Sonia Tastes Hawaii: Breadfruit Goes Banana Custard demo at the Kino'ole Farmers Market

I forgot to add the brown sugar and cinnamon to the topping before we served it! It would have looked much better...

This week's Kino'ole Farmers Market e-mail newsletter said: Cooking 'Ulu with Sonia - Celebrate Our 6th Anniversary! The market is celebrating a month-long party with demos, a lot of special events and many prizes donated by vendors given away each market day.

Since the 2nd Annual Breadfruit Festival will be held this year on Saturday, September 29th at the Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Gardens in Captain Cook, Hawai'i Island, and this year's theme is 'Breadfruit Festival goes bananas!' to celebrate I developed the Breadfruit Goes Banana molded custard I demo'ed at the market this morning.

My demo was scheduled for 8 am, so we arrived at the site early to set up and still be able to walk around, visit and 'talk story' with friends and vendors. The market was quite busy and there was a pretty good crowd to be so early in the morning.

I started the demo by explaining the difference between still green and almost ripe breadfruit. For this recipe an almost ripe is best but not necessary.

Nothing like being caught with a rubbish container in the background! Note to Anthony: " Choose your angles a bit better! "

Breadfruit can be first microwaved, boiled, roasted or baked to cook it and get rid of the latex type sap that sticks to everything. I prefer to roast it at 400 F for about 30 minutes or so - until a knife inserted in it comes out easily and clean - after puncturing a couple of times with a sharp knife and just placing uncovered, on a cookie sheet or roasting pan or even a glass pie plate.

Breadfruit Goes Banana Custard

Unless a recipe calls for exact measurements of ingredients, I usually just use my own judgement on the quantities I add to most recipes, so the amounts mentioned can be played with. Breadfruit can be quite large and you can adjust the rest of the ingredients to whatever size breadfruit you have on hand. This is a very forgiving recipe so don't feel you have to follow it to the letter.

1-1/2 to 2 cups cooked breadfruit - mashed

1/2 to 1 cup apple bananas (about 3 -4) - mashed

2/3 cup skim milk

1/2 to 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

5 to 6 Tablespoons brown sugar - heaping

3 to 4 beaten eggs yolks

2 to 3 Tablespoons chopped, toasted macadamia nuts (optional)

1/2 teaspoon Hawaiian sea salt or to taste (optional)

Non-stick cooking spray

3 to 4 sliced apple bananas

1 to 2 Tablespoon(s) brown sugar

1 or more teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 F.

In a medium bowl, stir together the mashed breadfruit and bananas. Add the milk and blend well. Add vanilla extract brown sugar, eggs, macadamia nuts, if using, and salt mixing thoroughly to incorporate.

Spray a 1 - 2 quart ramekin, loaf pan or baking dish (depending on how big the breadfruit and the amount of yield) with non-stick spray. Pour the mixture into dish and bake for about 40-45 minutes or until a sharp knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Meantime, peel and cut the 2 whole bananas into slices and dip into citrus juice or commercial Fruit-Fresh® preservative. Set aside until needed. I have been macerating the bananas in a banana liqueur made by a friend.

Decorate the top with the fresh, raw, sliced bananas and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Cut in wedges or slices to serve.

Other ideas for toppings can be mangoes, liliko'i syrup, bananas cooked in a bit of butter, brown sugar and a touch of rum... just whatever your imagination can dream up!

I was given some delicious, small 'water apples' and liliko'i (passion fruit) by vendor Jennie and I will be experimenting making a topping for the next Breadfruit Goes Bananas Custard with them.