My gardener pal Neil gave me some bittermelons from his yard. I had stopped at KTA earlier in the day for the ingredients for my daughter’s chicken and salad dinner request but forgot to get ingredients for a bittermelon soup that I was hoping to make.

I looked around my house and yard and decided that since I had an extra chicken thigh, I could make a chicken tinola (chicken papaya) and add in bittermelon. It was pretty easy–I browned the chicken, added chopped onions and garlic. I then added some seeded and chopped bittermelon and then simmered it in chicken broth.

• 

• 

I added a couple of chunks of ginger to the broth and about two tablespoons of patis and while that simmered, I went in the yard and got a couple of green papaya from my papaya tree and peeled, seeded and chopped it and added it to the broth.

Just before serving, I added some freshly picked kalamungay (moringa) leaves to the soup and was happy to have a pretty healthy soup for dinner. Living Hilo Style.