Cassava pancake mix with a mango pancake syrup and cassava crisps are available at the RADA outlet, 191 Old Hope Road, in St Andrew. - photo by Nashauna Drummond

Jamaicans have somehow convinced themselves that they cannot have a main meal without rice. And we don't even grow it! The time has come to rethink that belief because the grain is facing short supplies all over the world. But Jamaicans need not panic, we are not even utilising a half of the thousands of acres of cultivable land. We pay lip service to the phrase, 'eat what you grow, grow what you eat', but now more than ever, we should practise what we preach.

We talk about the flavours of our locally grown yams, mangoes and carrots, yet we continue to import carrots that are so uniform in size they seem cloned! A force-ripe mango sells for a pound sterling or more in England, yet we are not trying to corner that export market.

In his maiden budget speech, Agriculture Minister Dr Christopher Tufton issued the challenge to grow more of one possible rice replacement crop - cassava, but everyone is taking that call for a big joke.

Truth is, we have been using cassava to make bammies and more recently, cassava crisps, cassava flour and cassava pancake mix. Supplies are usually available at a few supermarkets and at the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) on Old Hope Road but when we called, there was only one packet of the pancake mix left there yesterday. Why do Jamaicans abroad have more of a yearning for our locally produced foods than we do?

Very delicious and healthy

The cassava pancake mix was featured in this section when it was first launched and it is a very delicious (and healthy) alternative to the imported flour-based brands. Many food preparation specialists also came up with possible accompanying syrups made from locally grown fruits, such as jackfruit.

We continue to be a nation of samples and we also continue to favour imported food that takes up valuable foreign exchange. The cassava pancake mix has not 'taken off', so to speak. And we do not see jackfruit or mango syrup in abundance on supermarket shelves. Something must be done to make manufacturing local canned and packaged foods less of a hassle. And somehow, we have to re-condition our tastebuds to appreciate the abundance of exciting possibi-lities available in Jamaica.

Side orders

For the rest of the year, we will share some recipes and tips on scores of starch-based side orders that can replace rice and flour dumplings on your menus. Why not send us your recipes, too? Sure, a pound of rice goes further than, say, a pound of yam, but why not take up the challenge to cook rice only on Sundays?

That is easy, try soup one or two days a week and experiment with yam, sweet potatoes, dasheen, Irish potatoes, breadfruit, plantains, green bananas and even pumpkin on the other days. Ask yourselves this question: how do we survive on substitutes when diseases like diabetes force us to?

Get the children involved, too: in the Fiji Islands, they parboil dasheen, then grease a baking tray and place the slices or wedges in the oven and bake till the dasheen is crisp all over. Little children simply hold these in their hands and eat them. Dasheen is one of our most nutritious starches.

Sweet potato

This starch has two advantages, it is sweet and versatile. To conserve on cooking gas, roast a chicken, mix up a pudding and toss in three 'good'-sized sweet potatoes in the oven for Sunday dinner. This is great with any pot-roast pork or you can try it in fried wedges/slices, candied or even follow the recipe you use for Irish potato salad. Now, if you make your favourite vegetable salad, there is no need for rice and peas!

Breadfruit can be had roasted and fried but why not try a breadfruit salad or casserole? In the weeks ahead, we will share many recipes to replace rice with you. Send us some of your own to: lifestyle@gleanerjm.com.

Today, try our mashed pumpkin side order.

INGREDIENTS

Half of a pumpkin

Water to boil

1 sweet pepper

2 stalks scallion

1 large onion

Half of a Scotch bonnet pepper

1 oz margarine

2 cooking tomatoes

2 cloves garlic

METHOD

1. Peel and cut up pumpkin, then boil till cooked.

2. Finely chop scallion, onion, garlic, tomatoes, sweet pepper and hot pepper.

3. When cooked, drain water from pumpkin and place in a large bowl.

4. Mash pumpkin and other ingredients, as well as margarine, with a potato masher, but leave some chewable bits of pumpkin in.

Garnish as you like, add black pepper if necessary, go easy on the salt and serve as you would mashed potatoes. Pumpkin tends to be sweet so children will love this dish. If they like, let them add their ketchup.

Incidentally, you can also slice pumpkin, rub on salt and pepper and bake on a greased tray for about 15 minutes in the oven. Great way to prepare it other than boiling.

The idea for this recipe came from Father Marek in Maggotty, St Elizabeth. babara.ellington@gleanerjm.com