Earlier this week, the Island of la Réunion celebrated its first anniversary as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a well-deserved honor for this beautiful tropical island in the Indian Ocean. The streets may be lined with coconut and palm trees and it may be surrounded by crystal blue waters, but la Réunion is anything but your average tropical island. With an active volcano (Le Piton de la Fournaise) and unique “cirques,” La Réunion is the perfect destination for adventurous vacationers seeking outdoor activities. The cultures of three continents (Africa, Asia, and Europe) intersect on this tiny island, making its people as exotic and eclectic as its landscape. And yet, La Réunion is as much a part of France as Hawaii is a part of the United States.
When I go to La Réunion, I am just “une zoreille”–the locals’ name for the metropolitan French who, they joke, have to cup their hands to their ears to understand the islanders’ creole accent—but my mother is a true réunionnaise, born and raised in the city of Saint Louis. As a result, I grew up hearing a lot about La Réunion. I will never forget the lilting accent of my grandparents, my mother singing créole songs, and the heavenly smells of island spices coming from the kitchen. Among her specialties is the achard de légumes, a typical réunionnais dish that boasts bold flavors and beautiful colors. As a little girl, I remember the anticipation building every time summer came and my mother decided it was time to make du achard. Our family made a tradition of sharing each year’s batch with as many people as possible, and everyone, boss, friends, coworkers, family and even my school teachers would be brought a portion of the tasty dish.
Stricken with homesickness, I recently decided that I would continue the tradition by trying to make my own achard. Below is my mother’s recipe. Of course, there are many ways to cook achard, but this is the way it’s always been done in my family:
Recette du achard de légumes :
For 6-8 people:
Ingredients:
–   10 oz green beans
–   Half a small cabbage
–   One red pepper
–    One green pepper
–   Two medium onions
–    Two carrots
For the taste:
–     Olive Oil
–     Fresh ginger root (a thumb’s length)
–      2/3 cloves of Garlic
–      Salt and pepper
–      Saffron or turmeric (half a tablespoon)
–      One or two tablespoons of white vinegar
Instructions:
The recipe is extremely simple but requires a LOT of work. I recommend that you recruit a spouse, friend or roommate to help you and to watch a movie at the same time because you are going to have to wash, peel, and julienne each vegetable until it is reduced to thin strips. For example, I usually cut each green bean into four pieces lengthwise. Be advised that preparation takes about 2 to 3 hours, depending on how fast you can cut!
Once all your vegetables are sliced thinly lengthwise, pour 3 to 5 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot and add the sliced onions. Once the onions have softened, add the saffron, minced garlic, minced ginger, salt and pepper. Then stir in each vegetable one at a time following this precise order:
1) Carrots, 2) Green Beans, 3) Red and Green Peppers 4) Cabbage
Wait about one minute between each vegetable and never stop stirring. Once all the vegetables are in the pot, continue stirring for about 3-5 minutes and turn off the stove. Then add white vinegar. Mix well. The vegetables should still be crunchy. Finally, you may add more saffron, ginger, salt or even hot chilies to give it a kick, depending on your taste.
Enjoy cold as an appetizer or as a side with rice and saucy meat or fish, but whatever you do with it, don’t forget to share!