Don’t throw those weeds away

People are just discovering that the weeds they’ve been throwing away are actually vegetables, and can be made into scrumptious appetizers, or juices. Once some thought of pancit-pancitan as pesky growths in their pots of flowers and garden plots. But they discover at the famous Sonya’s Garden in Alfonso, Cavite, that they can be thrown into a salad bowl and make lovely garnishings in a plate of noodles and chopseuy.

Delightful discoveries of edible weeds have led a motley group of plant lovers into collecting recipes and making them into what promises to be an exciting book – the first of its kind, to be sure. Ooops . . . Don’t Throw.

Those Weeds!!! Is the enthusiastic title of the plant book or cook book, whatever, and focuses on about 70 common, indigenous plants most of which just grow in abun-dance in open fields and nooks and gardens. It has colored illustrations for each weed, so you will have names (scientific and common names) for them and use them in your cooking.

There will be recipes that show "gourmet fusion" dishes. They are from the personal file of the famous Maur Lichauco. You could say they’re Maur’s "secret" file, but it actually isn’t because Maur shares her recipes and discoveries generously, and is excited when someone asks her for them and techniques of good cooking. Samples of the recipes in Ooops . . . Mongo Soup with Bago Nut Leaves, Milkfish Belly with Oray, Barbutak Canneloni, Pako Salad with Talinum and Pancit Pancitan, and an appetizer of Squash Flowers and Takip Kuhol.

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The seed for the book project was germinated just three months ago – in June – when Carmen Florento was invited by Yuyung Lao, landscape artist, to his plant nursery in Quezon City. Carmen thought of making a garden tour, bringing along Maur, Noni Dolera, and Flor Tarriela, all members of the Fern & Nature Society of the Philippines.

Flor recalls: "As we went around the nursery, Noni provided a lot of information on the plants and their care and propagation, including some of their uses. Then Maur saw some variegated talinum and recalled that during the Japanese occupation, it served as their source of Vitamin C when made into salad, juice and tea." Flor, who was planning to pull out the talinum in her own garden in Valle Verde II, believing they were useless weeds, was stopped in the bud. Upon reaching home, she told her helpers to not dare throw the talinum plants away. Talinum, as well as pancit-pancitan, now grows in wild abandon in her garden.

In no time, the book project was started, with Noni, a "walking encyclopedia," providing information on each plant, and Maur creating recipes from weeds she discovered useful as well as making her book-friends try them and her own tried-and-tested ones in her kitchen. The meetings turned into cooking classes. The group went on garden tours, and peering into nooks and corners for more unheralded weeds. Some places visited were the Anihan farms and Lita Montilla’s in Lipa, Batangas, Ruby Roa’s in Alfonso, and Ernest Santiago’s in Pagsanjan.

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Who are these gourmet weed-eaters? Noni is a certified public accountant who took up postgraduate studies at the Ateneo de Manila University and made a feasibility study on exporting plants, particularly Philippine orchids and flowers. His dissertation has been used as a case study for MBA students. An area representative of the Orchid Society of Southeast Asia, he is invited to judge orchid competitions here and abroad. There are three plants named after him: an aglaeonema and two orchid hybrids, one of which is the paraphaelanopsis which won in an international orchid show n Malaysia.

Maur Aquino Lichauco has been teaching cooking for 35 years and serves as consultant at many culinary affairs. She has compiled recipes from her family’s files. She is challenged by the idea of using common lowly plants for ingredients for main dishes, soups, even desserts. This will be her first book of recipes, which I project will sell like hotcakes.

Carmen (Mameng) Osmena Florento is a pharmacist who loves to cook, dance and garden and attend plant shows here or abroad. She collects ferns, orchids and ornamental plants which is why she is a valuable asset to the Fern Society’s book project.

Flor Gozon Tarriela was formerly managing partner at Citibank and is currently director of the Philippine National Bank. She is a columnist of Business World’s Finex Views and co-author of the inspirational book, Coincidence or Miracle. One thing Flor has learned from the project is whipping up dishes in her kitchen – and to think that her mother, Aling Arlene Gozon, thought her daughter Flor was a hopeless case when it came to cooking. To her great surprise, after listening to Maur’s fun-lectures, she has learned to cook. Just try her Vietnamese Lumpia, Tacos, Lechon Kawali, Prichon, and Quesodillas.

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ON ANOTHER FRONT. Merck Sharp & Dohme Philippines recently sponsored a round table discussion for media women, focusing on that interesting stage in a woman’s life – menopause. This is that particular period when a woman has stopped menstruating and feels several discomforts like hot flashes, weight gain due to a slower metabolism, and for some, trying to remember dates, names and faces.

At the forum, recent studies on the use of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) were discussed. One will recall that last July, the US-based Women’s Health Institute came out with findings that HRT has more disadvantages than advantages in preventing heart diseases, breast and ovarian cancers. The two male doctors at the forum, Dr. Florante Gonzaga, ob-gynecologist, and Dr. Dante Morales, a cardiologist, were of opposing views as regards the issue, with the former not totally discounting the efficacy of HRT in alleviating menopausal discomforts and preventing diseases. Dr. Morales on the other hand, cautioned women in taking it.

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My e-mail address: [email protected]