A heap of the potato-balo-balo mash with some veggies.
Following my Quite General Pinoy Fermentation Post, I decided to act upon my idea that balo-balo, Capampangan fermented rice with fish or freshwater shrimp, has a tart cheesy taste that will work well with making certain people eat their vegetables.
So I made a thickish mash using lots of garlic, coconut milk and potatoes (this would be great in a moussaka), and added the rice part of balo-balo (I don't eat the seafood part, but I like the rice!). This resulted in a mash that we scooped over our vegetables, which were a sauteed mixture of sigarillas, pako fern, and the astringent blossoms of banana.
Just the vegetables.
While it is a good combination for layering, or as slathering material, the potato makes it too thick in a starchy-irresistible way to eat just a little bit of. Call it the impulse to pile on anything potato. Perhaps I will thin it out with more coconut cream and less potato next time.
I will be experimenting more in finding interesting ways to use fermented foodstuffs. As a last note, the lactic acid from our balo-balo apparently might help reduce obesity.
