By David J. Hubbell
Background:
On June 20th, 2020, Mirliton.org announced the we were kicking off the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project in an attempt to bring back, from the brink of extinction, this rare ivory white variety of the mirliton grown and cared for over four decades by Opelousas, Louisiana’s Ishreal Thibodeaux. If you haven’t already check out the last Update on the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project – please do so here: Update on the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project – November/December 2020 – Mirliton. It links back to the other updates which contain an in depth look at all of our growers and efforts from the start of the project.
I am happy to announce our second group of new growers for the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project. This year we are expanding into Texas and Illinois. Please welcome our growers –Beverley Thomas of Fort Worth, TX, Alan Raymond of Kingwood, TX, Kevin De Santiago of Round Rock, Texas, Salina Wunderle of Chicago, Illinois, David Duvic of southern West Feliciana Parish, Christopher Brooks of Opelousas, Laken Thomas of Lake Charles, and Wade Guidry – south Louisiana. We look forward to their updates and to their helping us expand our restoration and production so we may further our preservation efforts as well as have more seed mirliton to be available to future growers.
Reports from the Field:
As you can imagine most of the growing progress has come to a standstill during the winter months. Many of the growers are still assessing the ravages of winter on their plants and we hope to know more in our next update. The busiest folks in our group with regard to the project were probably Paul D’Anna and Chef John Folse in their efforts to overwinter and make available the plants for our next group of growers in addition to protecting their own vines. Check out how Chef John and Brian Ainsworth prepare the potted plants for shipping to our new growers in the link below:
Image 1. Chef John and Brian packing up some white mirliton plants for shipping. Click on image or this link for the associated video: Ishreal Thibodaux White Mirliton Shipping – YouTube.
We also had some brisk holiday sales of our Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project tee shirts. The purchase of these shirts helps us continue our efforts to preserve and promote the work of Mirliton.org. If you are interested in purchasing one, these shirts are available as a special offering for those wishing to donate $30 per shirt to Mirliton.org. We posted our first ad in late November and almost immediately sold out of many popular sizes. The good news is that we received a second shipment in December and have more available for the $30 donation (which includes postage and handling cost). To order your own, simply click here or send me an email at rpcajun2r@gmail.com.
Image 2. The official project Tee Shirt.
Image 3. The official tee shirt of The Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton Preservation Project.
Education and Inspiration Through Food:
In addition to the great documentation on the shipping process at White Oak Estate and Gardens, Chef John Folse provides us a little further inspiration with the following recipe for a Mirliton Bisque. Check this out and please “Like” and “Subscribe” to Chef’s new YouTube page.
Image 4. Chef John Folse’s Mirliton Bisque.
I decided to get into the cooking act too with a recipe from the late great New Orleans Chef Austin Leslie. He and Chef Folse were good friends and this is a unique recipe worth trying. It is Chef Leslie’s Mirliton Gumbo.
Image 5. Chef Austin Leslie Mirliton Gumbo prepared by David Hubbell.
Thoughts for the 2021 Growing Season:
This first update of 2021 hopefully will inspire everyone with our efforts to continue to preserve this rare Louisiana heirloom. Thanks to the growing and distribution efforts of Paul D’Anna as well as Chef John Folse, Brian Ainsworth, and Ryan Diez at White Oak Estates and Gardens we should have close to 40 viable vines producing Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirlitons throughout 7 states in the coming growing season. If we have similar success to last year, we should be able to provide these white mirliton to a larger third group of growers in 2022. I am also hoping that each of the growers are able to continue their own propagation of vines on their properties and that they will become distribution centers/hubs for those wanting to acquire and grow these in their communities. I once again reflect upon how a simple text from Chef Folse from a year ago asking for help locating more Ishreal Thibodeaux white mirliton vines has grown into a movement to not only preserved that single vine, but to save and propagate a special variety for others to experience. Thanks to the guidance of Dr. Lance Hill and the efforts of the first group of growers. Again, it is scary to think that the fate of the Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton vine could have easily become another causality of 2020, but thanks to the unselfish efforts, dedication, and desires of our first team of growers we are happy to report that we feel we have a great foundation to build upon in 2021. If our future efforts can have similar success, then by next year at this time we will be poised to have hundreds of Ishreal Thibodeaux White Mirliton vines plus a network of growers going into 2022 and should have successfully restored if not exceed the number of vines growing in the United States to probably record numbers.
As a final note, if you wish to be considered in the third wave of growers in 2022 or interested in the project, please check out this link. Thank you all for the interest and support in 2020 and we wish you and your family and friends a safe, healthy, and wonderful spring growing season.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please send them to me David J. Hubbell at rpcajun2r@gmail.com. Thank you.