Selamat datang di Bali

Bali is unlike any place I've ever been.  As I sit on my bungalow's patio in Ubud I'm struck by the strange juxtaposition that is Bali.  It's a place where new and old, ancient and modern coexist.  Pop music thumps loudly from bar on Monkey Forest Road, and behind it I hear traditional Balinese ceremonial music; there is a dance performance taking place.

Ducks quack loudly in the rice paddies that create my scenic view, and an old farmer walks barefoot through the wet paddies spreading hay over his crops with a rake.   

It's cloudy today.  Yesterday it was cloudy in the morning, but cleared up by noon, and by 3pm I was two shades darker. Today, the clouds will surely linger longer, and their presence is welcomed by those who would otherwise sweat all day and long for a cool breeze.  

There are kites flying overhead; from where I sit I can see 5 floating high in the sky.  I thought they were birds, then realized they aren't circling anything and one appears to be bright red.

Saturday is the last day of the Galungan holiday, it's called Kuningan.  On this day the Balinese ancestral spirits who have been visiting the earth for the last 10 days will leave.  It is the day of my departure from Bali as well.  

My trip has been wonderful.  I spent a day up at the volcano Mt.Batur and relaxed in the hot springs below. In my time visiting the beaches I had a much appreciated dose of white sand and sunshine.  The fields of rice paddies and farm land graced with stunning mountain vistas have become ingrained in my memory along with the smell of incense and stench of cloves.  

The highlight of my trip, however, was filming a cooking video with Karen Waddell at her organic farm and country house. 

I'm very much a suburban and city girl, and as much as I love nature, I haven't spent much time immersed in it.  The only thing I've grown was a tiny watermelon when I was a child, and the closest I had been to a farm was my mother's flower plot back in Atlanta.  

I was overwhelmed with excitement when Karen invited me to film this video with her.  You see, Karen is a bit of a rockstar to me.  She and her husband own four restaurants in Bali and a catering company, and she still finds time to write an awesome blog, Kitchen In Surgency, and film a cooking show.  She and I met one day when I was working at Peacefood Cafe.  Karen was in town for her son's highschool graduation, and I told her of my upcoming travels to Southeast Asia.  She urged me to visit Bali, and promised it's a great place for vegetarians; and well, I've always loved Indonesian food.  So without Karen I wouldn't even be in Bali now; Thank you Karen! 

We met at her restaurant Cinta Grill at 6am, had some granola, picked up Soma and Mila (the talented filmmakers), and headed into the Bali country side.  The hour long ride took us through beautiful old villages, a forest, rice paddies, and citrus farms, and finally we arrived at Karen's house where we were greeted by her husband Gusky and three little puppies.  

We were offered Bali Kopi (Balinese coffee).  I hadn't drank coffee in almost a year, but I couldn't miss out on this special cup!  The beans were from the next plot of land over, and roasted to perfection in a traditional roasting bowl on a traditional stove. It was the best coffee I've ever had.  It was rich and "strong enough to grow hair on your chest", as my Nana would say, yet balanced and not bitter like the cheap coffee I've had since.  

Once we finished our morning brew, we headed to the farm in Gusky's beautifully restored 1980-something cream colored Toyota jeep. The road to the farm isn't paved, so we cautiously bumped along, and then we arrived!  Greenery everywhere I looked, it was spectacular! The farmers worked silently tending to the many varieties of vegetables, and I stood in awe.  Soma and Mila filmed us as Karen took me on a tour of the farm.  They grow everything from fresh mint and ginger to mustard and micro greens.  They're even lucky enough to have cacao trees, vanilla and cinnamon.

a bit of the farm

micro greens, a farm within a farm

cacao pods

We, however, were looking for ferns which we would have to forage for in the forest.  It turns out that the Fiddle Headed ferns we wanted could only be found in a sacred forest in which law forbids women before the menopausal stage to enter.  Yes, you read that right, no pre-menopausal women allowed!

So we foraged the land surrounding the farm for baby ferns. It was so much fun and you'll have a chance to see us in action when the video is complete!

Back at the house we snacked on steamed rice, with fried shallots, chilis, garlic and fish before getting to work on our fern salad.  I had a lesson in Indonesian cooking.  Apparently this salad is common in Balinese cuisine, and combines a few of their staple ingredients; garlic, ginger, chilis, shallots, and toasted coconut.  Normally this dish calls for shrimp paste, but we made it without for a vegan version.  We blanched the ferns, and chopped them afterwards to reserve the flavor.  We mixed the spices in with the shredded coconut before adding it to the chopped ferns, thus avoiding over mixing, and topped it off with fried shallots.  The dish was served with red rice, fried tempeh, more fish and an assortment of condiments including lime leaf, a ginger-garlic mash, chili and the optional shrimp past.  We sat on the low table eating with our hands and chatting, and I was the happiest girl in the world.  

their old school wood fired stove

sea salt

the ferns

toasted coconut, lime leaves (not kaffir), limes, garlic, shallots

Indonesian mortar and pestle. I want one! 

the delicious fern salad

Recipe and video coming soon! 

I'll see you next week in Thailand

p.s. I take back what I said about the coconuts not being good here.  I think the first one I had was filled with drinking water and sold to me, haha; but every coconut since has been immensely satisfying.

Extra photos of Bali

view from my bungalow, ladies harvesting rice!

Ubud Market, a bit run down and junky : (

the Padang Bai white sand beach

a view from Candidasa