After breakfast,
commence volunteer work as directed.
Lunch provided then back to assignment.
Since the schedule is similar to other volunteering days, we can talk
about the cuisine of Costa Rica. Costa
Rican cuisine is known for being flavorful, yet fairly mild, with high reliance
on fresh fruit and vegetables. Rice and
black beans are a staple of most Costa Rican meals, often served three times a
day; they are known as gallo pinto when mixed together.
Casado
Fried Plantains
For lunch, the
traditional national dish is called a casado. It again consists of rice and beans served
side by side instead of mixed. There
will usually be some type of meat (carne asada, fish, pork chop, or chicken)
and a salad to round out the dish. There
may also be some extras like fried plantain (patacones or maduro), a slice of
white cheese, and/or corn tortillas in accompaniment. Salsa Lizano is ubiquitous as a condiment and
as an ingredient in cooking various dishes, including gallo pinto. In many
family gatherings or for special occasions is very common to prepare Arroz con
Pollo (rice with chicken) accompanied with a Russian salad, a salad made with
beets, potatoes, hard boiled eggs and mayo. These two dishes are very popular in Costa
Rican cuisine.
Fresh vegetables are
a primary ingredient in most main dishes, and members of the squash family are
particularly common. These include
varieties such as zucchini, zapallo, chayote, and ayote. Potato, onion, and sweet red pepper are other
common ingredients. The above vegetables
are made into soups (sopas) which are usually made with beef or pork ribs as a
base; also found in the soup will be corn on the cob, yucca, ñampi (a hairy
root vegetable), and yam (camote).
Arroz con Leche
There are a lot of
traditional Costa Rican desserts like arroz con leche (rice with milk). The
rice is cooked in milk with sugar, cinnamon and other ingredients.
Tres Leches
Fruit Salad (ensalada
de frutas) consists of different pieces of tropical fruits, like papaya,
banana, maracuya and many more. One of
the most common desserts is called Tres Leches, a cake bathed in evaporated,
condensed and regular milk with a whipped cream top.
Dinner and overnight
stay with host family.
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