leisurely breakfast then were off to town to for a whale watching adventure. After a successful sighting of several sperm whales they returned to Crescent Moon just in time for a romantic dinner. Shortly after the spicy greens salad with sliced beetroots and passion fruit dressing we got the cue to play Pleuni's favorite song. As the savory rosemary and garlic wafted from the homemade tofu and christophene (another special request) her let her know his intentions. While we didn't get the exact details, we did hear the giggling and saw the smiles! It worked!

The next morning they were off on another adventure to the Boiling Lake with David. The six hour hike should have allowed enough time to start to discuss the where and when!
We wish them all best!

Dominica Community Service Day...a day of appreciating our little cornerof the Nature Island!

While every day in Dominica is a potential community service day, November 4 marks the official National Day of Community Service. Because the weather in Dominica is not as predictable as the holidays, we did our contribution to our humble little corner, River La Croix, in the fair skies (it was fun to finish planting in the light of the full moon!) this weekend.

Over the summer months we did get a lot of government work on the road. Thanks to the guys operating for Fast Company, our drains were properly cleaned! Landslides dating back to 2004 that had become familiar green bumps in the drain were swept out and the tall grass along the road sent asunder. Of course when you have a little boy named Leo around nothing could be more exciting to watch as well!

Taking advantage of the momentum of "road works" in Dominica this season, David, Dad, and I all did our parts to keep up the beautification. We planted a hedge along the main view point of the River La Croix road with crotons, begonias, and lilies. Hopefully this will keep the tall mulch grass, which often blocks the view, at a reasonable distance from the "lookout". We will finish it off with a small seating platform ideal for sunset and parrot gazing. It will be easy to maintain as it is the beaten path of one of our favorite afternoon walks.

Our other favorite walk is below Crescent Moon where road turns into track and stretches all the way down to the coast. The "fitness" trail for both ourselves and our pups is an old donkey track which used to bring farmers from the village of Massacre up to the heights of River La Croix. It is featured in the novel The Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys. The trail makes a fork at the top leading to Buena Vista Estate (or locally called Gwo Mourne) or continues all the way up to the road to Sylvania. It is about an hour and a half walk each way from CMC to Massacre but we usually just do the "bush" part for our walkabout. The wild lemongrass at the farm section of this trail tends to get bushy and closes in on the track especially as less farmers make their way from the village. For the few farmers and hikers that do use it though it can be wet and scratchy. So Dad sharpened the swiper (weed wacker) blade and made a clean sweep of the path. This will be a joy for the farmers to be able to pass with their loads unscathed and for us to come back from our hike without any ants or grass bites.

As the rain falls on our community today we are thankful we didn't wait for the official day to do our service. But as soon as the rain eases up a bit we will be able to admire our growing flowers and open paths for our afternoon walk!

the true worth of a hill of Dominican beans

This week, as we searched our usual local sources for the green Arabica beans, we were shocked to come up empty handed! While we know the number of coffee farmers on the island is dwindling, it is unusual not to be able to come up with even a pound or two. The sense that a lot of the hardest working and patient elders of Dominica have left us is becoming a reality. There aren't many young people interested in the amount of time it takes to pursue such crops as coffee. There are many steps: planting, picking, cleaning the berries, drying, and shelling before one can hold a pound of green, unroasted beans in their hand.

Anyone who knows Crescent Moon knows that this special little bean is an integral part of our daily operations...like the show will not go on without it! So after a brief wave of panic amongst the crew, Dad hit the web and the pavement looking for new avenues of potential sources.

Come to find out, even if it came to the extreme possibility of having to, oh nooo!, import beans from Central America, they would be subject to 75% duty. Thank goodness again for the governance of outrageous port tariffs! Dad pried the scene a little more and found a friend of a neighbor of a friend who might have some. On the hunt down many roads, and several stops for directions, he found them at last! A large sack of green beans. The man was thankful for the sale and needless to say we were all thankful for the find. The only catch was that they had not yet been cleaned!

So Mom and Dad hunkered down and began to peel the little paper thin shell one bean at a time with determination. Hours passed and the pile had not yet reached a pound. So as most people lay in repose, Dad was up thinking of "the better way".

By morning morning he had it. The first cup depended on it! He had converted our hand mill to include two rubber gaskets over the plates so that it would rub the beans enough to break the peal but not too much to hurt the bean.

Dad, David, and I all took turns milling and pouring until we had broken the shells of about seven pounds of beans in less than an hour. Now the next step would be to blow off the shells. David started to blow off the shells while passing the beans hand to hand the way he knew his father did it. I tried it and started to see stars after a minute! Seven pounds and plenty of oxygen to the brain later the beans had now been shelled and were ready to roast.

Next invention: the super shell blower is currently in the works.