edible Hawaiian Islands Fall 2008

edible

hawaiian islands tm

Celebrating the Harvest of the Aloha State, Season by Season No. 6 Fall 2008

Edible Gifts Mochi for the Holidays Haleakala Lamb Selling Paradise By The Pound Member of Edible Communities

www.ediblealoha.com

Fall 2008

3

LETTER of

Aloha In this issue, I had three goals in mind, one was to explore the taste of the range in Hawai`i, because along with all our wonderful produce, we have ranchers and fisherman. You can read about grass fed beef on the Big Island, and lamb from Maui. You can attend “Mealani Taste Of The Hawaiian Range” where Big Island ranchers, farmers and food producers offer samples of an array of Hawai`i Island produced foods. The Taste is presented by the University of Hawai`i at Manoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, the Big Island Farm Bureau and the Hawai`i Cattleman’s Association. For events on all the islands, check out the EVENTS page on our website, www.ediblehawaiianislands.com Another goal was to offer a selection of edible gifts that you can make and share with family and friends. Inside this issue you will find delicious chutney (on the cover), cheese crisps, toffee and more, nothing says aloha like a gift from home.

Besides edible foods, I like to give cookbooks as gifts, check out our favorites in this issue, there is something for everyone on your list.

Lastly, we all know this fall is about politics and the importance of voting.

Now I’m not here to make sure you do, but I do want to remind you to take a look at the 2008 Farm Bill. On June 19th Congress enacted the complete Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008. After a presidential veto, the House and Senate voted overwhelmingly to override the veto and pass the 2008 Farm Bill. Now the work begins, the rulemaking and implementation. This process will outline how farm bill programs work on the ground, this will determine how successful they will be. For more information and a free bumper sticker that reads NO FARM NO FOOD, go to our website www.ediblehawaiianislands.com and click on Farmers Markets. While there, you might also want to check out the Declaration for Healthy Food and Agriculture, click on the website and you can endorse or comment on the Declaration.

Wishing you all a wonderful fall and holiday season, and healthy and happy New Year.

Gloria Cohen Publisher/Editor in Chief

4

fall 2008

edible hawaiian islands

Photo by Lauren Brandt

Ahui hou,

fall 2008 Contents

14

18

Departments 4 Letter of Aloha

40

50

Features

9 Notable Edibles

11 Haleakala Ranch Lamb From Farm to Table

29 Recipe Wave

14 Hawai`I’s Grass-Fed Beef

31 What’s in Season

17 Hamakua Alive!

39 Subscribe

18 Incredible Edibles Made with Aloha

46 Farmers Market Directory

22 Books for Holiday Giving

49 Advertiser Directory 50 What is it? How do you eat it?

Cover

Food styling by Dahlia Haas and Janet Miller, Photo by Dahlia Haas and Robert Reiff

24 Talk Story Mochi: Nourishment for the Soul 32 The Food on Our Plates 36 From the Soil to the Soul: Epicurean Introductions 40 Kona Coffee Growers Sell Paradise by the Pound www.ediblealoha.com

Fall 2008

5

edible Hawaiian Islands Publisher/Editor in Chief Gloria Cohen Editor at Large Steven Cohen Distribution & Advertising FrontDesk@ediblealoha.com Terry Sullivan on Kaua`i Dania Katz on Maui Contributors Kira Cohen Stephen Munshin Melissa Petersen Tracey Ryder Carole Topalian Photography Lauren Brandt Oliver Cohen Steven Cohen John Cox Steve Knox G. Natale

Artists Cindy Conklin Mary Ogle Writers John Cox Dahlia Haas Zoe Kamen Jon Letman Sonia R. Martinez Joan Namkoong Tim Ryan Research & Events Editor Lila Martin

Contact Us Edible Aloha PO Box 753, Kilauea, HI 96754 808-828-1559 FrontDesk@EdibleAloha.com www.EdibleAloha.com Subscribe * Give A Gift * Advertise Call: 808-828-1559 Or use the above email or web address Letters For the quickest response, email FrontDesk@EdibleAloha.com Edible Hawaiian Islands is published quarterly by Edible Hawaiian Islands LLC. All rights reserved. Spring * Summer * Fall * Winter Subscription is $28 annually. No part of this publication may be used without written permission from the publisher. Š2008. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error has escaped our attention, please notify us and accept our sincere apologies. Mahalo!

6

fall 2008

edible hawaiian islands

Photo by Oliver Cohen

www.ediblealoha.com

Fall 2008

7

8

fall 2008

edible hawaiian islands

Photo by G. Natale

Notable Edibles

O`ahu

Aloun Farms: Where can Hawai`i families and children go to pick and learn about pumpkins, Hawai`i and agriculture in a fun filled family environment? Visit the Aloun Farms Pumpkin Patch of course in Kapolei! Every year, Aloun Farms is proud to share this annual family event during the month of October. Pumpkin Patch Educational Tours begin Aug. 1, 2008, Monday through Friday Reservations a must. There are tractor-pulled hayrides, pony rides, food, games and fun for everyone. Public Tours are Saturday and Sunday October 18, 19, 25 and 26 from 9am to 5pm Parking is $3.00 Located at: 91-1440 Farrington Hwy. Kapolei, Hi 96707 www.alounfarms.com Tea At 1024: Want to take a special friend to tea? The charming Michele Henry serves afternoon tea or high tea in a setting that resembles an old English Tea Room. From delicious salads to scones and cream, this is the place to relax for lunch or late afternoon tea, the difficult part is choosing from the wonderful teacup collection. Be sure to check out the website for more information, www.teaat1024.net Hours: Tuesday - Friday 11:00am - Last Seating at 2:00pm Saturday 11:00am - Last Seating at 3:00pm Sunday - Private Parties of 20 or more First Sunday of the Month - Themed Tea Parties One Seating 11 am, Tea At 1024 1024 Nu`uanu Ave. 808-521-9596 for reservations and catering.

Maui

Ono Gelato Company: A great find in Pa`ia, this local, organic gelato is a treat you’ll remember and want to go back for more. Owned and operated by three friends Valerie, Melissa and Stefano, Stefano is third generation gelataio from Torino, Italy. These three friends operate with Farm to Fork ethics, supporting local farming communities and using organic ingredients when possible. A sample of flavors is cappuccino, coconut, lilikoi quark, toblerone, with some non-dairy selections such as Kula strawberry, mojito, and pineapple champagne …. Yummmmmmmmmmmm I’ll meet you there.

Kaua`i

Fruit Stands: Where to stop on the road, for a bite, a smoothie, or local produce and products.

Moloa’a Sunrise Fruit Stand on Kuhio Hwy & Ko’olau Rd, on the right as you are heading north. A great stop for a healthy sandwich, salads, taro burgers, vegetarian sushi, locally grown produce, coffee, juice and delicious fresh fruit smoothies. 808-822-1441 Say Aloha for us.

Just north of Kilauea on the North Shore, Banana Joe’s since 1986 Here you have a collection of exotic fruit such as; atemoya, breadfruit, rambutan, jackfruit, lychee, longon, caimito, dragon fruit passion fruit, starfruit, Kaua`i’s own strawberry papaya, and the one and only special Banana Joe smoothie. Be sure to stop in, check it out, and say hi for us.

While visiting Banana Joe’s, be sure too check out Garden Ponds right next door for some wonderful treasures, and an education in potted ponds.

Hawai`i Island Merriman's Restaurant: Merriman’s Farm Visits & Dinner, Hawaiian Agriculture Adventure. These tours are presented by Hawai`i Forest and Trail, Go behind the scenes of Hawai`i regional cuisine on this unique guided tour which takes you to two farms in the north part of the Big Island, then these visits are followed up with a dinner at the award-winning Merriman’s featuring fresh ingredients from the farms.

One tour daily, Monday – Thursday, from 2:30pm – 7:30 pm, including dinner. Meet at Merriman’s Restaurant at 2:15pm Short walks – rated easy. Ages 8 and older please. Tours are $155. Per adult + tax.

For more information on this and other tours offered on the Big Island

by Hawai`i Forest & Trail go to www.hawaii-forest.com or Toll Free 800-464-1993 www.ediblealoha.com

Fall 2008

9

Haleakala Ranch Lamb FROM FARM TO TABLE

By John Cox Photos John Cox

I cannot help feeling a hint of morbid guilt as I watch the flock of sheep languidly grazing on the field below. The verdant pasture stretches like an organic quilt into the distant horizon, merging with the hazy expanse of ocean against an early summer sky. Rotund ewes, ballooned with milk, escort their still-teetering lambs between tufts of fireweed and patches of cane grass. Dolly, a formidable Great Pyrenees mix with creamy blond coat and beguiling smile, momentarily turns her back to the flock and ambles towards me, lifting her neck upward so I can scratch her velvet ears.

As a hyperactive black sheepdog frantically zigzags, herding the flock towards me, I can see hundreds of dark eyes staring up from behind matted tangles of dense wool. Lambs press tightly against their mothers, the entire flock compressing into a single trembling organism, completely obscuring the earth below. I wonder if Dolly can smell the traces of blood beneath my nails, the blood of two former members of her flock. The thought makes me uneasy, as the ranch foreman recounts how the seemingly docile white dog has been known to attack fullgrown deer to protect her pasture.

Haleakala Ranch, a sprawling 30,000-acre expanse that stretches from the Kihea coast to an elevation of 8,000 feet on the volcanic slope above Makawao, is home to a large herd of cattle, a few hundred sheep and a handful of mismatched farm dogs. The original ranch, established in 1880, encompassed the desolate mountaintop, a moon-like crater of bare red rock and sand. This portion of the ranch was later 10

fall 2008

edible hawaiian islands

traded to the National Park System for more fertile land at lower elevations.

The flock of sheep had just recently been brought to the property to control invasive fireweed, a flowering weed indigenous to Africa that showed up in Hawai`i during the 1980s and is known to cause liver problems in some livestock. But sheep seem able to be able to graze on the unwanted plants, leaving cleared pasture for the ranch’s cattle.

My host, Greg Friel, is the ranch foreman and oversees every aspect of the massive operation. He exudes an aura of stoic self-confidence, a true Hawaiian paniolo, complete with sweat-stained cowboy hat, callused hands eroded from years of work and long-sleeved plaid farm shirt. In short, he is a man who commands respect.

Keeping the ranch operating smoothly is surely a daunting task, one I can’t begin to understand. In addition to the complex needs of the livestock and constant maintenance of the land, the ranch is in a bitter race against rising land values and high fuel costs. To stay relevant in today’s fast-paced world its owners rely heavily on eco-tourism to boost both revenue and public awareness. Preserving the fragile ranchlands of Hawai`i, and the paniolo lifestyle itself, seem all but a lost battle in the path of rampant residential development and global modernization. ***

The neat rows of hermetically sealed bags bathed in the cold blue fluorescent lights of a supermarket display case rarely evoke emotion.

Likewise, there is seldom a moment of introspection when a steak is removed from its shroud of clear plastic and laid onto a glowing broiler. In fact, it is likely that most of us never stop to consider where these convenient blocks of marbled red flesh originate, or ever dare to associate them with the docile barnyard animals from the stories and memories of our youth. The truth is that as a society we prefer not to know where our food comes from.

It has only been three days since I visited Haleakala Ranch and stood among a cyclone of leaping lambs. As I begin to remove the shroud of white cloth I feel a tangible weight on my shoulders. My fingers tremble as I unveil the young animal’s carcass and I remind myself that this is part of some primordial cycle that somehow keeps the world in balance, a predator-prey relationship too often disguised by distance and technology. Below its macabre surface an equilibrium exists between animals, land and humans; a symbiotic reliance.

Would the ranch exist if it were not for the animals? Would the animals exist if not for the ranch? What would the paniolos do without either one? These thoughts momentarily placate me as my hand instinctively guides a sliver of sharpened steel through the waxy layer of fat and along a hidden ridge that separates the loin from the backbone.

One unsure cut, or a moment too long in the oven, and a life goes to waste. I have a responsibility, both to the lamb and the rancher, to make sure every morsel is accounted for and appreciated.

It is our obligation as consumers to acknowledge the source of our food. Too often we overlook where our food comes from and the social, cultural and environmental impacts it has. Each meal we consume has far-reaching implications, the ability to change both lives and landscapes.

Every time we buy a piece of food, whether at a neighborhood restaurant or farmers’ market, we cast a silent ballot—a vote that dictates where and how it is produced. By blindly choosing products strictly on price we validate and encourage the mass commercial production that enables such low costs and we condone the practices of

these operations. Unfortunately, there are people who desecrate the land and who hold no regard for the animals they steward, seeing them as nothing more than a living inventory, with no regard for their physical or mental wellbeing. For these individuals profits are the only consideration.

Surprisingly these revelations have not made me a vegetarian, but they have made me a more passionate cook. My personal solace comes from a familiarity with the food I support: being able to wake up in the morning and see cows happily grazing on open pasture outside my kitchen window or watching spring lambs frolic like puppies in a field along Crater Road. It makes me strive to perfect every dish that leaves my kitchen. From farm to plate, I know and accept where my food comes from.

The following recipe is very important to me—not just because it tastes wonderful but because it has allowed me to share “head-to-tail cooking” in a way that is accessible for everyone, from kids to adults. Since partnering with Haleakala Ranch this spring I have featured this dish frequently on my menus in Hana.

One 45- to 50-pound lamb is enough to serve about 20 people. This is a great recipe for bringing the family together, as there is plenty of work for everyone.

My sous chef and I (neither of us terribly proficient in the art of butchery) can break down a lamb in just under an hour. We make most of the cuts with a flexible 6-inch utility knife and cut through the bones with an offset serrated knife. I am providing a rough outline of the process, but would encourage you to have your butcher make most of the cuts for you since experimentation can be costly and dangerous.First, remove the kidneys and body fat from inside the carcass.With the lamb belly-side–up, slice the front legs from the carcass, gently pulling them away while you slice.Cut away the flap of skin and fat that surrounds the belly area.Remove the hind legs and set them asideInside the ribcage you will see two tenderloins running along the spine; using a paring knife and your fingers, gently remove these.Flip the carcass over and, using a sharp serrated knife, cut the backbone straight down directly below the last rib, separating the carcass www.ediblealoha.com

Fall 2008

11

into two pieces.To remove the loins from the section closest to the tail, run a knife along the backbone and trace the puzzle-shaped bone around the loin, freeing it from the ribs.For the chops you must take the serrated knife and remove the lower portion of the ribcage, cutting from the longest rib towards the neck. When you get to the last rib you can cut directly down, removing the neck from the chops. Once the racks have been separated from the neck and breastplate you will need to clean, or “french,” the bones to create chops.You will now need to separate the lamb into different sections:The Prime Cuts: These just need to be quickly pan roasted and include the tenderloin, loin and chops.

- Braising Pieces: The lower part of the legs (shanks and neck).

- The Back Legs: Save the two back legs for making roulades; remove the bones and set aside.

- The Front Legs: Remove the front legbones and set aside along with any other bits of scrap for making sausage.

- The Bones: Save all of the bones, including ribs, for stock.

Head-to-tail cooking is not quick; taking an entire animal and creating a meal will take you at least two days. Fortunately you can always freeze the lamb once it is cut and do the individual recipes at your own pace. For now we will start with the item that takes the longest—stock— and work toward the less-time-consuming projects.

Stock: Start by putting the bones in a large pot (chop them with a heavy cleaver if needed). Remove any remaining fat (this could create an oily or gamy stock). Let the bones soak in heavily salted water for 20 minutes.

While you wait, peel and rough chop five large onions, six carrots and two stalks of celery. Removes the bones from the water and allow to dry for a mo12

fall 2008

edible hawaiian islands

ment before tossing in a large bowl with the vegetables. Add ½ cup of tomato paste and four bay leaves to the mixing bowl and toss until well incorporated. Put the mixture in a large roasting pan and cook in a 450° oven for one hour—or until heavily caramelized. Transfer the bones to large pot and cover with three gallons of cold water; slowly bring to a very low simmer. Every 15 minutes for the first two hours, use a ladle to remove oil and foam that rise to the top. You may now let the stock simmer over low heat for 12 hours. Strain and discard bones.

Braise: Take the neck and shanks and dredge in flour that has been heavily seasoned with salt and pepper. In a heavy-bottomed pot bring three tablespoons of butter to sizzle and add the meat, cooking until brown on both sides. Add the stock to the pot and simmer for four hours, or until the meat begins to fall off the bones. Remove the neck and shanks, cool and pick the meat away from the bones. (Save meat and discard bones.)

The Sauce: Put the braising liquid back in the pot and continue to reduce over low heat. As the bubbles begin to become larger and the stock becomes more viscous, add in aromatic herbs such as bay leaf, thyme, rosemary and sage. Once the herbs have been added, reduce for only another 15 minutes.

At this point you may strain the stock; it should yield about four cups. When you are ready to finish the sauce you will simply need to warm up the stock and add three tablespoons of cold butter and salt and pepper to taste.

Mac -n-Cheese: Take the braised meat you separated earlier and add to a six-quart sauce pot with eight tablespoons melted butter, one small diced onion, three cloves of chopped garlic, two tablespoons of thyme and one tablespoon of rosemary. Cook over medium heat until the mix becomes aro-

matic and a thin brown layer coats the bottom of the pan. Add two cups of all-purpose flour and stir until lightly toasted. Add one cup of sherry wine to the pot followed by five cups of heavy cream. Cook over low heat for 20 minutes. By this time the cream should be very thick. Add in five cups of grated sharp Cheddar (I like cloth-aged Cheddar from Shelburne Farms) and stir until smooth. Finally, add eight cups of pre-cooked macaroni noodles (you can cook this a day ahead or simply cook the pasta and let it dry for an hour in a very low oven). Pour the mix onto a pan and cool until firm. Once cooled you can cut into rounds and warm as needed.

Roulade: Take the deboned hind legs and remove as much sinew and fat as you can, leaving just clean, lean meat. If you create holes during this process, don’t worry. Lay a large piece of plastic on the cutting board (approximately 24 by 16 inches). Take thin, uncooked slices of bacon and shingle them lengthwise on the plastic, leaving about 5 inches on each side.

Each piece of bacon should overlap the last by just less than half. Depending on the bacon this will take about 20 slices per roulade. Once you have the bacon shingled, lay another piece of plastic wrap across the top and pound with the back of a small frying pan to form a seamless sheet of bacon, making it as thin as possible. Take one of the cleaned lamb legs and pound it with the pan, creating a sheet that is similar in length to the sheet of bacon and about ¾ as long. Lay the lamb on the bacon and season aggressively with salt, fresh-ground pepper, chopped rosemary, thyme, sage and garlic. Take the bottom edges of the plastic wrap and use it to fold the bacon around the lamb. (You can also lay the tenderloins down the middle of the roulade, but this is optional). Now pull the edge of the plastic wrap back towards you, leaving just a layer of exposed bacon and completely wrapping the lamb; pull as tight and evenly as possible. Roll the roulade toward the bacon to create an even roulade. Wrap the roulade

tightly in plastic and tie the ends. Freeze for three hours or until the roulade is firm. Cook seam-side-down in a large pan or flat top, slowly rotating to brown all sides. Finish cooking in a 400° oven until done (about 15 minutes, or until a paring knife inserted into roulade feels warm to the touch.

Rest the roulade for a few minutes, then slice and serve.

Roasting: Take the chops, loins and tenderloin and season with salt and pepper. Cook in a well-oiled skillet until brown on all sides. Transfer the pan to a 400° oven if you prefer it cooked more than medium rare. Remove from pan and slice as needed.

Sausage: Remove the sinew and fat from the lamb scraps and fore legs.

Combine equal parts lamb scrap and chopped pork butt with ground fennel seed, sea salt, black pepper, crushed garlic, chopped thyme and Hawaiian chile pepper. Put this mix through the medium die of a chilled meat grinder. Gently knead the mixture until smooth. Cook a small test batch in a hot skillet and adjust seasoning as needed.

Accompaniments: Seasonal greens or vegetables quickly blanched in boiling water with sea salt. A simple tomato jam of heirloom summer tomatoes slowly cooked down into a paste (you can add herbs and garlic if you like). Keep it simple and try not to use anything that will take away from the lamb itself.

www.ediblealoha.com

Fall 2008

13

WHY WE SHOULD EAT

HAWAI`I’S GRASS-FED BEEF

Sustainability is a word we’ve all come to know and embrace. It describes a thought and decision-making process that meets the needs of the present while insuring that future needs can be fulfilled. Whether it be an ecological system, an energy system or a food system, careful consumption and stewardship are critical elements in what we do to maintain a sustainable future.

When it comes to food in Hawai`i, we can practice sustainability on one front: eating Hawai`i-produced beef. While many prefer not to eat beef at all, those who do should consider the advantages of consuming our homegrown supply of grass-fed beef.

Most of the beef in our supermarkets, about 90 percent, is imported from the mainland United States and other beefproducing countries. Most of Hawai`i’s beef cattle producers run cow-calf operations, shipping their calves to mainland Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) designed to hold a large number of cattle in limited areas and to increase their weight as quickly as possible. Because of the concentration of animals, these feedlots take an environmental toll on the air, land and water surrounding them.

Beef cattle at CAFOs forage on grass until they go to feedlots, where they are fed a diet of grains—mostly corn, a high-starch, highenergy food. Corn production has negative environmental effects, too, 14

fall 2008

edible hawaiian islands

requiring high levels of fertilizers and herbicides that run off into water systems. Corn production, subsidized by tax dollars, tends to be concentrated in the Midwest, requiring oil-fueled transportation systems to get the corn to the feedlots.

Beef cattle are ruminants whose digestive systems prefer grass and forage, not corn. A diet of corn and other grains can lead to health problems in the cattle and can promote the growth of E. coli in the digestive tract. Antibiotics are employed to mitigate these problems, taking away from the supply of antibiotics for humans and contributing to antibiotic resistance in humans.

Once beef cattle from CAFOs are processed for food, the product must be shipped to Hawai`i, a journey of at least 2,500 miles, again requiring fuel and increasing the carbon footprint on our environment.

Seems ironic, doesn’t it, that we ship our calves to the mainland then import beef to Hawai`i?

We don’t have enough pastureland for all the calves born in Hawai`i to remain here, nor do we have the facilities to process all the beef cattle raised in Hawai`i. But if we look around us, there are many ranchers keeping more of their cattle on our aina, supplying naturally raised, grass-fed beef for consumers.

Photo by John Cox

by Joan Namkoong

The idyllic pasturelands found on many of our islands are the source of nutrition for beef cattle raised in Hawai`i. All grass, however, is not created equal; different varieties offer different nutritional profiles. Grasses vary from mauka to makai, offering different nutritional values for cattle. And while green pastures may have been the norm in the past, changing climate patterns have affected the availability of healthy pasture, requiring some ranchers to irrigate their large parcels of open land to optimize the forage available for their cattle.

Those open pasturelands are an important part of the visual beauty of our islands, something we’ve come to expect and admire more than housing developments and shopping centers. More importantly, pasturelands help to minimize erosion into streams and waterways that feed into the ocean; grass, trees and plants help with the absorption of water into our aquifers, all helping to protect our watersheds. Green lands also help to support Hawai`i’s biggest industry, tourism.

Ruminant cattle that feed on grass and freely roam open pastures are healthier than their CAFO counterparts. They require no antibiotics to treat health problems associated with what they eat. Grass-fed animals require a longer time to fatten up; growth hormones are not administered to speed up the process.

Perhaps the most compelling reason to eat Hawai`i’s grass-fed beef is that it has a better nutrition profile than grain-fed beef. In general, beef has many beneficial nutrients: iron that helps to deliver oxygen to cells to produce energy; zinc that boosts the immune system and helps wounds heal; protein that builds and maintains strong muscles; B-vitamins that help turn food into energy.

Grass-fed beef tends to have higher concentrations of a couple of important vitamins in its muscle tissue than found in grain-fed beef: beta-carotene that converts to vitamin A in the body and vitamin E. Grass-fed beef also has more of the essential fatty acid omega-3 than found in grain fed beef. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a group of polyunsaturated fatty acids found in beef, lamb and dairy products, is more prevalent in forage-fed animals than in grain-fed animals. In ongoing studies, all of these elements promote good health and help in the body’s defense against disease.

Grass-fed beef tends to be leaner than grain-fed beef, which means lower in calories. Of course, we need fats in our bodies to transport vitamins, help build membranes and regulate functions that help to prevent disease. And fat provides the tenderness we expect when we eat a steak. But a lower fat profile can help to lower cholesterol levels and calorie intake and still provide tasty morsels.

Another reason to eat Hawai`i-grown grass-fed beef is that it is good for our communities and our economy. There are about 800 ranching operations in the state; supporting our ranching families supports our neighbors and it keeps dollars in Hawai`i instead of sending dollars to communities far away. And eating our own beef lessens the carbon footprint we leave when we transport food thousands of miles.

Last but not least, the price of grass-fed beef is becoming more comparable to commodity beef from the mainland and elsewhere.

With the rising demand for corn for biofuels, the cost of corn for animal feed is rising. Higher feed costs and the rising cost of fuel to ship

corn, beef cattle and finished meats are all contributing to the higher cost of commodity beef. Grass-fed beef, for all its virtues and sustainable features, is a good value.

Where to find Hawai`i grass-fed beef? Look for it in smaller island-based grocery stores on all islands. On O`ahu, look for it at the KCC and Kailua Farmers’ Markets. On Hawai`i Island, KTA and Foodland carry grass-fed beef regularly, as do a number of smaller grocery stores around the island. Grass-fed beef can also be found on a number of restaurant menus throughout the state. Ask for it when you shop and dine out. Consumer demand will increase a more sustainable grass-fed beef supply in Hawai`i.

Each year, Hawai`i Island ranchers and farmers celebrate their bounty at Mealani’s A Taste of the Hawaiian Range, the island’s premier food event. This year the 14th annual event will be held on Friday, Oct. 3, at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Kohala Coast. More than 30 top chefs from throughout the state will participate, cooking up grass-fed beef from the tongue to the tail; forage-raised lamb, mutton, goat and pork will also be featured along with freshly harvested fruits and vegetables from Hawai`i Island farmers. Tickets for this mouthwatering food-grazing event are just $35 presale; $70 at the door. For more information visit www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/taste.

www.ediblealoha.com

Fall 2008

15

16

fall 2008

edible hawaiian islands

HAMAKUA ALIVE!

By Sonia R. Martinez Photos Sonia R. Martinez

As part of the Eat Hawai`i Island Grown challenge last year, the first Hamakua Alive! Fest was held late in October.

The event was the brainchild of Jim Reddekopp of the Hawaiian Vanilla Company and three other farmer friends, who were discussing the growing concerns of sustainability and the variety of foods that could already be found growing on the Hamakua Coast.

Showcasing the bounty of the area, the fair-like event was exciting and a lot of fun, with early promises of becoming the foodie happening on the east side of Hawai`i Island for years to come.

This year, the second annual Hamakua Alive! Fest will take place, again in late October.

The festival showcases the best and most exciting of Hamakua’s agricultural products and local talent. Farmers and growers, producers and manufacturers, vendors and artisans… anyone who grows, produces or utilizes locally grown agricultural products will get together to celebrate the diversity and richness of the area.

Many of the exhibitors offer tastings in partnership with guest chefs who perform magic preparing delectable dishes using the locally grown produce and products. Food samples at the first event ran from $1 to $3 each for more-than-generous portions.

Once again, there will be live entertainment and a cooking contest. This year the event is looking for entries in the Pies & Cakes, Jellies & Jams and Soups & Breads categories. The recipes need to feature locally grown produce or locally manufactured products. For registration/entry forms please contact any of the names given below.

If you farm, grow, produce, raise or are a manufacturer, supplier or vendor of locally grown produce or agricultural products, come and participate in demonstrating the region’s transition from “Plantation to Diversification.” (The Hamakua Region includes North Hilo to Waimea.)

Hamakua Alive! Fest: Saturday, October 25, on Hawai`i Island at the Paauilo Elementary and Secondary School from 9 am to 2 pm. Admission is free.

For more information on exhibiting or participating, please contact Wally Andrade, event coordinator, at 937-8599 or walman1@hawaii.rr.com; or Jim Reddekopp, event chair, at 776-1771 or vanillakitchen@aol.com. For information on the cooking contest, email Sonia Martinez at cubanwahine@hawaii.rr.com.

www.ediblealoha.com

Fall 2008

17

Incredible Edibles Made

By Dahlia Haas Food styling by Dahlia Haas and Janet Miller Photography by Dahlia Haas and Robert Reiff

with a h o l A

To celebrate the coming holiday season nothing is more special than home-made gifts. This year, bypass the mall and the usual retail frenzy. Break out the cutting boards, gather up cooking supplies and create delectable edibles for everyone on your holiday list.

Food gifts prepared with island fruit and local products mean more to those we want to thank than a bottle of wine, kitchen gadget or another new shirt. A homemade present comes straight from the heart.

The holidays can be exhilarating or exhausting. My sister Ali finishes all her holiday shopping before Thanksgiving rolls around. If you are like me, you’re buying gifts and wrapping till the midnight Christmas Eve. Last year, rather than shop, my daughter Lauren and I baked chocolate streusel cakes laced with Bacardi for everyone—teachers, neighbors, friends, even the local UPS man! The cakes were a huge hit and we had the best time cooking together. If you are cooking for a big family get-together, why not set aside a day or two to prepare gifts to bag, box, bottle or wrap? It’s a simple solution for holiday gift -giving.

This year we scouted garage sales for ceramic dishes and wooden platters and saved empty jars and pretty boxes, knowing we needed them for our end-of-the-year project.

We are making treasured family recipes such as Big Island Toffee with Macadamia Nuts, No Ka Oi Mango Chutney and a new take on gifts made with aloha, Hawaiian Sweet and Spicy Preserved Meyer Lemons and Paradise Cheese Crisps with Black and Green Wasabi Sesame Seeds.

If you have little time and less cooking experience, the mango chutney is fast and too easy.

Quadruple the recipes, make the toffee while the chutney simmers, and in a few hours you will have finished two of these recipes and have gifts for 20 people. Make what you need and then make some more. Plan on making least 15 extra gifts; you’ll need them.

Who can resist a homemade gift? Certainly no one on my list. There is a perfect and practical justification for why I love to make gifts at home: stamina, preserving my energy for dancing, surfing and entertaining. And don’t forget the smug feeling of getting your holiday shopping done without ever leaving your hale sweet hale.

18

fall 2008

edible hawaiian islands

BIG ISLAND TOFFEE WITH MACADAMIA NUTS Makes 25 pieces This recipe was given to my family by my dear friend, Janet. It’s the perfect treat when you want something sweet and crunchy.

We make the toffee with all types of nuts. Walnuts and almonds go well with the salted macadamia nuts, and the melted chocolate on top is blissful.

2 cups granulated sugar 1cup sweet butter 1tablespoons light corn syrup ½ cup water 1½ cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped 1½ cup salted dry roasted macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped 1½ cup dark chocolate, diced Line a 10-by-13-inch cookie sheet with foil and set aside.

Combine sugar, butter, corn syrup and water in a medium saucepan over a medium-low flame. As the mixture melts, stir occasionally to combine but don’t overstir. Simmer to hard crack stage, 350° on a candy thermometer.

Quickly stir in all the pecans and ¾ cup of the macadamia nuts, stirring well to combine. Spread hot candy on the lined cookie sheet with a spatula until evenly distributed. Cool for 5 minutes, then top with diced chocolate.

When chocolate is melted, top with the remaining macadamia nuts and cool. Chill overnight. Break into large shards.

www.ediblealoha.com

Fall 2008

19

PARADISE CHEESE CRISPS WITH BLACK AND WASABI SESAME SEEDS Makes 12–14 crackers When I bake these, the entire house smells divine. The Parmesan cheese bakes into a light wafer cracker. Serve these cheese crisps with tropical drinks and pupus. They make a savory crouton and are awesome crunched on top of salads or served alongside a chilled or hot soup. If made in advance, stored in an airtight container until needed.

12 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded Black sesame seeds for garnish Wasabi sesame seeds for garnish

NO KA OI MANGO CHUTNEY Makes 2½ cups You can make this recipe three weeks in advance and keep it in the refrigerator or store in a cool, dry place. I serve this chutney with grilled meats or rolled into fish, chicken or steak tacos. The chutney is far better than store-bought bottled chutney, and if you have a lot of ripe mangos this maybe the answer to using them.

1 3-inch stick cinnamon 1 teaspoon whole cloves 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 1 teaspoon black peppercorns 2 bay leaves ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper 2 large mangoes (about ¾ pound each), peeled and minced 1¼ cup granulated sugar 1½ teaspoon salt, or to taste 1 tablespoon curry powder 5 tablespoons white vinegar Place all the spices except curry powder and salt in a heavy, medium-sized, nonreactive saucepan and roast, stirring and shaking the pan over a medium flame until lightly toasted—about 1 minute.

Add the mangoes, sugar and salt and bring to a boil, stirring constantly over medium heat until the sugar melts and mixture comes to a boil. Boil 1 minute, and then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Uncover the pan, add the curry powder and vinegar and cook, stirring as necessary, until the sugar caramelizes and takes on a golden honey color and consistency, about 20 minutes. Do not make the chutney very thick; it will thicken as it cools.

Cool completely and put it in sterile jars and refrigerate. It stays fresh for about six months. The color will deepen, but that will not affect the taste.

20

fall 2008

edible hawaiian islands

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly oil a cookie sheet with olive oil.

Drop heaping tablespoons of Parmesan cheese evenly on cookie sheet and bake for 5 minutes, till cheese is bubbling.

Then sprinkle each cracker with black and wasabi sesame seeds, and bake a few more minutes to lightly brown the seeds and crisp the edges.

HAWAIIAN SWEET AND SPICY PRESERVED MEYER LEMONS Preserved lemon rind is wonderful when minced and added to summer rolls, lomi lomi, poke, sautéed greens, salads or used to flavor pasta, fresh grilled fish or any chicken recipes. For gifting, put six lemon halves in each jar and add more salt to cover the tops.

24 ounces sweet and spicy salt— Hawaiian Isles brand or kosher salt ½ cup lemon juice ½ cup olive oil 10 Meyer lemons, cut in half Mix the salt, lemon juice and olive oil together in a large bowl.

Layer the salt mixture alternately with the cut lemons, covering the lemons completely with the salt mixture in a largemouthed jar. Cover and refrigerate.

Every few days, shake the jar to continue to marinate the lemons. To use, cut the rind off with a small paring knife and rinse with water to remove the excess salt.

Should be made two weeks in advance and will keep for up to six months in the refrigerator.

www.ediblealoha.com

Fall 2008

21

Books

for Holiday Giving

Books are a great idea for holiday gift giving, here are a few that our editors like this year.

Cooking with Les Dames D’Esscoffier: At Home with the Women Who Shape the Way We Eat and Drink edited by Marcella Rosen with Pat Mozersky What if you could invite Julia Child, Alice Waters, M.F.K. Fisher and Marcella Hazan into you kitchen as you make dinner?

“With this book, we celebrate the delicious way to save the world – by cooking and eating. Enjoy these splendid recipes from Dames who have shared wonderful meals and want to share them with you. The instructions are all laid out for you; there’s no expertise needed. All you need is to begin.” - Alice Waters and Jerry Anne Di Vecchio (from the forward).

Sasquatch Books Hardcover $35. At your favorite bookseller.

22

fall 2008

edible hawaiian islands

The Hawai`i Coffee Book: A Gourmet’s Guide from Kona to Kaua`i by Shawn Steiman From Bean to Cup, The Hawai`i Coffee Book includes a guide to farms offering tours, listings of café’s that roast on-site, and detailed information on where Hawai`i-grown coffees can be purchased in person or online. In addition, you will find more then a dozen recipes for cooking with coffee, complete with mouthwatering photography.

Watermark Publishing 2008 $15.95 at your favorite bookseller.

Hawai`i Cooks with SPAM®: Local Recipes Featuring Our Favorite Canned Meat by Muriel Miura Auntie Muriel has gathered the best SPAM® recipes from friends, family and fans. She presents them here, along with little-known SPAM trivia, a concise history of SPAM, and tips on becoming a top-notch SPAM chef. Beautiful photographs on classic recipes for any occasion from tailgate parties, dinner parties, picnics to lu`au, a true Hawai`i rich cultural mix.

Mutual Publishing 2008 $14.95 at your favorite bookseller.

The New-Wave Mai Tai: New Twist on an Old Favorite by Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi The author traces the rich, swashbuckling story of rum – the mai tai’s principal ingredient – and explores the origins of the famed drink. With more than 50 innovative and easy-to-follow recipes, these creative cocktails from bartenders and watering holes throughout Hawai`i go far beyond what Trader Vic or Don the Beachcomber ever imagined. Included also is the eternal debate over which of the two actually created the Mai Tai. Watermark Publishing 2008 $15.95 at your favorite bookseller The Puka Guide: 100 Hawaiian-Style Hole-In-The-Wall Restaurants by Donovan M. Dele Cruz and Jodi Endo Chai These two local-style foodies are back again with a fully updated and revised Puka Guide, this time with favorite hole-in-the-wall dining spots, this is an island-by-island tour of “local-style dining off the beaten path.” From bentos to barbecue, saimin stands, drive-ins and ethnic restaurants, the authors also provide insider tips on the best “grinds,” as well as pre-ordering strategies to ensure that the coveted package of omiyage goodies is available for the trip home.

Watermark Publishing $9.95 at your favorite bookseller or resort shops.

Sweet Life: A Novel by Mia King “Sweet Life an entertaining and heartwarming story about starting over, the unexpected bumps along the way … and how they can change us for the better. As Marissa Price is about to find out, paradise is not always what we expect it to be.

Mia King shows readers how sweetness can be found anywhere, and in the most unexpected of places. Mia’s own life story is equally engaging (similar to Marissa, Mia left her corporate life and currently resides in Hawai`i), making both her personal tale and her latest novel SWEET LIFE, fascinating for fans and readers everywhere. Included at the end of this novel you will find some mouth-watering recipes.

Penguin Group 2008 $14.00 at your local bookseller. www.ediblealoha.com

Fall 2008

23

talk story

Mochi:

NOURISHMENT FOR THE SOUL

By Jon Letman • Photos Jon Letman

Look closely at the full autumn moon and you’ll find a rabbit hunched over a mortar using a large mallet to pound sticky rice into the dense sweet mass known as mochi. According to Japanese legend, the rabbit has been up there for ages—certainly long before Japanese immigrants brought the gooey confection to Hawai`i over a hundred years ago.

Sticky rice-based sweets come in many forms across Asia. Gao (China), duek (Korea) and palitao (Philippines) may not be household names, but for anyone who grew up in the Islands, has moved here or visited and acquired the taste, mochi is well-known favorite treat.

For the uninitiated, mochi, in the strict traditional Japanese sense, is mochi gome (glutinous rice) that has been steamed and pounded with a heavy mallet into a consistency that can be handformed into “cakes,” which bear no resemblance to Western desserts.

Shoryu Akiya, the reverend at Kapa`a Jodo Mission on Kaua`i, explains that mochi in its simplest form is represented by the two-tiered kagami mochi, flattened white orbs decorated with symbols of longevity and purity like small daidai oranges, dried shrimp and folded red and white Shinto shide paper zigzags.

Akiya and his congregation pound mochi rice at New Year’s and for Children’s Day (May 5) as a fund-raiser. Barely sweetened and made of rice, mochi can be kept frozen for long periods, which Akiya says makes it also a good emergency provision.

In its sweeter form, mochi is a confection stuffed with various forms of an (sweetened azuki bean paste) or shiroan (white bean paste) and enjoyed during Japanese celebrations like hinamat24

fall 2008

edible hawaiian islands

suri (Girls’ Day), tsukimi (autumn moon viewing festival) or any time, served with bitter green tea.

In Hawai`i, where Japanese immigrants lived in plantation camps, exposure to other cultures created a hybrid “mixed-plate” society and fondness for other peoples’ foods.

Janyce Imoto, general manager for Fujiya Honpo, a Honolulu confectioner since 1958, put it this way: “Since hanabata days, everyone grew up in one big pot and got a taste for other families’ sweets.

Mochi just became Hawaiian grinds.”

At Fujiya Honpo, like most mochi-ya (mochi shops) in Hawai`i, the sweet is usually made from mochiko (mochi rice flour).

Popular forms like butter mochi and chichi mochi are made with milk, baked and cut into squares, sometimes with flavors like blueberry or haupia.

In Honolulu, the Japanese department store Shirokiya imports mochi from California confectioner Mikawaya and from across Japan.

Eddie Wakida, Shirokiya’s food department manager, says a new product called mochi cream has gained tremendous popularity in Japan and become a big seller at Shirokiya’s Ala Moana store. With more

than 20 flavors like mango, edamame and chocolate, mochi cream is wildly popular because it is “cute and colorful.”

A local version of a mochi and ice cream combo is made by Bubbies Homemade Ice Cream and Desserts. Owner Keith Robbins has been making mochi for 13 years and today exports his flavored mochi ice cream to far-flung places like Singapore, France, Dubai and across North America.

“On a good day we produce 30,000–50,000 pieces of mochi,” Robbins says. A self-proclaimed perfectionist, Robbins says his product is one of the most difficult imaginable.

“We take a hot, sticky food and combine it with a cold, frozen one.”

Like most producers in Hawai`i, Bubbies’ product is mochikobased and steamed daily. Robbins offers 20 flavors from strawberry to wasabi.

Admittedly, mochi purists might turn up their noses at unconventional interpretations of a food with the gravity to be used as a ceremonial offering and might find peanut butter mochi is just a little too weird. www.ediblealoha.com

Fall 2008

25

One mochi-ya that has found the right balance between old school and avant-garde is Two Ladies Kitchen in Hilo.

Operating out of a tiny shop near the Hilo Farmers’ Market, owner and operator Nora Uchida demonstrates an unabashed willingness to explore, experiment and break through the azuki bean barrier while remaining true to the food.

“It was my Aunty Tomi that taught me. When she said ‘it’s now or never,’ I was eager to learn,” Uchida says.

She adds that the physical work of making mochi is exhausting and time-consuming because everything is hand-mixed and made in small batches. Two Ladies Kitchen uses traditional ingredients like shiso leaves (beefsteak plant), kinako (soybean powder) and yomogi (mugwort), a plant Uchida remembers picking wild on the roadside as a child.

“The way we steam it, we get light, fluffy mochi,” Uchida says.

Two Ladies Kitchen makes mochi all day long, so lucky Hilo visitors can find fresh mochi even at 5 pm.

Uchida’s aunt taught her to make traditional mochi using koshian and shiroan but as the business grew, Uchida noticed some younger customers wanted mochi without the bean paste and that’s when she started experimenting with lilikoi nectar, Okinawan purple sweet potato, taro and brownie mochi.

A soft yellow peach-shaped mochi is called “momo” and stuffed with shiroan; another is shaped like a plum blossom and a third, called “butterfly,” is blue. Uchida says her aunt first shook her head at the idea of blue mochi but eventually accepted it.

“When people come here, they open the box and are surprised at how beautiful the mochi is. The colors are all soft pastels and the mochi is all made by hand so everything really pops out of the box,” Uchida says.

Mochi makers will tell you there is a sense of nostalgia associated with mochi—like a childhood memory in a palm-sized piece of sweet, colored goodness, something to be enjoyed by the eyes, the fingers and finally the tongue.

26

fall 2008

edible hawaiian islands

WHERE TO FIND MOCHI O'AHU Fujiya Honpo Inc. Ltd. 454 Waiakamilo Road (Honolulu) Shirokiya 1450 Ala Moana Boulevard in the Ala Moana Shopping Center (Honolulu) Bubbies Ice Cream Two locations: 1) 1010 University Avenue (on corner of University and Beretania) (Manoa) 2) Koko Marina Shopping Center (Hawai'i Kai) Also available at Foodland Super Markets statewide Nisshodo Candy Store 1095 Dillingham Boulevard (on the corner of Kokea and Dillingham) in Kalihi (Honolulu) HAWAI'I ISLAND Two Ladies Kitchen 274 Kilauea Avenue (Hilo) KAUA'I Menehune Food Mart 2-3687 Kaumuali'i Highway (Lawa'i)

www.ediblealoha.com

Fall 2008

27

28

fall 2008

edible hawaiian islands

wave

Recipe

Recipes from Jim Moffat Chef/Owner of Bar Acuda, Hanalei. 808.826.7081 www.restaurantbaracuda.com

DATE AND CELERY SALAD

GORGONZOLA BOMBOLONI

Serves 4.

This is a wonderfully simple salad with rich flavors and textures. The salty Parmigiano and the sweet dates are perfect for a dark, delicious Cabernet.

2 celery stalks, sliced thinly on a bias, and some leaves 20 Medjool dates, pitted Parmigiano, for shaving 20 leaves fresh Italian parsley, picked Aged Balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil ½ tablespoon lemon juice

These are delightful little cheese donuts. Eat them freshly cooked with a glass of Italian Prosecco.

1 teaspoon dry yeast ½ cup warm milk 1¼ cup flour 1 egg 2 tablespoons soft butter 2 tablespoons sugar ½ teaspoon salt 4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, cut into 15 ¾-inch cubes Stir together yeast and milk; let stand till bubbly (about 5 minutes).

Mix the parsley, celery and some celery leaves together with the olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Place five dates on each plate and lay celery salad over dates.

Drizzle some good aged Balsamic around salad and shave some Parmigiano over it all. Crack some black pepper over salad as well.

Mix in ½ cup flour, cover and let rise to double (1 hour).

Mix in egg, butter, sugar, salt and remaining flour. Beat dough at medium speed until dough is satiny and elastic (about 8 minutes).

Scrape dough down and dust with flour, cover and let rise to double (1 hour).

Line a cooking pan with parchment paper and dust with flour. Punch down dough and turn out onto a floured surface.

Cut into 15 pieces and flatten down one piece at a time. Place a cheese cube in the center and pinch closed, roll into a ball and place on pan. Let rest in fridge ½ hour.

Fry at 350° in canola or vegetable oil. Serve with roasted beets and a little arugula salad dressed with Balsamic vinegar.

Photo by Carole Topalian

www.ediblealoha.com

Fall 2008

29

30

fall 2008

edible hawaiian islands

What’s in season

Photo by Carole Topalian

fall

Fruit Atemoya Avocado Lime Orange Mango Papaya Rambutan Tangerine

Vegetables Asian Cabbage Sweet Corn Heart of Palm Baby Lettuce Mushrooms Pumpkin Sprouts Taro Zucchini

www.ediblealoha.com

Fall 2008

31

The Food on Our Plates

By Zoe Kamen

32

fall 2008

edible hawaiian islands Photos by Michael Kliks: President of the Hawaiian Beekeepers Association

As we heap food on our plates in this modern age, we may pause to consider a myriad of questions. Is it good for us? Where did it come from and how was it produced? Rarely do we think about the small insect that enabled it to grow and be fruitful in the first place.

One in every three mouthfuls of our food owes its existence to an insect pollinator. A study by Cornell University placed the value of honeybee pollination services at $14.6 billion a year in the United States alone. Worldwide, the United Nations values bees’ contribution at $200 billion annually.

For millennia, people have reaped benefits from the bee; we utilize every component of the hive. But the rewards of bees extend far beyond their colonies. When the Pilgrims reached the New World with their alien crops, the bees they brought with them ensured they were pollinated.

Periodically throughout beekeeping history there have been crashes in populations. They called it disappearing disease. The survival of a hive depends on each bee’s ability to return to the hive, provide food and warmth and raise the young brood. But in disappearing disease, bees walk or fly away in their thousands or simply vanish. In some cases beekeepers report that the ground is covered in dead and dying bees crawling away from the hive in all directions—as though leaving a sinking ship.

The phenomenon has recently been given a new and more foreboding name: Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). For two years running, over 30 percent of all hives in the continental United States have died, an unprecedented loss and one that is similar elsewhere. And now the crisis has migrated to Hawai`i.

September marks National Honey Month, a time when the honey trade wants to draw our attention to the sweetness that the small honeybee can provide. However there are increasingly fears that this industry, so pivotal to our way of life, may be on the verge of collapse.

The National Research Council warned last year that following documented declines even before CCD, the honeybee would cease to exist by 2035.

Fingers of blame bristle in every direction, depending on whom you ask; the culprits are wide and varied. David Graves, a New York City beekeeper, attributes the collapse to electromagnetic waves from cell phone towers causing disorientation in his bees. John Chapple, president of the British Beekeepers Association, and the first to notice hives gone in the United Kingdom, blames artificial scents confounding the bees. While many others, including Dave Hackenberg, a major

commercial beekeeper in the United States and alarm raiser for bee disappearance there, point towards pesticides. In a recent conversation he described how adult bees survive but the pesticides take their toll on the next generation. As he puts it, “you can’t put a fence around a bee.” If pesticides are on our food, then the bee gets to them first.

The common thought uniting everyone’s disparate opinions is that many factors are at play, each contributing to weakening the bees’ already vulnerable immune system. The words cumulative and synergistic crop up throughout the literature and are on the lips of many experts. In this world of innovation and advancement, the honeybee has been treated like a mechanical cog in the wheel of agricultural industrialization. In a dramatically changing environment, with migratory beekeeping, increasing pesticides and horizon-spanning orchards of a single plant, the bee is expected to remain constant.

A typical bee in the care of a US commercial keeper may travel 11,000 miles as beekeepers haul their hives cross-country on trucks, following lucrative pollination contracts. These bees work months longer each year than a stationary bee, visiting dozens of single-crop orchards, then spending the remainder of the year in subterranean cool storage.

A queen bee normally remains fertile for several years at least, but under these conditions queen bees suffer burnout, and are therefore replaced each year. Experts describe these “abusive practices” as tremendously stressful to the bees. In addition, the new queens come from a historically narrow gene pool; around 90 percent are believed to be descended from at most a few dozen queens, thereby creating a population increasingly vulnerable to adversity.

This is why bees in Hawai`i could be so important. The introduction of honeybees in the late 1800s is a rare example of an alien species not adversely affecting the environment, and providing a valuable service. Within a few decades, commercial beekeeping exploded and a great variety of bee strains were brought in. The tropical climate enabled them to spread throughout the Islands and proliferate.

Since the 1950s honey production rose, so that by 2007, despite Hawai`i as a state having far fewer colonies than others, the average yields and price of honey were the highest of anywhere in the United States. Both managed and wild honeybees now represent an enormous unrealized genetic asset, which could be preserved for future diversity worldwide.

www.ediblealoha.com

Fall 2008

33

However, potential disaster lurks in paradise, squished on the fenders of cars and crossing oceans on ferries. O`ahu beekeeper, and president of the Hawaiian Beekeepers Association, Michael Kliks fears the Varroa destructor mite—a tiny parasite—may be the undoing of such a precious commodity. Honeybee pollination in Hawai`i adds an estimated value of $126.3 million to crop production each year. O`ahu alone contributes a quarter of this, but since April 2006 Kliks reports over 90 percent of his hives and the wild colonies on O`ahu have succumbed to infestations of Varroa. They are a common parasite of honeybees and have traveled around the world decimating populations.

Thirty years ago there were 4 million hives in the United States; today that number has fallen to 2.5 million, largely due to the invasion of Varroa. The time to attack them is when the bees are not rearing young, but in a tropical climate bees never stop raising the next generation. The only solution seems to be to react aggressively and to kill any infected colonies. Kliks is despairing that in 50 years of keeping bees organically, even he is now pushed to use chemicals that will kill his bees in order to prevent further invasion of Hawai`i. As he says, “If the mites get off O`ahu, we’re finished. It’s irreversible.”

There is widespread support for this plan, yet the government seems reluctant to mount an all-out attack and has so far only instigated surveillance and management schemes. The Hawai`i Department of Agriculture has asked for more money to address the problem but Gov. Linda Lingle rejected the plea. At this time no compensation has

been awarded to beekeepers with infected hives and it is questionable whether keepers will comply with regulations if faced with losing their livelihood. Kliks is adamant that a state of emergency should be called and swift, decisive action is needed. For this to happen the growers, who stand to lose most, would need to band together with the support of the community, before it is too late.

There are a few places in the world where the honeybee’s numerous adversaries have won. In Brazil, human hands must painstakingly transfer pollen between passion fruit flowers. All pollinators wild or managed have been wiped out. In areas of southern China the same is true. The cost of producing crops this way quickly becomes unfeasible and with food prices already rising, this paints a grim picture for the future.

Modernization in agricultural practice has brought plenty to many, but in so doing it has overlooked our dependence on this weak link of insect pollination. Despite millennia of exquisite evolutionary adaptation, the bee is suffering under the overwhelming demands we place on it and cannot keep pace. People accuse Kliks of being “overly fatalistic” about the future of honeybees, but he says “I’m a scientist, I’m not a dreamer. I don’t imagine pie in the sky. If it is not on my plate and I can’t cut it and eat it, there is no pie.”

Perhaps this is the most important thing for us to realize. We all value the variety in our diet, and for too long we have taken for granted the food on our plates and underappreciated the humble endeavors of the honeybees who made so much of it possible.

As we go to press the inevitable has happened. Almost 18 months after arriving in O`ahu, the Varroa mite has been discovered on the Big Island. In a sentinel swarm trap set up by the Hawaiian Department of Agriculture (HDOA) near Hilo, a regular checkup revealed that, whether by air or sea, this tiny mite has made it across miles of ocean. Within 10 days two further infestations were found and more are expected.

The HDOA has established an emergency response, with supplemental staff to destroy all hives within a five-mile radius, inspect managed hives within 15 miles and to deploy more swarm traps.

It was a call from the public that alerted the HDOA to Varroa mites on the Big Island, and it is public assistance that will be so important now. The state has implemented a ban on the movement of bees or beekeeping equipment around the area. Residents are urged to report any feral swarms of bees to the State’s toll-free Pest Hotline at 643-PEST (7378). So far no mites have been found in managed colonies, but the specter of 90 percent bee mortality in O`ahu looms large.

For more information: http://hawaii.gov/hdoa/pi/ppc/varroa-bee-mite-page

34

fall 2008

edible hawaiian islands

Throughout the world, pollinators of all species are showing unprecedented declines. Most of the yellow-faced bee species in Hawai`i are listed as endangered. Much work needs to be done to better understand the dynamics, but loss of nesting sites and decreased diversity of nectar sources are held primarily responsible.

Encouraging local pollinating insects is crucial to their survival and there is a simple and effective way to do this. A block of wood planted in the ground and drilled with holes measuring 3/32-inch in diameter “with a little luck� will provide vital nest sites for yellow-faced bees.

For more information on pollinator conservation visit http://www.xerces.org.

The Hawaiian Beekeepers Association is urgently seeking support in its mission to control Varroa. For more information please visit http://www.hawaiibeekeepers.org.

www.ediblealoha.com

Fall 2008

35

36

fall 2008

edible hawaiian islands

From the Soil to the Soul:

Epicurean Introductions

By Mathieu P. DeRaspe

It’s a rare thing indeed when we pause to truly embrace the moment of which we are a part. A mere 168 hours in a week seems far too little time to manage work and a household and still fashion some semblance of leisure.

Activities that were once at the core of cultural values fall by the wayside, and the time when family and friends would gather over delicious food and drink to share in the happenings of life become the exception rather than the rule.

Hoping to change that is A. J. DeRaspe, a personal chef and nutritionist on the north shore of Kauai who has made his passion for food and bringing people together into a career, one client at a time.

“I realized I wanted to be a working connection between consumers and farmers, as well as provide an exceptional atmosphere for the enjoyment of food,” says the 28-year-old native of Maine.

After receiving his culinary arts degree in 2003, A. J. traveled extensively throughout Europe, applying his academic know-how in Austria, Greece, Italy, France and Spain. Today he melds exotic cuisine from different regions in North Shore homes, his client list reading like a red carpet event, including Jack Black, Matt Damon, Will Smith, Robert Downey Jr. and Pierce Brosnan.

Creating delectable food is only the beginning for an epicurean like A. J. “The Garden Island of Kaua`i has unique assets. Its organic farming community, coastal fisheries and natural flora provide people with a microbiotic system that brings unity to gastronomy, a luxury not to be taken lightly.”

He creates the menus, pairs the wines, meticulously assembles sautés and serves multicourse meals all in the comfort of your home (or vacation rental). He leaves his clients with their appetites satiated and with a lesson in nutrition as well.

His growing company, Foraging Fork, finds economical ways to locate the freshest produce, develops direct relationships with local farmers and fishermen and develops techniques for preparing the abundance of fresh gourmet products this amazing garden isle provides. For bookings, questions and further information visit foragingfork.com or call 808-635-5865.

www.ediblealoha.com

Fall 2008

37

38

fall 2008

edible hawaiian islands

WHY SUBSCRIBE? You help preserve the Hawaiian Islands Unique food culture. Just like our advertisers, you help to support the mission of this magazine.

No matter how many we distribute, demand exceeds supply.

WE’RE WORKING HARD TO BRING YOU ALL THE LOCAL FOOD STORIES.

SUBSCRIBE

TODAY.

n Yes, I want to become a subscriber to Edible Hawaiian Islands. I have filled out the form below and Ollie Cohen: Photo by Steve Knox

am sending it, along with my check made payable to Edible Hawaiian Islands. in the amount of $28 (for 4 issues) to: Edible Hawaiian Islands. PO Box 753, Kilauea, HI 96754.

Start my subscription with the

n current n next issue

You may photocopy this form.

h h h Gift Subscriptions Available h h h

Name: Address:

Just fill out this card and send it in. We’ll make sure you don’t miss a single, mouthwatering issue.

Or visit us online at: ediblehawaiianislands.com

City:

State:

Zip:

email (optional): For more information or to submit story ideas, call or email us at: 808-828-1559, or info@ediblehawaiianislands.com.

Edible Hawaiian Islands is published quarterly by Edible Hawaiian Islands LLC. Telephone: 808-828-1559. Distribution is throughout the state of Hawai`i and nationally by subscription. All rights reserved. Subscription rate is $28 annually. Published in April, July, October and December. Call the number above to inquire about advertising rates, deadlines or subscription information, or email us at: info@ediblehawaiianislands.com. No part of this publication may be used without written permission of the publisher. © 2007 All Rights Reserved.

www.ediblealoha.com

Fall 2008

39

Kona Coffee Growers Sell

Paradise

by the Pound

By Tim Ryan Photos By Tim Ryan

40

fall 2008

edible hawaiian islands

The handwritten directions by Una Greenaway to her Kuaiwi Farm are as colorful as the five-acre organic piece of paradise she shares with her husband in Kealakekua, Big Island.

The map shows the Kealakekua Ranch Center, Capt. Cook Post Office, a large palm tree at the Bamboo Road turnoff, an A-frame house and, finally, her home’s dual geodesic domes bordered by a 6,000-gallon water tank—one of five on the property.

Greenwell and husband, Leon, are among some 50 organic Kona coffee growers on the Big Island out of the island’s 775 coffee farms.

The couple has lived and farmed here for nearly three decades, caring for and nurturing land that had been farmed using chemical fertilizers and herbicides. (Kuaiwi Farm has been certified organic since 1999.)

“When my [first] husband and I leased this property we could tell that the land needed caring and healing,” said Greenaway. Kuaiwi Farm’s award-winning coffee is the couple’s cash crop.

Sales skyrocketed last year when the Greenaways’ Kona Old Style coffee won top prize at the annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival’s cupping contest. Although the couple raised the price from $25 to $36 a pound, demand was so great that they had to limit sales to two pounds a customer.

“Winning gave us the courage to raise prices,” Greenaway said.

Some Big Island coffee farmers say the number of organic coffee farmers is increasing about 50 percent a year, driven by the demand for organic Kona coffee and customers willing to pay a premium price and because of the Slow Food movement.

While coffee is grown on every Hawaiian island, only the Big Island has the right conditions to grow the coveted Kona bean. Coffee growers across Hawai`i in 2006–07 generated $37 million in farm sales of raw coffee beans with Big Island growers accounting for $25.6 million, or 69 percent, of that total.

“When people think of Hawai`i coffee they think Kona coffee,” said Robert Barnes, co-owner of Kona RainForest Coffee’s farm. “In all the world there is only this narrow slice of land right here where Kona can be grown and it can’t be expanded.”

(To be labeled Kona coffee the coffee must come from the geographical regions of North or South Kona. Check labels to make sure your selection is 100 percent Kona coffee and not a blend made up of only 10 percent Kona coffee.)

Organically grown coffee carries the label of the Hawai`i Organic Farmers Association (HOFA), a nonprofit membership organization that administers organic certification in the Hawai`i.

Organic farming is not a simple undertaking, Greenaway and Barnes agreed. It requires more weeding and mowing, since no herbicide sprays are used, and approved organic chemical fertilizers can cost three times more than conventional sprays.

Kona RainForest raises about 6,000 organically grown coffee trees on eight acres of gently sloping land on Mauna Loa’s southern flank, bordered by South Kona Forest Reserve.

The farm sits in a kipuka, a hole in the lava with a’a lava flows on both sides, and deep rich, rocky, lava-free soil within. A large part of the 42-acre farm—nine acres are planted with coffee—is undisturbed rain forest with giant, native ohia trees, tree ferns, hapu’u, wild orchids and numerous other native Hawaiian plants.

Barnes and his wife, Dawn, who was born in Hilo, moved to the Big Island about 2½ years ago after some two decades in Papua New

www.ediblealoha.com

Fall 2008

41

Guinea. The couple had no experience in farming anything, much less the most expensive coffee in the world.

“One thing about Kona coffee growers is that everyone helps everyone else with advice, pest issues, mechanical breakdowns, whatever’s needed,” said Robert Barnes.

Kona RainForest last year only produced only 18,000 pounds of cherry beans while the couple revitalized the trees with proper fertilizing, trimming and weed removal. This year the couple expects to harvest 54,000 pounds.

“We properly fed and nursed the trees back to health,” Dawn said.

“It hadn’t been done for a very long time.”

The business had to turn down a 10,000-pound order for its roasted coffee from a South Korea business because it didn’t have the product.

Weeding is an ongoing ritual for Barnes and company. They’ve planted grass as ground cover to smother the weeds.

“We all pull by hand, or cut with a weed whipper or mow with the tractor,” Barnes said. “The good thing is that the constant mowing produces literally tons of mulch to help with soil building.”

Kona coffee farmers are coming around to understand that customers want their beans to be organic, agreed Greenaway and Malia Bolton, owner of Kona Coffee & Tea Emporium, which produces the

42

fall 2008

edible hawaiian islands

popular Malia Ohana coffee. Bolton expects her 8½-acre farm to receive its organic certification this year.

“Our mainland customers want just organic coffee,” Bolton said during a visit to her farm 2,000 feet above Kailua-Kona. In 2007 Bolton’s 6,000 trees produced 33,000 pounds of cherry beans.

“Organic is the right thing to do for people, customers, the `aina,” said Bolton.

Some organic Kona coffee sells for as much as $40 a pound—usually the peaberry known as “the champagne of Kona.” A normal coffee cherry has two beans while the peaberry is just one bean and almost perfectly round, which some growers say allows for more even roasting.

Even the most expensive organic Kona coffee flies off the shelf so fast that growers have to limit the amount sold to a single customer and have started making waiting lists for next year’s crop. Bolton limits her organic beans to 12-ounce packages because it’s in such limited quantity.

Greenaway’s Kuaiwi Farm is blessed with a gentle slope and relatively deep soil, and after three decades of rock removal it is relatively easy to mow without breaking a blade.

Greenaway calls it “a wonderful example of an intact piece of the pre-contact Kona field system.” The kuaiwi are low rock mounds, which separate the kihapai, or growing fields, that are still easily identifiable on the farm.

WHAT: 38th Annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival WHERE: Kailua-Kona, Big Island WHEN: Nov. 7–16, 2008 HISTORY: The festival celebrates the tradition, culture and mystique of Kona coffee. Nearly 50 festival events including contests, tastings, ethnic foods, parades, scholarship pageant, farm tours, a cupping competition, recipe contests, art exhibits and an outdoor concert. The KCCF is the oldest in Hawai`i and the only coffee festival in the United States.

KONA COFFEE COUNTRY MAP: http://konacoffeefest.com/images/2007/DriveTourMap%2707o.pdf ACCOMMODATIONS IN HEART OF THE KONA COFFEE ACTION: Holualoa Inn: 76-5932 Mamalahoa Highway, P.O. Box 222, Holualoa, Hawai`i 96725; 800-392-1812, local 808-3241121, fax 808-322-2472; www.holualoainn.com This bed-and-breakfast sits in rustic Holualoa, a short upcountry drive from Kailua-Kona. There are galleries, art studios, ukulele makers and homemade island crafts and gifts. Easy walk to town to galleries and restaurants. Holualoa Inn features a sensational breakfast with fresh seasonal island fruit from local farms followed by a signature entree by Chef Chad Douglas. Suites: $280–$375; rooms $260–$350.

“The last ali’i to own this land was Keohokalole, the mother of King David Kalakaua,” Greenaway said. “After the mahele, it was owned by the Rev. John D. Paris, who then sold it to H. N. Greenwell, who leased the land to Mr. Kunitaro Motomura, who hand-cleared the land and planted the coffee trees around 1900.”

Most of the coffee trees on Kuaiwi Farm are 100 years old.

The farm does seem like a rustic Garden of Eden with acres of organic fruits and vegetables dotting the property. At every turn there seem to be large compost piles, new crops sprouting or a piece of land cleared. The Greenaways want the farm one day to be completely self sufficient in producing its own energy and food.

“It’s all right here,” she said. “We just have to tap into it.”

E-commerce has changed the face of Kona coffee sales because now growers can market and sell their own products.

A huge customer base is people on the Mainland West Coast, New York and New Jersey who “have to have Kona coffee,” Barnes said.

But can you really taste the difference between organic and nonorganic Kona coffee? Even some organic growers (who didn’t want to be named) said they couldn’t tell the difference.

“Well, organic coffee did win the contest last year, didn’t it?”

Greenaway said.

Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort: 78-6740 Alii Drive, Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i, 96740; 800-326-6803 or 808-3223441, fax 808-322-3117; http://www.outrigger.com/ Outrigger Resort is host to the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival’s coffee label and website display (Nov. 5–9) and the Gevalia Kona Coffee Cupping Competition (preliminary round Nov. 7).

Sheraton Keauhou Resort & Spa: 78-128 Ehukai Street, KailuaKona, Hawai`i 96740; 808-930-4900, fax 808-930-4800; http://www.sheratonkeauhou.com/ The Resort sits on an ancient lava flow cascading into the waters at Keauhoou Bay. KCCF INFORMATION: www.konacoffeefest.com

www.ediblealoha.com

Fall 2008

43

44

fall 2008

edible hawaiian islands

www.ediblealoha.com

Fall 2008

45

farmers’ markets Kaua’i Farmers’ Markets MONDAY West Kaua`i Agricultural Association Poipu Road and Cane Haul Road, Poipu 8 a.m.

Koloa Ball Park (Knudsen) (Sunshine Markets) Maluhia Road, Koloa Noon Kukui Grove Shopping Center Lihue 3 p.m.

TUESDAY Kalaheo Neighborhood Center (Sunshine Markets) Papalina Road off Kaumualii, Kalaheo 3:30 p.m.

Wailua Homesteads Park (Sunshine Markets) Malu Road, Wailua 3 p.m.

Hawaiian Farmers of Hanalei Waipa, Hanalei 2 p.m.

WEDNESDAY Kapa`a New Town Park (Sunshine Markets) Kahau Road, Kapa`a 3 p.m.

THURSDAY Hanapepe Park (Sunshine Markets) Old Hanapepe Town 3 p.m.

fall 2008

Waikoloa Village Farmers’ Market Waikoloa Community Church across from Waikoloa Elementary School 7:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

SATURDAY Kekaha Neighborhood Center (Sunshine Markets) Elepaio Road, Kekaha 9 a.m.

North Kohala Across from Hawi Post Office, under banyan tree 7 a.m.–noon

Hanalei Saturday Market Hanalei 9 a.m.–1:30 p.m.

Kilauea Neighborhood Center (Sunshine Markets) Keneke off Lighthouse Road, Kilauea 4:30 p.m.

46

FRIDAY Vidinha Stadium (Sunshine Markets) Hoolako Road, Lihue 3 p.m.

Hawai`i Island Farmers’ Markets SATURDAY Keauhou Farmers’ Market Keauhou Shopping Center, Keauhou 8–11 a.m.

edible hawaiian islands

Waimea Hawaiian Homestead Farmers’ Market Mamalahoa Hwy., 2 miles east of Waimea town 7:30 a.m.

Honokaa Farmers’ Market Honokaa town near Honokaa Trading Co. Hilo Farmers’ Market WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS Corner of Mamo and Kamehameha Ave., downtown Hilo Saturdays, 8 a.m.–noon

Photo by G. Natale

WEDNESDAYS Naalehu Farmers’ Market Ace Hardware lawn 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

SUNDAY Pahoa Farmers’ Market Luquin’s/Akebono Theater parking lot 8 a.m.–3 p.m.

Makuu Farmers’ Market Keaau-Pahoa bypass road 8 a.m.–2 p.m.

Volcano Farmers’ Market Cooper Center, Wright Rd., Volcano 6:30–9 a.m.

South Kona Green Market At the Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden Captain Cook 9 a.m. – I pm

O`ahu Farmers’ Markets

Waipahu District Park (People’s Open Market) 94-230 Paiwa Street, Waipahu 8:15–9:15 a.m.

Kaneohe District Park (People’s Open Market) 45-660 Keaahala Road, Kaneohe 10:45–11:45 a.m.

Wahiawa District Park (People’s Open Market) N. Cane & California Avenue, Wahiawa 10–11 a.m.

Manoa Marketplace Honolulu 7–11 a.m.

Mililani District Park (People’s Open Market) 94-1150 Lanikuhana Avenue, Mililani 11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

FRIDAYS Halawa District Park (People’s Open Market) 99-795 Iwaiwa Street 7–8 a.m.

Fort Street near Wilcox Park Honolulu (in front of Macy’s) 8 a.m.–2 p.m.

Manoa Marketplace Honolulu 7–11 a.m.

Waikiki Farmers’ Market Waikiki Community Center Parking Lot 7 a.m.–1 p.m.

Makiki District Park (People’s Open Market) 1527 Keeaumoku Street, Honolulu 8:30–9:30 a.m.

WEDNESDAYS Palolo Valley District Park (People’s Open Market) 2007 Palolo Avenue, Honolulu 6:30–7:30 a.m. .

Old Stadium Park (People’s Open Market) 2237 South King Street, Honolulu 8:15–9:15 a.m.

Mother Waldron Park (People’s Open Market) 525 Coral Street, Honolulu 10:15–11 a.m.

Queen Kapiolani Park (People’s Open Market) Monsarrat and Paki Street, Honolulu 10–11 a.m.

City Hall Parking Lot Deck (People’s Open Market) Alapai & Beretania Street, Honolulu 11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Hawai`i Kai Towne Center Kalanianaole Highway at Keahole Street, Honolulu 7:30 a.m.–3 p.m.

Hawai`i Kai Towne Center Kalanianaole Highway at Keahole Street, Honolulu 7:30 a.m.–3 p.m.

THURSDAYS Waimanalo Beach Park (People’s Open Market 41-741 Kalanianaole Highway, Waimanalo 7:15–8:15 a.m.

MONDAYS Manoa Valley District Park (People’s Open Market) 2721 Kaaipu Avenue, Honolulu 6:45–7:45 a.m.

TUESDAYS Waiau District Park (People’s Open Market) 98-1650 Kaahumanu Street, Pearl City 6:30–7:30 a.m.

Leaf photo by Ollie Cohen

Kailua District Park (People’s Open Market) 21 South Kainalu Drive, Kailua 9–10 a.m.

The Kailua Thursday Night Farmers’ Market Kailua town 5–7:30 p.m. behind Longs on Kailua Rd.

Ewa Beach Community Park (People’s Open Market) 91-955 North Road, Ewa Beach 9–10 a.m.

Pokai Bay Beach Park (People’s Open Market) 85-037 Pokai Bay Road, Waianae 11–11:45 a.m.

Fort Street near Wilcox Park Honolulu (In front of Macy’s) 8 a.m. –2 p.m.

Waikiki Farmers’ Market Waikiki Community Center Parking Lot 7 a.m. –1 p.m.

SATURDAYS Banyan Court Mall (People’s Open Market) 800 North King Street, Honolulu 6:15–7:30 a.m.

Kaumualii Street (People’s Open Market) at Kalihi Street, Honolulu 8:15–9:30 a.m.

Kalihi Valley District Park (People’s Open Market) 1911 Kam IV Road, Honolulu 10–10:45 a.m.

Salt Lake Municipal Lot (People’s Open Market) 5337 Likini Street, Honolulu 11:15a.m. –Noon

www.ediblealoha.com

Fall 2008

47

Hawaii Kai Park-n-Ride (People’s Open Market) 300 Keahole Street, Honolulu 1–2 p.m.

North Shore Country Market at Sunset Sunset Beach Elementary School, Haleiwa 8 a.m. –2 p.m.

The Saturday Farmers’ Market at Kapiolani Community College Campus 4303 Diamond Head Road, Honolulu 7:30–11 a.m.

Waialua Farmers’ Market Waialua Sugar Mill 8:30 a.m. –Noon Hawai`i Kai Towne Center Kalanianaole Highway at Keahole Street, Honolulu 7:30 a.m. –3 p.m.

SUNDAYS Kapolei Community Park (People’s Open Market) 91-1049 Kamaaha Loop, Kapolei 7–8:30 a.m.

Royal Kunia Park-n-Ride (People’s Open Market) Kupuna Lp/Kupohi Street, Waipahu 9:30–11 a.m.

Waikele Community Park (People’s Open Market) Waipahu 11:30 a.m. –12:30 p.m.

The Mililani Sunday Farmers’ Market at Mililani High School 95-1200 Meheula Parkway, Mililani High School Parking Lot 8 a.m. –Noon Manoa Marketplace Honolulu 7–11 a.m.

Country Market & Craft Fair Waimanalo Homestead Community Center 1330 Kalanianaole Hwy. 9 a.m.–4p.m.

48

fall 2008

Maui Farmers’ Markets MONDAY Farmers’ Market of Maui-Kihei Suda Store parking lot on South Kihei Rd. 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

Farmers’ Market of Maui-Honokowai Hawaiian Motors parking lot (across from Honokowai Park) 7–11 a.m.

TUESDAY The Maui’s Fresh Produce Farmer’s Market Queen Kaahumanu Shopping Center (center stage area) Kaahumanu Avenue, Kahului 7 a.m. –4 p.m.

Pepito Valdez 298-4289 Maui Mall Farmers’ Market & Craft Fair Maui Mall, Kahului 7 a.m.–4 p.m.

Ms. Cynda Hearn 871-1307 Farmers’ Market of Maui-Kihei Suda Store parking lot on South Kihei Rd. 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

WEDNESDAY Farmers’ Market of Maui-Kihei Suda Store parking lot on South Kihei Rd. 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

Farmers’ Market of Maui-Honokowai Hawaiian Motors parking lot (across from Honokowai Park) 7 a.m. –11 a.m.

Maui Mall Farmers’ Market & Craft Fair Maui Mall, Kahului 7 a.m.–4 p.m.

The Maui’s Fresh Produce Farmer’s Market Queen Kaahumanu Shopping Center (center stage area) Kaahumanu Avenue, Kahului 7 a.m.–4 p.m.

THURSDAY Farmers’ Market of Maui-Kihei Suda Store parking lot on South Kihei Rd. 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

edible hawaiian islands

FRIDAY Farmers’ Market of Maui-Kihei Suda Store parking lot on South Kihei Rd. 8 a.m. –4.00 p.m.

The Maui’s Fresh Produce Farmer’s Market Queen Kaahumanu Shopping Center (center stage area) Kaahumanu Avenue, Kahului 7 a.m.–4 p.m.

Farmers’ Market of Maui-Honokowai Hawaiian Motors parking lot (across from Honokowai Park) 7 a.m.–11 a.m.

Maui Mall Farmers’ Market & Craft Fair Maui Mall, Kahului 7 a.m.–4 p.m.

SATURDAY Maui Swap Meet Puunene Avenue next to the Kahului Post Office 6 a.m.–1 p.m.

ADVERTISER DIRECTORY A. J. DeRaspe Personal chef services Multi-course dinners Culinary & nutritional Workshops 808-635-5865 www.foragingfork.com Aurora Fund PO Box 565, Kilauea, HI 96754 808-828-0893 www.theaurorafoundation.org Bar Acuda Restaurant Bar @ 5 p.m. • Dinner @ 6 p.m.

Reservations: 808-826-7081 5-5161 Kuhio Hwy., Hanalei, Kaua’i Closed Mondays www.restaurantbaracuda.com Cake Clothing *Accessories * Gifts Kong Lung Center Kilauea, Kaua’i 7 days a week 808-828-6412 Garden Ponds Mauka of Banana Joe’s Kilauea, Kaua`i Classes: “Secrets of Water Gardening” 808.826.6400 gardenpondskauai.com Hanalei Dolphin Restaurant & Fish Market 5-5016 Kuhio Hwy. Hanalei, Kaua’i 808-826-6113 Hawai`i Health Guide Hawai`i Healing Garden Cultural Healing Arts Festivals www.HawaiiHealingGarden.com Honu Group Inc. 1001 Bishop Street ASB Tower, Suite 2800 Honolulu, Hawai`i 96722 808-550-4449 tabenoja@honugroup.com www.honugroup.com

Kahili Makai Ranch Organic Hawaiian Beef 808-828-0606 www.kahilibeef.com

Natural Health Clinic 3093 Akahi Street Lihue, Kaua`i 808-245-2277

Kaua`i Coffee 1-800-545-8605 www.kauaicoffee.com

North Country Farms An Organic Family Farm And Tropical B&B Cottages www.northcountryfarms.com

Kaua`i Made 808-241-6390 www.kauaimade.net kauaimade@kauai.net Kilauea Fish Market 4270 Kilauea Rd., Kilauea, Kaua’i 808-828-6244 Mon.–Sat. 11 a.m.–8 p.m.

Kilauea Town Market 2474 Keneke St. Kilauea, Kaua’i 808-828-1512 Daily 8:30 a.m.–8 p.m.

KKCR Kaua`i Community Radio 808-826-7774 PO Box 825, Hanalei, Kaua’i 96714 Listener Supported www.kkcr.org Koa Properties 808-651-1777 www.koakauai.com Pure Kaua`i 866-457-7873 www.purekauai.com Joan Namkoong “Food Lovers Guide to Honolulu” at your favorite book store.

Moloa`a Sunrise Fruit Stand Corner of Kuhio Hwy and Koolau Road Farm Fresh Local Grown Produce, Smoothies, juices, salads, sandwiches Open Mon thru Sat 7:30am – 5pm Phone orders welcome 808-822-1441

One Love 11 Clothing 917-345-6072 www.onelove11clothing.com Original Hawaiian Chocolate The Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory Kailua-Kona, HI 808-322-2626 www.originalhawaiianchocolatefactory.com Papaya’s Natural Food & Café Organic Produce Vegetarian Café Kaua`i Village 4-831 Kuhio Hwy. Kapa’a, Kaua’i • 808-823-0190 Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-8 p.m.

Hanalei 5-5161 Kuhio Hwy. Hanalei, Kaua’i • 808-826-0089 7 days 9 a.m.–8 p.m. www.papayasnaturalfoods.com Pelekunu’s Teri Sauces 808-282-9699 www.pelekunus.com Po’ipu Beach Estates Terry P. Kamen Call for a Tour 808-651-0071 www.poipubeachestates.com

Slow Food Nation www.slowfoodnation.org Strings & Things Ching Young Village Hanalei, Kaua’i Yarn to Ukuleles 808-826-9633 Sustainable Design Hendrikus Organics USDA Approved Organic Products Holistic Earth Care Products & Services Soil Foodweb Lab 808-828-1471 www.hendrikusorganics.com The Wine Garden 4495 Puhi Road Lihu’e, Kaua’i Fine Wine, Vintage Port Hand-Rolled Kaua’i Cigars Open everyday 10am-6:30pm 808-245-5766 `Umeke Market Natural Foods & Deli 4400 Kalanianaole Hwy. (Across From Kahala Mall) O`ahu 808-739-2990 www.umekemarket.com Whole Foods Market Supporting the local farmers And growers here on the Islands Kahala Mall in Honolulu 4211 Wai`alae Ave 808-738-0820 – 7am-10pm www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Slow Food Hawai’i Island • Shelby Floyd sfloyd@ahfi.com Kaua’i • Patrick Quinn Icingonthecake.Kauai@gmail.com O’ahu • Laurie Carleson laurie@honoluluweekly.com

www.ediblealoha.com

Fall 2008

49

Photo by Oliver Cohen

Matisia what is it & how do you eat it?

Matisia (Matisia cordata)—The Matisia, sometimes called South American Sapote, in the Durian family, with large round leaves, originally come from the Amazon Basin. The orange fleshed fruits usually have 5 seeds inside that you can suck on, or scrape off the meat and eat it. The taste is a combination of cantaloupe and mango. Matisia is ripe when it is round. Somewhat rare in Hawai`i, it can be found at Frankies Nursery in Waimanalo, O`ahu where you will find a wonderful collection of unusual tropical fruit trees 808-259-8737 or frankiesnursery@hawaii.rr.com

50

fall 2008

edible hawaiian islands