The first papaya tree that our gardener planted is growing beautifully. It’s already starting to bear medium to large fruit.
Being able to eat from your garden is so satisfying. To see something edible growing in your home, to experience both its beauty and its practicality, is a wonder.
We’ve got several more papaya trees coming up, and I’m looking forward to when they mature into fruit-bearing trees.
Papaya fruit is edible in both its ripe and unripe forms.
We made a green papaya salad using an unripe papaya, Thai style. The Thai palate balances sweet, sour, salt and heat. Let your taste buds be your guide when it comes to how much to include of each condiment.
This recipe uses moli, a Fijian fruit that’s like a cross between a lime and an orange. You probably won’t have access to this if you’re not in Fiji, but you can substitute with fresh lime juice.
Ingredients:
1 green papaya, julienned
1 carrot, sliced
fish sauce to taste
sugar to taste
vinegar to taste
fresh moli or lime juice to taste
1 chili pepper, minced
crushed peanuts
fresh cilantro
Place the papaya and carrot strips in a large bowl and add the condiments by the tablespoon, mixing to your taste.
Garnish with peanuts and cilantro.
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