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Talong at iba pang planeta

LUMABAY lang ang mga sanga ng nag-iisang puno ng talong matapos ang kahitikan ng pamumunga. Bago nito lubusang maliliman ang sampilas na banig ng humahalimuyak na kintsay. Lubusan ding nakinabang sa kintsay na laging kalahok sa lomi’t pancit guisado. Madalas pa ngang maawitan ni Mrs. Silvia P. Quirino ng Ginebra San Miguel ang mga naturang kintsay-- pangunahing sangkap naman sa isang lutuing Hunan o Szechuan yata na tampok ang tofu o bean curd.

Karaniwan nang may lima o anim na bunga ang punong talong. Labis na sa amin ang ganoong dami. Mahilab kasi sa sukat: dalawang dangkal ang karaniwang haba, truncheon ang taba— sabihin man sa Italy na poor man’s meat ang talong, talagang magsasawa rin sa paulit-ulit na pagsulpot nito sa hapag kainan.

Talagang kikiliti sa pihikang panlasa ang lutuin mula Armenia at Greece, ang moussaka—sapin-saping sinibak na talong, keso, at giniling na karne ng kordero, butter, aciete de oliva, at samut-saring rekado’t pampalasa na niluto ng 35-40 minuto sa hurno. Manghihinayang sa panggatong. Maiisip na parusa sa bulsa ang P550 santangkeng presyo ng liquefied petroleum gas na gatong sa hurno.

Kaya babalingan at kagigiliwan ang mga lutuing nakasubsob sa lupa ang kapayakan.

Balik-talong: manamis-namis ang talong na bagong ani. Inihaw. Pinasingawan. Isasapaw sa naiinin nang kanin. Isasawsaw sa halobaybay na may sili’t kalamansi. O kahit sa balaw-balaw o burong isda (na amoy pekpek daw kaya kasinsarap niyon). Masarap din na gawing comfort food ng mahilig. Puki-puki: inihaw muna, tinalupan, saka isasangkutsa sa sangkatutak na bawang at aceite de oliva kahit hindi extra virgin o paekstra-ekstra kaya naging buntis sa kahulugan.

Sapak na sawsawan sa inihaw na tulingan o tamban: inihaw na talong, talupan; samahan ng talbos ng pako (fiddlehead fern), kamatis, lasona, sili, konting suka’t bagoong Balayan. Ihaing kasama ng umuusok pang kanin at umuusok pa ring tulingan o tamban. Ano nga ba’ng hirit ni Thomas More? You can't force simplicity; but you can invite it in by finding as much richness as possible in the few things at hand. Simplicity doesn't mean meagerness but rather a certain kind of richness, the fullness that appears when we stop stuffing the world with things.

May naligaw pa ngang makheua phuang o talong na Thai (Solanum torvum) sa aming kapirasong halamanan. Sinlaki lang ng gisantes ang bungang nakabungkos. Luntian. Malutong. Makakain nang hilaw, mailalahok sa mga ensalada. Often used to round out or set off the cloying flavor of curry—kaya madalas maging palamuti sa mga lutuing may curry. Kahit pa sa anumang adobo. Pero hindi sa kakatwang P100 bill na sakunang nalimbagan at nilagdaan ng dorobo, ehek, Arrovo nga pala.

Kahit payak lang ang paraan ng pagluluto, lumulutang pa rin ang linamnam ng naturang karne ng mga pobre. May mayuming halimuyak kasi ng pinayaman, pinalusog na lupa.

Sa tahasang tuusan, hindi anumang binhi o punla ng pananim ang masusing sinisinop at pinagyayaman. ‘Yun mismong lupang madalas na tinitindigan. Doon kasi nagsisimula’t umuugat ang paninindigan.

A measure of land can be made to express what it can give. It can say grass or trash. It can speak out idleness or apathy of those upon it. Or it can speak of beauty.

Maybe nurturing the soil nurtures the soul. We’re made of the same stuff. The scant measure of lot I work on now speaks of a vastness I seek to embrace and fathom. It’s a choice. Plants throb and thrum with the boundless energies of the heavens, so that what’s above is reflected below. I’ve got me a magic garden that apes the heavens.

Chili, tarragon, basil for Mars. Mint, bell pepper and kundol for Jupiter. Solanum torvum (Thai eggplants) for Saturn. Camote for Neptune. Passiflora for Pluto.

Citrus hystrix (kaffir lime or
kabuyaw), Citrus aurantifolia (dayap or native lime), sunflower, marigold, cosmos for the sun. Wild tomato, banana, talinum, sagittaria, four o’clock for moon. Yacon, taro, yam bean for this island earth.

Bougainvilla, love and devotion for Venus. Bird’s nest fern—Uranus; rosemary and Chinese celery for Mercury.

That man is richest whose pleasures are the cheapest. I’d say “Amen” to Henry David Thoreau.

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