table talk / By Joseph Byrd

Forging Dinner

Braised chicory is similar to braised fennel. Cut and discard stalks from two fennel bulbs. Cut bulbs lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. In a 12-inch heavy skillet, heat oil until hot but not smoking, then brown fennel slices, turning, for three to four minutes. Reduce heat to low. Sprinkle fennel with salt and pepper, then add chicken broth and/or white wine. Cover, and simmer until fennel is tender, six to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with vinegar and chopped fresh parsley.

Use not-quite-ripe red bananas if possible (firm). Do not peel, but cut each one into two cylinders, which will bake upright. Discard the ends.

The stuffing ingredients get mixed together to form a thickish paste. Who knows what exotic nuts or seeds the Islanders used? I’d suggest grated coconut (reconstituted with water if dry), toasted, ground pumpkin seeds, almonds and/or pine nuts, orange zest and a Serrano chile, seeded and finely minced. Mix with salt and a small amount of yoghurt, whey, buttermilk, sour cream, whatever. You’ll need about a teaspoon of mixture for each banana half.

On top of each banana piece cut a cross about 3/4-inch deep. Using your hands, stuff the paste into the cuts. This will seem awkward; it is awkward. When you have stuffed all pieces, use any remaining filling to shmush around the top, covering the surface as much as possible. Then place the bananas on a cookie sheet or in an oven dish and cover with film until ready.

To cook bananas: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place pieces on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. The skins should be black and the flesh soft. Serve immediately.

An interesting aspect of Erba Verdan cuisine is that desserts (as with traditional Mandarin food) are not sweet. Who knows why? The Aztecs didn’t do dessert — their use of chocolate was as a bitter stimulant and aphrodisiac. In Europe, sugar was part of the main course, with countless medieval recipes for meat stewed or baked with dried fruit. “Mincemeat” and apricot-stuffed pork roast are legacies of that mostly forgettable practice.

Times change. Nowadays, with Bahamas Air providing regular flights to EVX, the culture of the islands may disappear entirely. Already there is talk of offshore banks, casinos, deep-sea tourist adventures, an “Erba Verde Marriott.” A celebrity chef is said to be negotiating for a restaurant to be called Bermuda Triangle.

The Erba Verde lesson is cautionary. We are reminded of just how fragile are our lives and our transient culture, and how precious the moments we can savor.

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