Buen Provecho!
Gastronomy is a passion of ours, and Ecuador is a wonderful place to indulge it. A typical day here begins with a fresh fruit salad, containing an impressive range of deliciously ripe, often organic fruits. This fruity festival of colors and tastes is typically topped with yogurt and homemade granola, made the ´La Luna´way. Kev´s culinary skills have been much appreciated (our ´Lord of the Manor´is also ´King of the Kitchen´), as have delicious offerings prepared by the La Luna staff, including traditional Ecuadorian dishes such as Sancocho. In fact, we like the Sancocho so much that we asked Rosa, the ´soup queen´ of La Luna to share her recipe with us. For all the chefs reading this, grab your soup pot and get cooking. Buen provecho!

Sancocho (serves 5)
Ingredients

• 2 ears of corn on the cob, cut into chunks 1 inch thick
• 1 lb yucca, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup cooked rice
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 green or red pepper, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 green plantain, grated
• 1 tomato, chopped

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of water (at least 2 litres) to the boil.
2. Add the corn on the cob, grated plantain and cooked rice. Simmer.
3. Saute the carrot, onion, garlic, pepper and tomato for 10 minutes.
4. Add sauteed ingredients to the pot and continue to simmer for 20-30 minutes.
5. Add the yucca. Simmer for a further 30-45 minutes.
6. Season to taste, then serve with diced onion and chopped cilantro on top.

Rosa also recommends a fish version of this Sancocho. Try adding chunks of sea bass along with the corn, plantain and cooked rice for a delicious variation of this classic soup.

Thanks to Rosa for sharing this recipe, and to all the La Luna staff who have taken good care of us. Rosa is pictured here with her two sons.