Petit Piton {Saint Lucia}

Petit Piton refers to two different things on Saint Lucia: a mountain and a national dish. I don't quite get the connection, but I'm going with it.

Petit Piton is one of two mountains overlooking Soufrière Bay in southwestern Saint Lucia. It lies towards the middle of the bay, south of Soufrière, north of the larger mountain Gros Piton in the Piton Mitan Ridge. Petit Piton measures 2461 ft tall while Gros Piton is larger by about 150 ft.

As for the national dish...it's basically a stir-fry with some herbs and brightened by a squeeze of citrus before serving. The recipes I found specified "meat, potatoes, and mixed vegetables." I used what I had - carrots, green beans, asparagus, and cabbage.

1 lb ground meat (I used ground turkey)

1 onion, peeled and diced
2 T butter
splash of olive oil

2 carrots, chopped
2 C asparagus, chopped
1 C green beans, chopped
1/2 C shredded green cabbage
4 potatoes, diced

1/2 C freshly chopped parsley

1 T marjoram
1/2 t celery seeds
1/2 t fennel seeds
freshly ground sea salt
freshly ground pepper
lemon wedges for serving

In a large, flat-bottom pan, melt the butter in a splash of olive oil. Add in the onions and cook until translucent. Add in the ground meat and brown thoroughly. Season with marjoram, celery seeds, and fennel seeds. Add in the potatoes and carrots and cook till you can pierce the potatoes easily with a fork. Add in the green beans, asparagus, and cabbage. And cook till just brightened in color. We like our vegetables crisp. If you like them softer, just cook for a bit longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle with fresh squeeze lemon and serve with additional lemon wedges and a side of rice.