When I was a reporter at the Waco Tribune-Herald in the mid-90s, one of the highlights each year around Christmas was Judge Bill Logue visiting the newsroom. He would bring with him two coffee cans, both lined with wax paper and packed full of his homemade Christmas candy: Chocolate balls stuffed with a mixture of pecans and coconut. They were divine. It was tempting to grab more than my fair share each year, but I tried my best to just have a couple and leave plenty for others.
This memory came back when I read an article in Austin Monthly that declared the last few months have been “the summer of the coconut,” and said, “the tropical fruit is all the rage right now.”
It appears that the coconut rage began in May 2023, when now-presidential candidate Kamala Harris quoted her mother in a speech from the White House: “My mother … would give us a hard time sometimes, and she would say to us, ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?’ You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.”
The quote became a meme in February of this year, and then exploded when Harris was named the Democratic candidate for president after Joe Biden dropped out of the race.
Politics aside, I’m 100 percent behind coconut becoming all the rage. I love coconut. We make a really good toasted coconut ice cream. If I had to pick one dessert to have with my last meal, it would be Abby’s buttermilk pie topped with toasted coconut. Abby made delicious coconut pancakes a few weeks ago. We even have a face scrub that smells of coconut and coffee. (I do not know what that tastes like, however.)
One of the great things about fresh coconuts is that every part of the fruit can be used for something. A proverb from the Philippines says, “He who plants a coconut tree plants vessels and clothing, food and drink, a habitation for himself and a heritage for his children.”
Coconut water has been endorsed by top athletes for the past 10 or so years thanks to its natural electrolyte properties. The export of coconuts from the Philippines has risen more than 80 percent since 2015, thanks mostly to the worldwide demand for coconut water. And the coconut flesh is
chock full of protein, carbohydrates, healthy saturated oils and fiber.
“Its foothold in specialty food began with coconut water and extended to coconut oil, alternative dairy like coconut milk, yogurt and ice cream, and to snacks like coconut chips, as well as a flavor in everything from tea to popcorn,” said Denis Purcell, head of content for the Specialty Foods Association, in an article on AramcoWorld.com. “It ties in with dietary movements like vegan because it can be used as an alternative to butter.”
That’s the beauty of coconut, and one of the things that I like about it. It can be used in both sweet and savory dishes, as well as in drinks. For our recipes this month, we chose Toasted Coconut Tilapia with Peach Salsa and served it atop a bed of Toasted Coconut Rice. The plate you see in the photo above this text was our dinner on a recent Friday night, and it was a hit in our house. The toasted coconut gave the tilapia a bit of crunch. This was the first time we’ve cooked rice in the oven as described in the recipe, and it’s going to be our go-to technique from now on. It was light and fluffy and not a bit sticky. The suggested addition of a bit of sugar brought just a hint of sweetness and wasn’t overbearing at all. Get the recipe at wacoan.com.
And while you can find thousands of recipes for coconut-based desserts, if you want to try Judge Logue’s chocolate-coconut-pecan creation, just type into a search engine “Bill Logue Christmas candy.” The first link that pops up will probably be the “A sweet Baylor Christmas story,” written by Randy Fiedler, director of communications and marketing for the Baylor University College of Arts & Sciences, from 2019. It tells the story of Judge Logue, who earned degrees from Baylor in 1947 and ’49, and a bit of history about the candy. And, more importantly, there’s a recipe that was originally printed in a Baylor Alumni Association cookbook in 1979.
The Recipes
Toasted Coconut Tilapia with Peach Salsa
For the tilapia:
- 4 tilapia filets
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 lemon, cut in half
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
For the salsa:
- 1 pound tomatoes, diced
- 1 bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
- 2 jalapenos, seeded and finely diced
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 1/2 pounds peaches, diced
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
- 2 tablespoons lime juice</li
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- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Add the coconut to a small skillet set over medium-low heat and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. As the coconut starts to turn golden, stir continuously until it’s evenly toasted. Remove from heat and set aside.
Season the tilapia on both sides with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat and add coconut oil. Once the oil is melted, add tilapia and cook until the edges are opaque, about 3-4 minutes. Use a spatula to gently flip the fish. Immediately cover in half of the toasted coconut mixture. As the fish cooks, the coconut will adhere to it.
Once the tilapia is easily flaked with a fork, remove it from the skillet and top with the remaining toasted coconut. Serve with peach salsa.
To make the salsa, add all the ingredients to a large bowl. Mix together, and taste. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve with the tilapia. Makes about 4 servings.
Coconut Rice
- 2 cups jasmine rice
- 14 ounces full-fat coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 5 teaspoons sugar, optional (This gives the rice a slightly sweeter flavor)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Rinse the rice in water until the water runs clear. Drain the rice, then soak in water for 1 hour. Drain rice again in a colander and leave to drain well for 5 minutes.
Heat the oven to 400.
Place the rice in an 8-inch square baking dish. Heat the coconut milk, water, sugar and salt in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the sugar.
Pour the hot liquid over rice and stir. Spread the rice evenly in the pan. Bake for 40 minutes.
Once all the liquid has been absorbed, remove the pan from the oven. (Some coconut cream will remain on the surface of the rice. Rest rice, covered, for 15 minutes.
Fluff the rice with a fork and garnish with toasted coconut, if desired. Makes 4-6 servings.
Coconut Creamsicle Margarita
- 2 ounces tequila
- 1 ounce triple sec
- 1 ounce coconut water
- 1 ounce coconut cream or coconut milk
- 1 ounce orange juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Shredded coconut, toasted
- Fresh orange slice, for garnish
- Fresh lime slice, for garnish
Toast shredded coconut in a small skillet over low heat until browned and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add tequila, triple sec, coconut water, coconut cream, orange juice and honey. Shake well.
Rub a cut lime around the edge of a cocktail glass and dip the rim in the toasted coconut. Add fresh ice to the glass. Strain the cocktail into the prepared glass and garnish with fresh orange and lime slices. Makes 1 drink.
