Grand Life Winter:Spring 2023 - Flipbook - Page 27
H
G
OME
ROWN
that we have such diverse communities. Many
visitors no longer just want a traditional vacation
or to stay at a resort - they want an experience.
They want something authentic, something that is
unique to the place where they are visiting.”
Collette describes Grand Bahama as a personal
paradise, and her home reflects the care, love and
passion that she has for her rich culture. Collette's
yard is home to her beloved garden, where she
grows and harvests many of the fruits, vegetables,
herbs, and teas that she uses in her cooking. It is
filled with fragrant thyme stems, sugar apples,
coconuts, cocoplums, pineapples, guavas, squash,
....
fevergrass, cranberry hibiscus flowers, Bahamian
“bush teas”, bananas, papayas, basil and a
number of other foods that she grew up eating.
In preparation for a recent People-To-People
group of sixteen men and women, she took to her
kitchen to prepare a hearty meal of steamed
chicken, peas and rice, coleslaw, baked macaroni
and cheese, freshly brewed hibiscus iced tea and
a number of other authentic Bahamian dishes that
were all infused with ingredients from her garden.
As she cooked, she had a smile on her face, and
though meticulous in her prep, it was obvious that
each dish was made with care and love.
Donned in a handmade Androsia print tunic,
Collette shared a bit about her background. She
grew up in East End, which is a close knit coastal
settlement. As a young girl, she loved learning and
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