Tag: Grand Isle Louisiana

There seems to be a mixed consensus on the edibility of these wild bananas that grow in southern coastal Louisiana.  I decided I would have to try them for myself.  For the most part I found the green ones inedible no matter how I prepared them.  I tried boiling them like the Jamaicans, grilling them and even just plain.  Not tasty.    But if you let them completely ripen to past what I consider edible for the traditional banana with brown spots and such, they become sweet and tender with just a little al dente bite in the middle almost like a just ripe traditional banana with a little green still on the end.  My favorite banana now.  Cant wait till next year when all the banana trees come back after the first freeze down here in years killed most of them.  Good thing is they will come back I just have to have patience.

 

Farming as in Oysters farms.  One of my all time favorite foods in the world and this being the place in the world best known for oysters how could I turn down an invitation to see a real oyster farm with some brand new techniques being used down here.  I climb onto the “party barge” as it was named with the Executive Director of the port commission and his trusty side kick.  We zipped around the Caminada pass between the main land and the island the fog was think and the waters were a little rough.  There was actually a “Fogbow” as we termed it in the sky.

these oyster farms on a few acres of water ways in the Caminada Pass suspend from the surface in large barrel like structures.  The Oysters are turned every day by the farmers making them grow faster and more plump.  Using three-chromosome variety grown from seeds that can not reproduce the farms have more control over the final product.

The are wonderful oysters.  The shells are a little more brittle and that make them hard to shuck for even the most experience shucker.

 

After a couple minutes on a grill they an be shucked pretty easily by me a complete novice.  they are salty, plump and delicious!!

After getting pretty good at casting off the pier, I decided to try my luck on the beach.  Cowboy fisherman john was already there.  I hesitantly send my hook out into the water, only to have my misguided dog think we are playing fetch with the bobber.  I drop the pole and go running into the surf to man the dog.  Petrified he will get hooked, I drag him into shore completely tangled in my fishing line.  Finally he is free and I reel in my hook to find I caught a fish.  The very first cast in the gulf of Mexico.   I’m hooked on fishing now!  Since I have caught many of this little guys, a 3 foot shark, a 48 inch bull red and a crab.  Yes a crab on a hook and all with shrimp bait.

First month long stay!!

This is a great place to jump off the beaten path.  Being off season, it is very quiet and relaxing.  I’m learning to fish.  Having the best of a pier and the gulf coast beaches to learn.