Last Monday, Sept. 2, wasn’t just the date of the Labor Day holiday.

It also holds the designation status of “World Coconut Day.”

Our farm family has held a longtime fondness for the sweet and rich flavor of coconuts.

In one of the memorable early scenes in director Frank Capra’s 1946 Christmas film classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” a young George Bailey works behind the soda counter at the town drugstore. When his young classmate Mary stops by to order a scoop of chocolate ice cream, he asks her if she’d like shaved coconuts on top.

When Mary replies with a “no” because she “doesn’t like coconuts,” he still heaps on plenty of white coconut on top, points to the latest issue of National Geographic magazine and scolds: “You don’t like coconuts? Say Brainless…don’t you know where coconuts come from? Look right here, they come from Tahiti, Fiji and the Islands of the Coral Sea.”

I would never have realized coconuts have a global day of celebration had I not read mention of it in a newsletter called “The Daily Perk” which my mom Peggy began receiving earlier this month while on a stint for physical therapy in rehab.

“The Daily Perk” provided the following fun and fascinating passage and facts: “The exotic coconut has been around since the dawn of time and serves as a potent symbol of purity, fertility and divine blessing. Originating in Southeast Asia, they were transported throughout the Pacific by migrating Indonesians and Polynesians — or by the drifting ocean currents.

“They are grown agriculturally in the U.S.A. only in tropical regions of Florida where one tree can produce up to 180 coconuts during a single harvest. The name coconut is derived from the 16th-century Portuguese word ‘coco,’ meaning ‘head’ or ‘skull’ after the three indentations on the shell that resemble facial features.

“Botanically speaking, a coconut tree produces male and female flowers separately on the same tree. Coconuts are considered to be a type of stone fruit like mangoes, cashews, and cherries, but they’re given the technical name.”

Some of the amazing properties of coconuts and their water and meat contents include:

· They are anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-parasitic.

· They can restore and support thyroid function.

· Coconuts reduce the risk of heart disease and improve good cholesterol (HDL.)

· Coconut oil is an allergy-free alternative to corn, soy and peanut oils and is frequently used in cosmetics for its hydrating properties.

· The husk of a coconut can be burned as a natural mosquito repellent.

· During World War II in the Pacific, from 1941 to 1945, coconut water was administered to wounded soldiers as emergency plasma.

Since my early youth, I’ve always been intrigued by a large dried coconut on display on a shelf in the basement area rumpus room space at my parents’ house. My older brother David told me he plucked the coconut as an impromptu souvenir with my parents, our sister Pam and myself during a July 1973 vacation in Florida for our first visit to Walt Disney World.

“As a kid, I used to polish that coconut with shoe polish to keep it shiny,” David said.

“When we first brought it home, you could shake it and hear the liquid inside.”

This weekend, David and my older sister Pam are back in Florida with our oldest sibling Carol in celebration of her 70th Birthday on Sept. 8.

Happy birthday to my sister Carol and maybe another Floridian coconut souvenir is on its way back to the farm.

Columnist Philip Potempa has published four cookbooks and is the director of marketing at Theatre at the Center. He can be reached at pmpotempa@comhs.org or mail your questions: From the Farm, PO Box 68, San Pierre, Ind. 46374.

Caribbean Coconut Sugar Cakes

Makes 14 treats

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes

2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Red food coloring, optional

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook until sugar is dissolved. Cook until mixture is syrupy.

2. Stir in coconut, ginger and cream of tartar. Cook about 10 minutes, until thickened and mixture pulls away from sides of the pan.

3. Remove from heat and add almond extract. Add red food coloring, if desired.

4. Prepare a baking sheet with silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

5. Use a tablespoon scoop to place heaping tablespoonsful of mixture onto prepared sheet. Flatten lightly with a wet hand.

6. Allow to set about 30 minutes, then serve.