edible Hawaiian Islands Spring 2008

hawaiian islands

edible

Celebrating the Harvest of the Aloha State, Season by Season

tm

No. 4 Spring 2008

Gathering the sea • tsukemono Pupus and party drinks • ag tourism Member of Edible Communities

Spring 2008 Contents

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Departments 4 Letter of Aloha 6 Masthead 9 Notable Edibles

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Features 10 `aina honua Ma`o Farm 14 Ag Tourism Natural Selection—O`o Farm

35 Book Review 39 What’s Fresh—Spring 42 Cooking Fresh 34 Subscription 46 Farmers’ Markets 49 Advertiser Directory 50 What is it?

How do you eat it?

20 Honoring Traditions Gathering the Sea The Food & Colors of Merrie Monarch Not Gone, Not Forgotten Tsukemono—Japan’s Gift to Hawaii 36 Talk story Welcome to Hawaii! Here, Try This!

Kahu `Aina 40 Liliko`i

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LETTER of

Aloha The last few months have been very exciting around here. In less then a years time, we have been awarded one of the highest honors in communications; the

International Platinum MarCom Award Category “Regional Food Magazine”" The mission of the MarCom Awards is to honor excellence and recognize creativity in the communications field. The MarCom Awards is an international competition for communications professionals involved in the concept, writing and design of print and visual materials. Mahalo nui loa to my family and friends, my talented writers and photographers, and to all my advertisers who believed in the purpose of edible Hawaiian Islands, from day one.

Mahalo nui loa also to all who have showed their support by subscribing and spreading the word. We have subscriptions from all over the country, including Canada and Great Britain. edible Hawaiian Islands, is now the AWARD WINNING FOOD MAGAZINE in the State of Hawai`i.

We are also Proud to announce our Local Hero Awards.

You voted for your favorites, the winners are

Chef/Restaurant: Jim Moffat · Bar Acuda Restaurant Food Artisan: Andrea Quinn · Icing On The Cake Non Profit Organization · Aurora Foundation Farm/Farmer: Phil Davies · Kailani Farms Beverage Artisan · Ocean Vodka For more information on our winners, call 808-828-1559 or check out our “IN THE NEWS” page on our website. www.ediblehawaiianislands.com Ahui hou,

Gloria Cohen Publisher/Editor in Chief

Cover Photo by John Cox

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edible Hawaiian Islands Publisher/Editor in Chief Gloria Cohen Editor at Large Steven Cohen Distribution & Advertising Terry Sullivan Contributors Stephen Munshin Melissa Petersen Tracey Ryder Carole Topalian Photography Lauren Brandt Oliver Cohen Steven Cohen Artists Cindy Conklin Mary Ogle

Writers Kira Cohen John Cox Dahlia Sue Kiyabu Koohan Paik Jon Letman Sonia R. Martinez Nan Piianaia Tim Ryan Todd A. Vines Research 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!

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Photo by Forest and Kim Starr

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Notable Edibles

O`ahu 12th Avenue Grill. One of our favorite places to eat, reminds me of being back in NYC. Award winning casual dining, Chef Kevin Hanney includes local and organic produce, grass fed Big Island Beef, and even wild boar when available graces his menu. For spring, tree ripened Big Island Figs are included in salads, as well as baby romaine in the Caesar salad. Enjoy a friendly neighborhood atmosphere while savoring local and seasonal cooking; be sure to tell them we sent you. 1145C 12th Ave., Honolulu 808-732-9469 www.12thavegrill.com Umeke Market, Natural Foods & Deli: is a family owned and operated by husband and wife team, Daryl and Michelle Yamaguchi and sister, Debbie Yamaguchi. Dedicated to healthy eating and healthy living, stop by for anything from organic produce, smoothies, vitamins and bentos, to tantalizing "veggie burger", the popular Turkey Focaccia Sandwich, Chicken Adobo and Veggie Foccacia Sandwich. Located at 4400 Kalanianaole Hwy, open 8am to 8pm Mon.- Sat. 9am to 8pm on Sunday. 808-739-2990. www.umekemarket.com

Kaua`i When visiting the island of Kaua`i, look for the Kaua`i Made sign, you’ll never go wrong. We know you will want to take home some local tastes or locally hand crafted gifts. You can check out their website for a full list of vendors at www.kauaimade.net

Hawai`i Island Hawaiian Tropical Lavosh, we first discovered this tasty item at the last Made in Hawai`i convention in Honolulu. We are all addicted now, flavors like Mango Butter, and my favorite Passion Fruit Butter ‌ yummmm You can order these and other item on line at www.rainbowfallsconnection.net. This is a non-profit organization, whose efforts are to eliminate poverty. They have created programs that assist clients in becoming self-sufficient by allowing each to gain knowledge and skills. All products are made by their clients and MADE IN HAWAII. 100% of the sales go back into the program.

Maui Heading to Hana, a must is dinner at Hotel Hana-Maui, Executive Chef John Cox whose menu changes daily, including fresh fish from Hawaiian waters as well as locally grown produce. Chef Cox has been working with the farmers in Hana to grow organic fruits and vegetables for the restaurant. Many ingredients are unique to Hana and Maui.

Be sure to say aloha for us.

The images above are courtesy of young artists from the Kahu `Aina Project (left to right): Kapono Kapanui, 11yrs old, 6th grade Tracy Ann Galiza, 16yrs old, 11th grade Schae-Ann Like, 14yrs old, 9th grade Miiah Fu, 9yrs old, 5th grade www.ediblealoha.com

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`Aina Honua Ma`o Farm TURNING YOUNG HANDS TO THE SOIL

By Tim Ryan Photos by Tim Ryan

Ne huli ka lima iluna, pololi ka o Ne huli ka lima ilalo, piha ka opu.

—Hawaiian proverb (When your hands are turned up, you will be hungry; When your hands are turned to the soil, you will be full.)

It’s just after 10 a.m. and near the back of a peaceful Waianae Valley on O`ahu, Gary Maunakea-Forth is rattling the mood as he multitasks five times over.

The husky New Zealander with an infectious enthusiasm for people and his work sorts freshly harvested organic salad greens into large plastic trays, removes any brown ends, shakes them into a mix, barks questions to a half-dozen student staff, then loads the produce into a cooler for shipping later in the day to the few lucky urban O`ahu restaurants and health food markets that buy his product.

Maunakea-Forth’s T-shirt is a mantra for the farmer: No Panic…

Go Organic.

“I have to keep reminding myself when we get a bit behind,” he says, laughing.

Throughout this organized chaos that goes on for hours, Bob Marley tunes echo through the open-air mixing and rinsing room while Maunakea-Forth jokes with workers young enough to be any one of his four kids.

“You gotta have fun, mate, no matter what you’re doing or what’s the use in doing it, right?” he says.

Gary and his wife, Kukui, are founders of Mala ’Ai ’Opio—also known as MA’O Organic Farm—an inspiring social and economic experiment turned feel-good success in not only bringing healthy, organic vegetables to O`ahu consumers but creating a much-needed industry on the Leeward coast—hands down the most economically depressed area on the island.

The couple, in cooperation with the Department of Education, Leeward Community College and other organizations, run a 10month leadership training program for 16- to 25-year-olds that centers on agriculture, entrepreneurship and personal development. The students not only get paid but also are eligible for several cash incentives dependent on job performance. Some are sent to mainland conferences about organic farming. (Read more about the student worker program in the accompanying story).

Once, Hawaii grew most of its own food. Not anymore. According to state data, Hawaii now imports about two-thirds of what it eats.

“A community that is insecure doesn’t produce enough healthy food for its own sustenance,” says Maunakea-Forth, who has a degree from the University of Hawaii in political science and environmental studies. “This is a rural community with no jobs and little agriculture.

In the country, you need to farm.”

There are several reasons for locally grown organic produce besides the obvious health aspects.

“Purchasing local produce helps our economy,” he says. “The carbon footprint is decreased because shipping is minimal. The produce tastes better because it’s so fresh.”

In the case of MA’O Farm, clients get the produce on the days it’s picked: Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

In 2001, the Maunakea-Forths leased some five acres of land in Waianae, where 2.3 acres are used for crop production. With MA’O Farm’s success and growing reputation, the company this year will purchase an adjacent 11 acres that will allow them to double crop productivity and staff.

When Kukui Maunakea-Forth, who was born and raised in Nanakuli, was a census trainer in 2000 she spent time analyzing the data.

“Kukui was blown away by all the wasted lives” on the Waianae Coast, Gary says. “Kids weren’t making it through college or high school. There was so much poverty and just such little hope.”

When the couple researched the feasibility of starting an organic farm they discovered that locally grown organic vegetables were almost nonexistent. O`ahu restaurants and health food markets were shipping in most of their produce from California.

“Not exactly fresh,” Maunakea-Forth says.

The couple then brainstormed how to use an organic farm business to help their community. They decided that young adults and high school students needed to be exposed to farming.

“The climate [in Waianae] is perfect for growing because it’s mostly sunny and not a lot of rain,” says Maunakea-Forth. “If you’re going to grow salad greens it’s easier to control the irrigation than the sun.”

About half of MA’O Farm’s vegetables are salad mixes, including arugula, baby greens, kale, radishes, parsley, mixed greens and Swiss chard.

“We’re trying to grow all the veggie stuff that’s being imported to Hawaii,” he says.

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Growing salad greens was a natural choice because they grow so quickly.

Arugula is harvested about 20 days after planting; carrots and endive take much longer.

“At first we threw everything in the ground and some things, like parsley, grew really well and some things, like beets, not so well,” Maunakea-Forth says. “It was mismanagement and I was the manager. But I learned.”

Maunakea-Forth and company planted dozens of trees around the perimeter—mangoes, bananas, Tahitian limes and lemons—to create a habitat for insects like ladybugs, centipedes and wasps. “We built up an ecosystem so we had predators to kill the bad insects.”

MA’O Farm’s primary clients remain Alan Wong and Town restaurants, Umeki and Kokua health food stores and Kapiolani Community College farmers’ market. It’s likely that MA’O will also provide the new Whole Foods stores some produce, says Maunakea-Forth.

“We’re caught between what can sustain the farm financially and what produce is popular locally,” says Maunakea-Forth. Produce subsidizes about 40 percent of MA’O Farm’s budget for the nonprofit and profit sides. The remaining expenses are paid through grants (40 percent) and donations (20 percent).

In its first year MA’O Farm made about $20,000. Soon that jumped to $48,000 or about $4,000 a month.

“Now we do $4,000 a week,” Maunakea-Forth says. “Our goal by the end of 2008 is $8,000 a week, then eventually grossing $1 million a year.”

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MA’O Farm is organically certified, which means it has to fulfill certain requirements and undergo periodic inspections. One of those requirements is to use cover crops that replenish the soil with nutrients, especially nitrogen, Maunakea-Forth says.

“The only plants which can capture nitrogen are legumes, like beans and peas,” he says. “The basic organic system is build your soil and keep it healthy. That’s what we do. The traditional farming industry looks at a problem plant and says the plant is not healthy so lets spray it with chemicals; the organic industry looks at the soil and says it isn’t healthy so let’s repair the soil naturally.”

But keeping soil nutrients in check naturally means little crop production during the replenishment period of 40–60 days using cover crops.

“When it’s done you’re able to grow as much stuff as you can per square foot,” Maunakea-Forth says.

The farm also uses tons of cow manure annually, which also is composted under strict organic certification requirements.

“There’s more demand [for organic produce] than supply right now, which I suppose should be expected but I’m still amazed,” Maunakea-Forth says, laughing. “When we started we thought it was amazing just planting a seed then seeing it sprout.”

The Kiwi looks out over the Garden of Eden that MA’O Farm has become.

“I guess we have all come a long way,” he says.

Ma`o Farm Student Worker Program

Rachelle Carson loves working at MA’O Farm.

“I’ve learned so much here, and not just about farming,” says the Maui native. “I’ve learned about nutrition, being part of a team of workers and, when I’m in the field picking, what real peace of mind is.”

The program allows youth from the Waianae Coast area to learn about community food security, which is a comprehensive strategy to address many of the ills affecting society and environment due to an unsustainable and unjust food system, says Gary Maunakea-Forth.

The program includes principles of community food security, working in an agricultural operation growing and selling organically grown produce.

The Waianae Community Re-Development Corporation, the umbrella organization for MA’O Farm, approached Leeward Community College to see if the educational component of the program could be translated into credit courses at LCC. Two LCC courses were already part of the program and the materials obtained from national community food security resources easily translated to credit courses.

Students who complete the program understand connections among current food production systems, diet, the environment and public health, considering factors such as economics, population and social equity within the national and local perspective. Courses also provide students with skills and knowledge to grow produce organically, to market the produce and to understand nutritional concepts related to agriculture.

The course work is grounded in a Hawaiian sense of place and the value of caring for the `aina.

The current five student workers at MA’O Farm work three days a week. First-year workers earn $500 a month; second-year workers receive $600. There are other incentives: If the student creates a savings account, MA’O Farm contributes $2 for every $1 they save, up to $1,000. The matched money must be used for something specific to college work, like a laptop computer or car for transportation.

“No time is wasted on a farm.”

“If you have never had a job, somewhere down the line you have to figure how to work,” says Maunakea-Forth. “Some young people don’t figure out they even have to be on time. We set standards.”

Each student signs a contract with MA’O Farm that says when you’re late you’re fined $10. After three strikes the student is sent packing.

“They’re allowed to apply back into the program but first must go before a committee of their peers to talk about the violations and how they intend to not let it happen again,” says Maunakea-Forth.

If a student works 12 straight days with no violations then he or she receives an additional $20 in their paycheck.

When the Maunakea-Forths first proposed the program the majority of responses were that no “kids” wanted to farm anymore.

“We knew we had to pay them an incentive,” MaunakeaForth says. “So that’s what we did.”

The program has become

leadership-development oriented.

Some MA’O workers visit Nanakuli and Waianae high schools to mentor students interested in farming. The program will be expanded to include charter schools and Hawaiian immersion schools. (The vegetable garden at Waianae High School is certified organic.)

Manny Miles came back to the program in 2003 because he wants to be a farmer after college. “I never thought I’d ever say that, but I love producing something with my hands,” he says. “It’s like a miracle.”

When the summer sun along the Leeward Coast makes it too uncomfortable to work, these student workers don’t head for nearby Makaha Beach.

“We find a shady place to talk about pest management, soil science, maybe some anger management or how to fill out college financial aid forms for scholarships,” Maunakea-Forth says. “No time is wasted on a farm.”

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Ag Tourism

Natural Selection

O`o Farm

Maui’s signature farm-to-table experience offers a taste of the future

By Todd A. Vines Photos by Tony Novak-Clifford

“Visitors have evolved over the past 20 years. They really want something more unusual to do, to learn something while they’re on vacation. Now when they go back, they’ve got bragging rights. They can say ‘We went to the beach and played golf, but we also went to this farm and saw how they grow coffee or bananas.’”

Kent Fleming, professor and extension economist from the College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources at the University of Hawaii at Manoa

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“My chefs and I are constantly changing dishes in order to incorporate all of the fun items we grow,” said McDonald. But this more than just your average vegetable patch.

The minds behind O’o have managed to infuse island farming with a sense of romance, opening the operation’s doors to visitors seeking a new way to connect with the land of sand and sun. Weekly interactive farm tours began in early 2007 and have proven so popular a second tour was added earlier this year. One need not be a foodie to take something away from the experience. Groups are kept relatively small—rarely more than 20 people—allowing for a personalized excursion where guests can pick, peel and sample exotic edibles in a stunning Upcountry setting. The 2½-hour culinary safari culminates with a gourmet lunch of fresh fish and farm vegetables, most of which are attached to the earth until just minutes before the meal.

The farm’s simple moniker—which means to “mature or ripen" in Hawaiian—is revealing. Not only does it capture the ethos of the farm, but its place on the forefront of one of the hottest travel trends in the Aloha State.

A Growing Industry

To use the vernacular of the islands, James McDonald was stoked.

The executive chef at Maui’s award-winning I’O and Pacific’O restaurants was contemplating what to sow next at O’o Farm, a diversified organic wonderland established in Maui’s rural Waipoli neighborhood to provide for his popular Lahaina establishments.

“I’m always excited when I open up the seed catalogs and start looking for different things to grow,” said McDonald, a Philadelphia native who has been crafting in Hawaii kitchens for almost 30 years.

“It’s a little akin to reading a Playboy. I’ll leave it at that.”

The arrangement is one few chefs anywhere enjoy: eight acres of virgin soil at Maui’s fertile 4,000-foot elevation planted to stock the kitchen, entrepreneurial partners such as restaurateurs Louis Coulombe and Stephan Bel-Robert, a celebrated venue to showcase, quite literally, the fruits of team’s labor.

The private venture is the first of its kind in the state, operating for the sole purpose of supplying the restaurants. A dense wattle forest when it was acquired in 2000, the land has since been turned into a major source of the restaurant’s daily necessities: herbs, fruits and vegetables, including a myriad of leafy greens totaling some 200 pounds— or about 80 percent of the restaurants’ needs—each week.

While agricultural or “ag” tourism is one of Hawaii’s fastest growing niche markets, it’s far from a new concept. Encompassing a broad range of farm- and ranch-related activity, from tours to meals to actual accommodations, some small operations have been supplementing their income with the practice for decades.

While ag tourism remains small potatoes on the enormous platter that is Hawaii’s $12 billion tourism industry, recent numbers show clear signs of growth. Ag tourism–related activity in Hawaii was valued at $38.8 million for 2006, according to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and the National Agricultural Statistics Service Hawaii Field Office, a 14 percent jump from the $33.9 million reported in 2003.

Kent Fleming, a professor and extension economist from the College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, suggests a major appeal is the opportunity to reconnect with one’s roots.

“Fifty years ago everyone had a connection to a farm,” said Fleming, a specialist in the economics of farming. “Either they were raised on a farm, or they had a grandparent who had one. They could see farms in their community. Now, people have lost that contact with their food source, but there’s still so much interest in where our food comes from. That’s not going to decrease; that can only increase.”

Fleming believes the agriculture connection offers the average visitor a novel experience, and more open farms mean more access to a traditional island lifestyle. On Maui, two in three visitors have vacationed on the island at least once before, and Fleming suggests people are searching beyond beaches and fairways for a taste of island life.

“Visitors have evolved over the past 20 years,” said Fleming. “They really want something more unusual to do, to learn something while they’re on vacation. Now when they go back, they’ve got bragging rights. They can say, ‘We went to the beach and played golf, but we also went to this farm and saw how they grow coffee or bananas.’”

Fleming predicts as the ag tourism industry matures, veteran travelers will come specifically to experience Hawaii’s farms, much the way they currently flock to Tuscany and Napa Valley.

But open doors don’t necessarily guarantee success. The number of agriculturalists that welcome visitors has sharply decreased in the past three years. In 2006 there were just 112 farms in the state that claimed ag tourism income, a 40 percent decrease from three years prior. Today,

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Maui County has 28 farms open to sightseers, about half as many as the Big Island. One of the newest, and most unique, is O’o Farm.

The Good Earth

To keep the restaurants stocked with essential items, a 30-foot greenhouse was erected last year. Two larger greenhouses are set to follow.

“It’s the next phase of farm growth,” said Clark. “We’re about to get serious with wintertime production.”

It doesn’t take long to realize that O’o Farm isn’t so much a means to an end as it is a living thing. Growth is ubiquitous. Even in its eighth year of production, it continues to evolve. Little sits still, save the occasional tour couple who wander off to drink in the rural tranquility and elevated view of the West Maui Mountains and the Pacific.

Beyond the fields and fine dining, the partners are on the verge of launching their own signature product line—spice blends, marinades, dressings, infused oils—all born of rich Hawaiian earth.

“We want the product line to make people nostalgic for Maui, for Hawaii, for Upcountry, for the farm, for the restaurants,” said Angel Green, O’o Farm’s product development manager. “We want them to bring these items home with them, open that package and remember the farm, that dish they had at the restaurant, Maui in general.”

O’o Farm clings to the west slope of Haleakala like a cherry on the side of a sundae. The operation employs just two full-time workers, another half dozen help with the biweekly harvest. The grounds are organically and biodynamically cultivated, and O’o is going through the official organic certification process.

“The owners deserve a lot of credit for sustaining the land naturally,” said farm manager Richard Clark, who leads the weekly tours.

Though Clark admits his degree in biology doesn’t make him an expert, he insists expertise is less than necessary.

“Our method of farming here I describe as ‘direct observation and intuitive awareness.’ It’s being out in the field every day, paying attention and making connections. Book knowledge will never harm you, but more important is to feel the pulse of the land.”

Ask what will grow here and the list becomes long. Several plots Mauka to Makai are dedicated to two dozen varieties of leafy greens: lettuce, cabbage, Back at sea level, the sound of the working farm is replaced by the spinach, arugula and chard. The citrus grove boasts lemons, limes, oranges and tangerines. The stone fruit orchard hangs heavy with sound of the sea lapping at the shoreline. I’O and Pacific’O anchor the 505 Front Street retail complex, near the south end of Lahaina and just peaches, plums, apricots and nectarines, all growing near apples, figs, a loquat’s toss from the sand. Both pears and Surinam cherries. Less faopen-air establishments are privy to the miliar to the average visitor are the cofAG TOURISM ancient rhythms that float in from the fee shrubs, loquats, cherimoyas and adjacent Feast at Lele, another Mcwild poha berries. According to Clark, IN THE LAND OF ALOHA Donald, Coulombe and Bel-Robert it’s easier to list what won’t grow: 2006 STATS collaboration modeled after the luau of “Blueberries and blackberries, exold. Gourmet Magazine recently cept the local, wild variety of blacknamed the O’o-I’O connection one of berries. Everything else does good.”

Hawaii County: 56 farms—$13.2 million 10 best farm-to-table experiences in According to Clark, it’s the kitchen Honolulu County: 13 farms—$14.2 million America, and the partners were subsethat dictates what gets sown next, hence Kaua’i County: 15 farms—$6.3 million quently acknowledged by Gov. Linda McDonald’s beloved seed catalogs.

Maui County: 28 farms—$4.9 million Lingle with an official commendation.

“It’s a vertically integrated system Almost every line on the menu has here,” said Clark, noting that the farm its roots in the farm, from the O’o is wi-fi enabled. “We’re 40 miles from GROWING AG TOURISM Beets (roasted red and golden beets in the restaurants, but we’re in constant pesto with Feta cheese, pine nuts and communication. We see it all though 2006: $38.8 million raisins), to the Totally Buff salad (Italto the product on the plate.”

2003: $33.9 million ian buffalo Mozzarella, arugula, But even the plate isn’t the end of Olowalu tomato, cold-pressed olive oil, the chain. Discarded fish carcasses, balsamic basil foam and black Hawailobster shells and some green waste FROM THE FARM TO THE PLATE, ian sea salt), to the pan-roasted prepafrom the restaurants will be hauled to EXPERIENCE IT YOURSELF ration of the fresh catch, topped with the farm and provide the essential niO’o Farm lemongrass pesto and vine-ripened trogen element in Clark’s delicate ortomatoes, truffle oil and goat cheese ganic compost equation.

Includes interactive farm tour and gourmet lunch. fondue sauce.

What the chefs ultimately get, Hours: Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. to 1 The dessert menu tempts with however, is still dictated by season. p.m. farm fruit and other O’o treats such as While many perceive Maui as a place of Price: $50 per person homemade cherimoya ice cream. Even perpetual summer, temperatures at this Reservations: (808) 667-4341 the in-house mixologists have found elevation can swing 40 degrees in a 24Online: oofarm.com inspiration in the `aina. A cool O’o hour period. Winter lows dip into the Lemongrass Loquat Cachaca—Sagathigh 30s. Highs in the 80s are typical.

I’O iba Cachaca and club soda with fresh “We have a true winter here,” said (808) 661-8422 mint, lime, lemongrass and loquats Clark. “Traditional summer crops iomaui.com from the farm—makes a sweet sunset won’t grow outside. Corn, tomatoes, accessory and the final leg of a tasty peas, peppers, beans, squash—no can Pacific’O tour for the mouth and mind. do in the winter.”

(808) 667-4341 pacificomaui.com

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O’O LEMONGRASS LOQUAT CACHACA Sagatiba Cachaca Loquats Lemongrass Mint Lime Club soda Organic sugar Served best on the rocks, garnished with a kaffir lime leaf. (From the farm: loquats, lemongrass, mint, lime and kaffir lime leaf.)

THAI RIBBONS Serves 6.

8-ounce fillet sashimi-grade fish (sliced into thin strips) 2 cups green papaya (shaved into thin ribbons) 1 tablespoon mint (chopped fine) 1 tablespoon basil (chopped fine) 1 tablespoon Serrano chili (minced) 1 teaspoon kaffir lime leaf (minced) 1 tablespoon fish sauce ½ cup Arbequina olive oil 6 yellow cherry tomatoes (quartered)

Mix all ingredients together and arrange equally in six martini glasses. Serve chilled.

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ROASTED BEETS WITH MACADAMIA PESTO Serves 6.

1 pound beets, skin on, stems removed, scrubbed 2 teaspoons sea salt ½ cup + 1 tablespoon Arbequina extra virgin olive oil 1 cup basil leaves, loose packed, fresh 2 cloves garlic 1 tablespoon ginger root, rough chopped ¼ cup macadamia nuts 1 cup Feta cheese crumbles ½ cup pine nuts, toasted Ground pepper, to taste 1 sheet foil

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Place beets on foil, coat in 1 tablespoon of oil, season with 1 tablespoon salt, close foil around beets and place into a 400-degree oven until beets are almost tender when pierced with a toothpick, approximately 1½ hour. Remove from oven and allow steaming in foil for approximately 30 minutes. Remove skins and slice beets into desired shapes.

Make pesto by combining ½ cup oil, basil, garlic, ginger, macadamia nuts and remaining salt in a blender. Purée for about 10 seconds until ingredients are roughly smooth.

Heat a sauté pan over medium heat; add pesto and beets and cook until warmed, approximately 1 minute. Season with ground pepper and arrange on individual plates or serve in a bowl. Sprinkle Feta cheese and raisins over top and serve.

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Photo by John Cox

Gathering the Sea

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HONORING TRADITIONS

The Lost Art of Hawaiian Fishing John Cox

I sat on a crumbling rock wall, throwing kukui nuts at a row of ironwood trees that formed a natural border between the bucolic pasture stretching toward the road behind me and the black rock shore that dropped steeply into turbulent surf below. I was getting bored, and there was still no sign of the bride and groom who were scheduled to arrive on horseback over three hours ago.

The priest had wandered out of sight and the cook I had brought to help with the reception had removed his clogs and was looking longingly down a narrow trail to the cerulean bay below.

The cook asked if I had tried opihi, a small edible limpet that grows abundantly among the cracks and crevices along the coast.

Shocked that I did not know what an opihi was, much less ever tasted one, he embarked on a mission to pry one loose from the lava rocks that lay exposed in the surf down on the beach.

As we walked the cook explained that as a child his family would picnic here. He showed me where a fresh water spring seeped through the sand, creating a bottomless well of pure cold water, perfect for drinking during the heat of the afternoon. We sat on the beach eating opihi below the shade of a tall hill.

Today I could not tell you whether the wedding party ever showed up, yet I will never forget the place itself, or the reverence it commanded. Little did I know at the time the real significance it possessed.

Lehoula, and the lands surrounding it, are so steeped in Hawaiian history that it would be impossible for me to do them justice. Kaiwi `O Pele, the hill overshadowing the bay at Lehoula, is where the volcano goddess Pele’s bones are said to be scattered and the small uninhabited island just offshore, Alau, is thought to be a fragment of the earth that was broken loose when the demi-god Maui fished the Hawaiian islands up from the floor of the Pacific. Maybe most important, Lehoula is considered by many to be the birthplace of fishing.

Ku`ula-Kai and his wife, Hina-puku-i`a, lived in a wood and grass hale a stone’s throw from the bay at Lehoula. Much revered for his ability to control the creatures of the ocean, Ku`ula-Kai was appointed the head fisherman of Wananalua (a district where the town of Hana currently stands). Said to have built the first fish pond in Hawaii, Ku`ula-Kai had a profound understanding of the ocean and was able to supply rare and exotic delicacies to the ali`i (the chief of the land) throughout the year, regardless of season.

While living at Lehoulu Hina-puku-i`a gave birth to two sons, Ai`ai and Ku`ula-uka. As the two children grew older they divided their responsibilities, Ai`ai focusing on fishing and gathering from the sea

and ku`ula-uka going to the mountains to gather taro, sweet potato and breadfruit.

One day the fishpond that Ku`ula-Kai built, once teeming with ocean life, was found to be barren. After observing the pond for several days Ku`ula-kai witnessed a large puhi (eel) enter the pond from a gap in the ocean wall. The puhi fed on the few remaining trapped fish and then retreated back to the depths of the sea.

Ai`ai, now a young man, gathered a group of people from East Maui and hunted the puhi in canoes, finally catching the giant creature and bringing it to shore, where its head was incinerated in an imu and its body left along the coast; its petrified backbone is still visible today along the coast.

Not long after the great puhi was brought to shore and killed, a man from the island of Moloka`i, who had been its keeper, vowed revenge on Ku`ulu-kai and his family. Shortly after the incident he traveled to Wananalua and became a servant to the ali`i. Deceived by the puhi’s keeper, the ali`i of Wananalua was made to believe Ku`ulu-kai had disrespected him and the ali`i ordered his entire family be burned alive in their home.

Upon realizing what was about to happen, Ku`ulu-kai gave all of his knowledge and power over the fish of the ocean to Ai`ai before escaping from the burning hale with Hina-Puku-i`a to deep place below the sea, where they would live for eternity. Ai`ai escaped up the cloud of smoke to Kaiwi `O Pele hill.

To punish the people who turned against him, Ku`ulu-kai removed everything edible from the ocean. The people along the Hana coast began to starve.

Eventually Ai`ai came down from the hill and befriended a young boy shooting arrows along the coast. He was pained to see how the boy and his family suffered because all the bounty of the sea had been lost.

Ai`ai asked his father to bring the fish back to Hana and in return spent the rest of his life traveling between the islands teaching people many methods for catching fish, a respect for the ocean and how to conserve their resources for future generations.

The Kapu System was an elaborate series of laws that governed all of the relationships in ancient Hawaii; human to human, humans to god and humans to their environment. These laws were aggressively enforced, and those who broke the laws were often put to death. The Kapu System outlined every aspect of Hawaiian life: what to eat, who to eat with, when to plant, when to harvest, when to fish, how to fish, when to wage war and hundreds of other guidelines. www.ediblealoha.com

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Opelu and aku were two species of fish that were closely monitored through the Kapu system. During July through January the opelu were caught in nets and the aku were allowed to spawn. In February the Kapu was lifted and the aku were once again allowed to be caught while the opelu were made off limits. The exact dates of the Kapu were determined by the priests. Areas along the coast were also Kapu during certain times of the year and would be marked by hau branches.

These ancient Hawaiian laws, whether based on religion or science, were highly effective in maintaining the island’s limited resources.

Fish were caught in such abundance that not only were they distributed throughout the families of each coastal community and traded to the upland for taro and other food, they were also fed to pigs and dogs (two important secondary food sources). It has even been suggested that excess fish would be dried and used to fuel fires.

Ancient fishing methods ranged from the most primitive practice of catching fish by hand to elaborate nets, baskets and hooks crafted from native materials. Some techniques, such as “poisoning,” which used the crushed ahuhu plant that grows on the mountainside, were so effective they were later banned. Another lost form of fishing is the use of a “decoy” fish, caught by hook and line, to attract other fish in the area.

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Kukui nuts and coconut were chewed by fisherman who would then spit the oil into the water, creating a glassy film that would allow them to see fish far below the surface. On nights when there was no moon, fisherman would patrol the fishponds and tidal pools with torches made from coconut cloth and kukui nuts, easily spearing the fish that became mesmerized by the flickering flame.

Great lengths were taken to construct these tools. Nets and fishing line were handmade from olona vines or coconut husks, a long and laborintensive project that could take years to complete, but when properly maintained could last for many generations. Nets and hooks often became family heirlooms and objects of desire for neighboring villages.

While exact dates are often debated, it is thought that the native Hawaiian culture existed in this environmentally harmonious fashion from the year 1200 to 1778, when the first Western influence was introduced by James Cook.

Capitalism would forever scar the Hawaiian society. Things began to change in the ancient kingdom. Fish and produce began to be traded for iron tools, nails and exotic commodities from far-away lands. The mountains and sea went through a profound transition, from being a source of sustenance to a means for monetary gain.

As Hawaiians began to realize the value of their natural resources, great strains were put on the Kapu system because more fish than ever were required to fuel the newly emerging consumer culture. As demands and debt grew, so did the systematic desecration of the islands, from cutting of indigenous hardwoods to hunting whales and even the sexual exploitation of native women.

Consumerism quickly debilitated the local economy and initiated a cycle of foreign dependency. By the early 1800s the traditional Kapu system had all but died out.

Today the traditional fishing techniques, when performed by locals, are more often being pursued as sport than as a viable way of supporting the community. The Hawaiian diet has changed drastically over the last hundred years and today the native Hawaiian population suffers from numerous diet-related ailments.

While steps have been taken over the last few years to regulate fishing in the Hawaiian islands, many people speculate that years of poorly managed ocean resources have already done irreparable damage to the oceans. Not only the fish but the culture and history are slowly eroding, sliding into yet another global melting pot of lost identities.

A profound ecological wisdom can be found in the stories of Lehoula and ancient Hawaii. There are fundamental truths in these tales, though often metaphorical, that can make us better understand our own relationship with local food sources. The implications of our actions are no longer isolated on a local level, as they might have been in the days of Ai`ai; they now have global implications.

While on my search for the lost art of Hawaiian fishing I had the privilege to go with two of my young cooks as they threw nets along the Hana coast. Four weeks of relentless rain had made the ocean murky with debris and sand washed down from the slopes of the volcano. The water along the shore was choppy and a constant barrage of small waves left the normally calm tidal pools and sheltered bays shrouded in sea-foam.

Progress along the coast was slow, the trail was littered with broken palm branches and coconuts blown down during a storm a few days before. As we peered over a steep embankment into the tempestuous brown swells we saw nothing. Whether the fish had retreated to deeper water or were simply camouflaged by a thick blanket of bubbles was irrelevant—with no defined target, throwing the net would have been both reckless and futile.

Watching my young friends peer out into the vast ocean with their nets neatly folded, ready for deployment, gave me a fleeting sense of hope. It was evident that somewhere deep in the heart of Hana ancient cultural traditions are still alive—and more importantly, that a tangible connection still exists between Hawaiians and their environment.

www.ediblealoha.com

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HONORING TRADITIONS

The Foods & Colors of Merrie Monarch

By Sonia R. Martinez

Merrie Monarch! These words alone bring a sense of excitement and electricity through Hilo Town on Hawai`i Island every year. This is our time to shine!

This year is the 45th of the Merrie Monarch Festival, when Hilo Town buzzes with the excitement of visitors from far and wide for the whole week of the event.

Hula halau perform in various venues at noon everyday during the week; craft vendors set up their wares all around the city; the merchants dress their windows with traditional ancient Hawaiian artifacts, hula implements and banners; and rain or shine, the big parade on Saturday morning will feature local and visiting mainland bands, floats dressed with hundreds of colorful tropical flowers and the stately and traditionally dressed pau riders representing each of the Hawaiian Islands on their magnificent horses who also wear their own leis.

The festival is named in honor of David Kalakaua, known as the Merrie Monarch, the last king of Hawaii, who was instrumental in bringing back the Hawaiian language, culture, music and hula after they had been banned by the missionaries brought Western religion to the islands.

Held in the spring, the festival has changed completely from the first Ho’olaule’a or street festival–style happening back in 1964, which 24

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consisted of barbershop quartets; hula demonstrations; exhibits; bicycle races from Kohala to Hilo; a baton relay race around Liliu’okalani park (using a fish for a baton!) and much pageantry.

Conceived to bring business to the sleepy Hilo downtown area, the Merrie Monarch Festival has grown into an event of international renown, with visitors arriving each year from almost every state of the union and many foreign countries.

Eventually the festival evolved into what is now a major three-day competition for hula halau from all over Hawaii and also from the mainland, who meet in Hilo to compete. Visiting halau from Japan, Mexico, Tahiti, Guam, Alaskan tribes and New Zealand Maori groups have also come through the years, to perform in front of an appreciative audience of hula aficionados.

The Merrie Monarch Festival has been instrumental in bringing back the sense of pride in the Hawaiian culture and its main purpose “is the perpetuation, preservation and promotion of the art of hula and the Hawaiian culture through education.”

The music, the mele (chants), the colorful traditional attire, the sometimes sensuous movements of the women’s Hula ’Auana as the modern hula is called, or the powerful and vigorous dance steps of the Hula Kahiko, the ancient hula; the sometimes playful or warrior-like

movements of the strapping men, all work together weaving a lei creating a sense of enchantment and fascination with an ancient culture that is being revived by music and dance.

Of course, there could never be a festival of this magnitude without food!

Walking through the riot of colors, tastes and sights at the Hilo Farmers’ Market is a must. The cornucopia of vegetables in all their blazing colors are amazingly vivid… as if an artist had visited the market in early morning and splashed his rainbow-soaked paintbrush with total abandon.

The bright green of leafy vegetables and fiddlehead ferns; dark bluish hue of the Hawaiian purple sweet potatoes; prickly looking rambutan; warm orange and yellows of the locally grown oranges, lemons and limes; and the shiny purple of the Japanese eggplants all compete for your attention with loud shouts of “look at me… buy me!”

The Merrie Monarch Festival sets up a food booth outside the Edith Kanaka’ole Stadium as part of fundraising efforts to finance the yearly competitions.

From Wednesday through Saturday the Kuali’i Catering Company offers Hawaiian plates, kalua pig, poi, lomi lomi salmon, haupia and chicken long rice, as well as chili, stews, spareribs, nachos and cheese, along with veggie garden salads. Certain nights of the event feature specials, such as Chicken Hekka on Thursday and Saturday and Mochiko Chicken on Friday.

Hilo can also surprise you if you prefer to dine in a restaurant instead of visiting the food booths.

A few cutting-edge restaurant chefs are taking advantage of the abundance of locally grown produce and the freshly caught fish available from our teeming oceans.

These chefs use elements of traditional Hawaiian foods, infusing them with their own twists and those of the many ethnic cuisines in our area to create memorable and adventurous dishes.

While at Merrie Monarch, come and experience the excitement and freshness of our Big Island–grown foods.

“Hula is the language of the heart… therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people…”

At Hilo Bay Café, Chef Joshua Ketner serves locally caught Opakapaka and white tiger prawns, slowly poached in lemon olive oil. The completed dish includes tomato and caper polenta with a layer of fresh wilted spinach, bits of smoked pork, slices of pickled garlic and shallot beurre blanc sauce with a finishing touch of Hawaiian red Alae salt delicately melting in the sauce. www.ediblealoha.com

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HONORING TRADITIONS

Not Gone, Not Forgotten The bittersweet story of sandalwood in Hawaii

By Jon Letman • Photos By Forest & Kim Starr

Imagine the Hawaiian islands forested with a tree that could be used for firewood, waterproofing and scenting clothing, treating skin ailments, making musical instruments, tools, perfume and as a commercial crop. Imagine closely related species containing an oil so valuable that governments would prohibit its free trade and an active mafia would arise to profit from smuggling the trees (and trunks), even if it meant the taking of life to do so.

From Saudi Arabia to India, China, Australia and across the Pacific to Hawaii and beyond, the same tree would be coveted for this oil and fragrance, making it one of the most celebrated trees known to man. That tree, still found in the forests of Hawaii, is known in Hawaiian as `iliahi—sandalwood.

Most often associated with the Indian species Santalum album, sandalwood is believed to have originated not on the subcontinent but in Australia. Fifteen species of Santalum (and as many varieties) have been dispersed across Australia to the mesic forests of Indonesia, to South India’s hot, dry Deccan Plateau and across the Pacific as far north as Japan’s Ogasawara Islands and as far east as Juan Fernandez Islands (600 miles west of Chile).

According to Danica Harbaugh, Ph.D., visiting scientist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Hawaii’s four native species—Santalum freycinetianum, S. ellipticum, S. paniculatum and S. haleakalae—were most likely carried to the islands as early as 1.5 million years ago by migrating birds which ate the fleshy fruits or by “rafting” across the ocean in masses of floating botanical debris.

Since 2002, Harbaugh’s sandalwood research has taken her to Australia, Vanuatu, Fiji and to HawaiI, which she calls a “center for sandalwood diversity.”

Harbaugh chose to study sandalwood for her doctoral dissertation because of the tree’s cultural, economic and conservation value.

She explained that sandalwood oil (found in greatest concentrations in the heartwood of larger, older trees) contains compounds called santalols which give the oil its distinctive fragrance. That smell, so irresistible to humans, acts as a repellant against insects.

The ancients knew this, Harbaugh says, referring to the inclination for people to select sandalwood for their most prized carvings, statues, god-images and temples.

Early Hawaiians also knew sandalwood oil had medicinal properties and used the grated wood as an anti-fungal/anti-microbial treatment of dermatological and urogenital diseases.

Despite the misconception that sandalwood no longer grows in Hawaii, `iliahi is still found, albeit in significantly reduced numbers, on all the main islands including Kaho`olawe, where it was reintroduced in the 1990s.

The reason for the dramatic decrease in sandalwood trees in the Hawaiian forests is that, as in India, where in 1792 the Sultan of Mysore declared sandalwood a “royal tree,” so in Hawaii was `iliahi a favored by royalty as a source of income.

It was during the reign of Kamehameha the Great in the early 1790s that American traders restocking supplies in Hawaii en route from the Pacific Northwest to China observed sandalwood growing in Hawaii and saw its potential as a source of great wealth.

Fueled by a hunger for foreign goods ranging from ships and cannons to mirrors and leather, Kamehameha and lower chiefs ordered the maka`ainana (commoners) into the forests to strip as much `iliahi as they could.

Well-documented tales tell of the Hawaiian forests being denuded of large `iliahi trees between 1790 and 1840 when Hawaii was known to the Chinese, the primary buyers of sandalwood, as Tan Heung Shan or “sandalwood mountains.”

Forced to neglect their fishing and crops to toil in the mountains, the maka`ainana perished in horrific conditions as the wood they gathered under duress was sold with a zeal usually reserved for gold and diamonds.

One visitor to Kaua`i in 1830 wrote he grieved for the Hawaiians collecting sandalwood. In his words, “they are often driven by hunger to eat wild and bitter herbs, moss, etc. And though the weather is so cold on the hills… I frequently see men with no clothing except the maro [loincloth].”

By 1840 almost all large stands of accessible sandalwood had been stripped and a kapu was place on the remaining trees. There was an attempt to substitute a native “false sandalwood” (naio), but this wood, which is not in the sandalwood family, was never accepted by the Chinese.

From both a human and ecological standpoint, the sandalwood trade of the early 19th century was devastating.

J. B. Friday, extension forester for the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) at the University of HawaiI, calls the 19th century Hawaiian sandalwood trade “the first big boom and bust after Western contact.”

“There is still plenty of sandalwood in the forests,” Friday says, “but certainly it is not what it once was. The huge trees are gone and that is a loss.” www.ediblealoha.com

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Yet Friday and others see potential for sandalwood to make a comeback in Hawaii, either as part of a native forest restoration or grown as a sustainable crop. Along with koa and kou, Friday says that `iliahi is one of the few native trees that could be grown for economic harvest. But to do so, Friday says, a farmer would need to know how long it would take to develop a heartwood from which oil could be extracted. To date, there have been no such successful large-scale commercial plantings in Hawaii.

One Big Island grower who asked to remain anonymous says he knows where Indian sandalwood (S. album) is being grown on O`ahu, but refused to disclose the location. According to this source, one acre with 200 mature trees would have a market value of up to $2 million (about $10,000 per tree).

He sees sandalwood as a “phenomenal potential crop,” pointing to successful efforts in Australia, particularly in the Kununurra region of northwest Australia.

Besides concerns about poaching, another consideration for growers is that the trees are hemiparasitic (half-parasitic) and grow best alongside other plants at differing stages of growth.

Marty Fernandes, horticulturist at Na `Aina Kai Garden on Kaua`i’s North Shore, explains that after receiving seeds of S. album from the monks at Kaua`i’s Hindu Monastery, the garden successfully grew seedlings that were transplanted into the field.

Fernandes says the trees grew slowly but well, producing seeds and flowers, but between four and seven years old, they died after the ironwood trees upon which they were dependent for nutrients were removed. Unlike the mahagony, teak and other hardwords Na `Aina Kai grows, the sandalwood eventually perished except for one remaining row of small trees.

Meanwhile, back at Kaua`i’s Hindu Monastery in Wailua, the monks are successfully growing four S. album, the oldest of which is 12 years old. A fifth tree died after heavy rains, but one tree growing between bamboo and teak is doing well.

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For Hindus, sandalwood or chandana as it is called in Sanskrit, doesn’t just smell nice, it is considered sacred and used for intricate carvings of Hindu deities, incense and in puja ceremonies. Ground sandalwood paste is also applied to the forehead as a bindi mark, which is both spiritually significant and used to calm emotions.

The monastery’s Yogi Jivanandanatha spoke of how he and fellow monk Paramacharya Palaniswami tried eating some of the many seeds their trees produced. “They’re very tasty after being roasted,” Jivanandanatha says, “kind of like a nutty popcorn.”

Palaniswami has a vision of creating a stand of sandalwood trees to be left unharvested for 500 years.

Looking ahead, perhaps not quite that far, Steve Smith of Forestry Management Consultants-Hawaii sees sandalwood’s potential as a sustainable forest crop and a major component of a healthy native forest.

Smith understands growers’ reluctance to commit large amounts of money and land to a tree that is still not fully understood or well-established in Hawai`i’s hardwood industry.

“There still remain questions about disease management, growth rates and so on,” Smith says.

Yet for all the past decimation, the future uncertainty and the continued shroud of caution surrounding sandalwood, Hawaiian `iliahi is around for people to admire and appreciate.

Smith suggests the trees are fairly easily found in Hosmer Grove below the summit of Haleakala, around Koke`e and Waimea Canyon on Kaua`i and of course on the `Iliahi Trail at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

“We have this perception that sandalwood was all logged out by 1845, yet if you go into today’s forest, it is not endangered. It is prevalent, but most people can’t distinguish it from other native trees,” Smith says.

“Once you get a sense of what the trees look like, they start jumping out at you.”

HONORING TRADITIONS

Tsukemono

JAPAN’S GIFT TO HAWAII

By Nan Piianaia

Asano Hihara came to Hawaii from a small town in Yamanashi prefecture in the foothills of Mt. Fuji, Japan, in the early 20th century. A “picture bride,” she married Shuhei Tetsuka and raised eight children on a plantation camp near Hilo on the Big Island.

Like the other young brides, Asano carried little baggage but brought with her the knowledge of preparing traditional Japanese foods that she had learned from her family. Among these was tsukemono, the pickled vegetables that are still an important part of the local Japanese diet.

Today, Asano’s daughter Yuriko Shigeta, a great-grandmother, continues to make pickles—or koko, as they are called in Hawaii—for her own family. She has fond memories of her mother’s pickles made from the daikon, cabbage and other vegetables grown in the family garden at Wainaku Camp above Hilo.

Her mother, who never was able to learn much English, found companionship among other women from Japan who exchanged produce from their gardens as well as recipes for different types of pickles.

When they could not find basic ingredients for the tsukemono of their childhood, these enterprising women simplified and adapted the recipes and techniques they had brought from Japan. Generations later, their pickles are still made, daily, by families and local Japanese eating establishments who are keeping alive the tradition of handmade tsukemono in Hawaii.

Tsukemono are an important and ancient part of the traditional Japanese diet. In difficult times and for the poor, the typical Japanese meal consisted of rice, pickles and tea with the occasional addition of miso soup. Every home had its supply of pickles with a taste slightly different from others. In each home as well there was a wooden tub called

a tsukedaru weighted down with a heavy stone and filled with varieties of pickles aged in either sake lees (sake kasu) or rice bran (nuka).

Without refrigeration, pickling was an important way to preserve seasonal bounty from a family’s garden. Several varieties of pickles would last throughout the winter, helping families to keep a variety of food on their table. Pickles preserved in rice bran actually increased the vitamin B content of the vegetables to almost four times their original value.

The art of preserving pickles is a serious business. Elizabeth Ando, a well-known cooking teacher in Tokyo and Osaka, has written of her struggles to perfect her first batch of nukazuke, pickles made from rice bran mixed with sea salt, scraps of seaweed, dashi stock and dried mushrooms: “At least once a day the paste needs to be stirred and mixed by hand. Moisture levels need to be adjusted periodically—some vegetables such as daikon, radish or cabbages, can water down the pickling medium, while other vegetables such as eggplants, soak up liquid rapidly. Because the nuka paste contains live bacillus, it must be carefully monitored for unwanted molds. Seasoning needs frequent adjustment: peeled cloves of garlic or knobs of ginger-root provide complexity of flavor, dried red togarashi peppers add fire and discourage bugs, crushed egg shells add calcium and will mellow any sharp or bitter tastes….

My very first attempt was much too salty and harsh. In fact, it took nearly a month of constant monitoring and adjustment before I was able to produce a reasonably tasty nukazuke pickle.”

Because of the lack of availability of traditional ingredients, new techniques of pickling were developed by the first generation of women who immigrated to Hawaii. Yuriko Shigeta recalled that her mother www.ediblealoha.com

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ALICE YAMAGUCHI’S LOCAL-STYLE TAKUAN Makes 4–5 quarts 10 medium daikon radish (recipe may be made with less daikon) 3½ tablespoons Hawaiian salt 2½ cups granulated sugar 2 chili peppers, broken up ½ cup Heinz vinegar A few drops yellow food coloring Wash and slice daikon ¼ inch thick and place in large bowl.

Mix all ingredients except daikon and food coloring and bring to a boil.

Pour while hot over sliced daikon and mix, adding food coloring.

Let pickles sit overnight, then stir again.

Put in clean jars and refrigerate.

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often threw in a handful of one-day-old rice to help with the fermentation. Other women spoke of using pieces of stale bread.

Many also sped up the pickling process by using vinegar or salt, which takes anywhere from a few hours to several days for a finished product, which will keep, refrigerated, for almost a week. The result, even for the shortest preparation, is delicious and far superior to the commercially made pickles that now fill the displays shelves of our local supermarkets.

Any supermarket in Hawaii offers an impressive display of commercially produced tsukemono, some from the islands and others imported from Japan—an indication of the dwindling numbers of cooks who make their tsukemono from scratch!

The most distinct product—and one of the most popular locally—is takuan, the bright yellow pickle made from daikon, a giant white radish, that takes several months to ripen if made by the traditional method. It is generally believed to have been invented by Takuan, a 17th century Zen Buddhist monk who was an advisor to some of Japan’s greatest leaders and samurai, including Miyamoto Musashi.

In making takuan, fresh daikon are hung out to dry for several weeks until they are soft and bendable. They are then salted and layered in pickle containers with nuka and other flavorful ingredients for several months to ferment and ripen. In Japan this process takes place in the autumn when the weather is cool. Hawaii’s warmer climate necessitated quicker methods of pickling.

Every display of supermarket tsukemono also has a generous selection of red pickled “plums” called umeboshi, a mainstay of pickle lovers. Ume, actually a type of apricot, comes in many sizes and forms—small to large, soft to hard, firm to wrinkled. Traditionally, the nearly ripe fruit are packed in salt and weighted down until they give off their juices.

Umeboshi were traditionally considered medicinal for stomach disorders and are still added to rice gruel for illness. They are found in most bento box lunches, in the center of delicious onigiri or rice balls, and are even made into candy. Because the process for making umeboshi is complicated, products are usually imported from Japan. In towns like Waimea on the Big Island, however, trees can still be found with ume blossoms and a few fruits—survivors of the days when some islanders made their own pickled plums at home.

Other varieties of pickled vegetables are also commonly available, including the salt-pickled Chinese cabbage most commonly

known as koko. Its pickling process takes only a day and is quite simple—a good place to start if you are interested in making your own tsukemono. The use of salt for quick pickling also works well for mustard cabbage and cucumbers.

While researching this article I was also able to interview Alice Yamaguchi in Waimea. Alice grew up in the small plantation town of Papaikou along the Hamakua Coast, moving to Waimea when she married Ichiro Yamaguchi, whose father had been one of Parker Ranch’s first Japanese paniolo.

Alice, Ichiro and their daughter Deedee still live in the ranch house into which the Yamaguchis moved after the tragic death of Ichiro’s father in a fall from his horse while working on the slopes of Mauna Kea. Their yard is full of fruit trees, vegetable gardens and flowers. It is impossible to visit their home without leaving with a jar or two of Alice’s famous pickled takuan or her sanbaizuke, another form of radish seasoned with sugar and shoyu, as well as a few of Ichiro’s avocados or tangerines.

Alice’s generosity extended to sharing her recipe for takuan, a crisp and sweet adaptation of the traditional and lengthy method of pickling daikon. Always modest, Alice insists that her method is simple and borrowed from local cookbooks, and that she didn’t even begin to make pickles until her mother-in-law, with whom she and Ichiro lived for many years, passed away. Nevertheless, her takuan is fresh and addictive and much sought after locally.

During our interview she also went outdoors to the family’s bathhouse, which features one of Waimea’s last working furos or Japanese baths, and pulled out the wooden tubs and weights that her motherin-law used to make her pickled vegetables. More than 50 years old, these functional but rare treasures remain in excellent condition.

It is still possible to find older Japanese women like Alice Yamaguchi and Yuriko Shigeta who make their own koko for their families, lucky friends and neighbors who still can taste local tsukemono at its finest. These women cannot imagine buying from the store—it is just too easy and too delicious to make their own. And they still cannot imagine ending a Japanese dinner or lunch without a cup of green tea, some hot rice and a small plate of koko.

By following their recipes, you too will be able to recreate the fresh and delicious pickles that complete a good Japanese meal.

SATO-SAN’S MUSTARD CABBAGE When the Japanese training ship Kaiwo Maru came into Honolulu recently, the Chief Steward Sato-san demonstrated an easy and quick method for making tsukemono. Since mustard cabbage is not readily available in Japan, he bought a large quantity at the Chinatown market and made large batches for the maritime cadets aboard his ship. The combination of salt and sugar balances out the seasoning.

1 large bunch mustard cabbage Small handfuls of salt and white sugar, equal portions Wash and rinse the mustard cabbage, keeping it whole.

Put the cabbage in a large bowl and add the salt and sugar. Massage it vigorously for about five minutes until the cabbage begins to wilt and gives off water.

Drain and put in a bowl. Cover with a weight. Refrigerate and let sit overnight.

Before serving, chop into bite-size pieces. www.ediblealoha.com

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DEMYSTIFYING TSUKEMONO There several categories of Japanese pickles based on the length of time required and the ingredients used in the pickling process.

Pickles can be made within one day, overnight or in a period of several days of fermentation. Some of the best pickles take months to ripen and can last for several years.

In Northern Japan, with its limited growing season, it was necessary to preserve vegetables throughout the long winters. In the summer months there was an abundance of vegetables so rapid pickling methods were also needed. Furthermore, one of the guiding principles of Japanese cuisine is to waste as little as possible, so leftovers such as the residue from the processing of sake (sake kasu or sake lees) or the bran removed from polishing rice (nuka) were ingeniously used as ingredients for certain types of tsukemono.

Based on different pickling mediums, the following are the most common types of tsukemono: Shiozuke (salt pickling). The most common, quickest and simplest method, which is demonstrated in the recipes in this article.

QUICK-PICKLED RADISHES OR CUCUMBERS (Adapted from Japanese Cooking, A Simple Art by Shizuo Tsuji)

Suzuke (vinegar pickling). Using rice vinegar, and low in acid and salt, these pickles are quite perishable.

Nukazuke (rice bran pickling). A longer process taking at least three months, nukazuke also uses salt and other flavors such as red peppers and dried kelp. Traditionally made takuan is an example of this technique.

Kasuzuke (pickling in sake lees). Leftovers from the sake-making process are utilized in making this type of tsukemono. The most famous example is narazuke, a pickled white gourd that originated in the city of Nara near Kyoto.

Misozuke (pickling in miso mixed with sake). An ancient method that is also used with fish and meat. Misozuke originated with farmers who buried their vegetables in tubs of homemade miso as a means of preservation.

Shoyuzuke (pickling with shoyu). Shoyu is used in combination with mirin (sweetened cooking wine) or sugar, vinegar and salt.

Kojizuke (picking with rice mold yeast). The koij is mixed with sugar to produce a sweet pickle, which originated in Tokyo.

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This recipe works well for large radishes fresh from the farmers’ market or locally grown cucumbers. The process is completed in a few hours and will keep a week under refrigeration.

12 medium turnips or radishes, or several large cucumbers 5 tablespoons Hawaiian salt 4-inch piece kelp (kombu) 1-inch square lemon rind Cut off green tops from turnips or radishes and reserve. Wash turnips or radishes and cut into thin slices. Wash greens, drain and chop finely. If using cucumbers, wash and slice thinly—peel off the skin only if the cucumber is large.

Put prepared vegetables, including greens, into a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Knead and mix for at least one minute to draw out the liquid from the vegetables. Discard the liquid.

Add the kombu and lemon rind. Let stand in the bowl with a lightly weighted lid for 1 hour at room temperature.

The pickles are ready to serve immediately.

Kombu, which is found in the Asian section of most supermarkets, is used to add flavor and aroma to the pickles. It is sold in long pieces or in pre-cut segments 2 or 3 inches in length. The white substance on the surface of kombu contains natural glutamate and should not be rinsed away.

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Edible Hawaiian Islands is published quarterly by Edible Hawaiian Islands LLC. Telephone: 808-828-1559. Distribution is throughout the state of Hawaii 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.

On Our Website www.ediblehawaiianislands.com Find pages chock full of information, from farmers’ markets and events taking place around the islands, to interesting reading on the “In The News”page. Of course, don’t forget the recipe page and if you are looking for where to eat and where to shop, check out our advertisers page.

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BOOK REVIEW

By Koohan Paik

Uncertain Peril Genetic Engineering and the Future of Seeds

By Claire Hope Cummings

One savvy wahine has been tracking the resistance to genetic modification, particularly of taro, here in Hawaii as well as in other hot spots of genetic exploitation, and she’s written a book about it.

In Uncertain Peril: Genetic Engineering and the Future of Seeds (Beacon Press), Claire Hope Cummings calls genetic manipulation (GM) of our food the defining moral issue of our time.

It’s no coincidence that a significant part of a book about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) concerns Hawaii. After all, Hawaii is both the birthplace of biotechnology and its nursery. Cummings points out that it was in Honolulu, at a conference in 1972, that a University of California biochemist named Herbert Boyer and a geneticist from Stanford named Stanley Cohen chatted over sandwiches and came up with the novel idea of combining their fields to recombine DNA from different species to create entirely new organisms. And thus biotech was born.

On the continued dominance of GMOs in Hawaii, where more of them grow than any other place on earth, Cummings quips, “You can buy a book on the dangers of eating genetically engineered food at the Borders bookstore and go outside to watch it being grown.”

Having been involved in agriculture for over three decades, Cummings’ authority is undisputed despite her breezy style in telling juicy facts.

She was an attorney for four years in the USDA’s Office of General Counsel, has farmed rice in California and for two years she had an organic farm in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. Her connection with Hawaii began in the 1980s, when she represented the Halawa Valley Coalition and the Hawaii La’ieikawai Association during the H3 litigation, and was one of the founders of Hui ‘Aina o Hana, on Maui.

Cummings draws from a breadth of disciplines including history, science, anthropology, economics, politics, even environmental theology, to illustrate how, at every turn, genetic modification brings economic disaster at best, and irreparable damage to health, environment and culture at worst. Her focus is on seeds, the essential memory packet of a plant’s genealogy, and the road map to its future.

The book covers more than the unsavory function of GMO corporations: to hijack the natural future of seeds as stewarded by small farmers for millennia, and then forever alter the species, which they then own and make available to whoever can pay the price. The list of

collateral damages resulting from this reckless business is endless, ranging from farmers being sued by Monsanto after the wind carried GMO pollen to contaminate their non-GMO crops; to how GM’s monocrop model is rendering thousands of heirloom species extinct; to the advent of the new “superweeds” and “superpests” which have built up immunities to the more toxic sprays used on GMO crops; to unstable commodity prices caused by countries rejecting GM imports; to how the viruses and bacteria injected into GMO food can actually travel within the body, from organ to organ.

Cummings’ hallmark perspective is her emphasis on “story” as the bridge between people and sustainability: “Stories can mend our broken world... Storytelling is remembering. To re-member is to put back together. Remembering means bringing something back to mind rather than letting it be forgotten. If we want to save places, peoples, or plants, we have to remember their stories... We have just about engineered the world to the point of extinction because we fail to understand what things mean and see how they are connected.

That blindness is caused by forgetting.”

Cummings recalls Hawaii’s creation myth, the story of Haloa, as the type of story tradition that maintains a sustainable culture into perpetuity. Haloa was born stillborn to sky father Wakea and earth mother Papa. After Haloa was buried, he came up as a taro plant. The second born was a human being whose kuleana was to malama his elder taro brother. For millennia, this myth has been central to the quintessential Hawaiian belief in the interconnectedness of all living things. Remembering Haloa has been fundamental to the success of Hawaii’s traditional model of sustainable, lo’i-based agriculture.

At its best, Uncertain Peril reads like a travelog, hopping from an ahupua’a in Kaua`i, to the birthplace of corn in Oaxaca, to the rice paddies of the Mekong Delta, to the “Doomsday Vault,” a seed storage facility blasted in the side of a mountain near the North Pole in anticipation of the collapse of the world’s food supply.

No matter where she takes us, Cummings is always asking the questions: What is the story of this place? This people? This food? This plant? And with each answer, we learn more about where we’ve come from and where we need to go.

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TalkStory WELCOME TO HAWAII! HERE, TRY THIS!

By Sue Kiyabu

There is a dubious twinkle in his eye as he hands me the egg—he wants to know if I’m a spitter. It’s warm and larger than I imagined. I crack the top, punch a hole, add some salt and drink the juice. It’s similar to rich chicken stock. I apprehensively peel back the shell and am relieved to find a very young embryo. No feathers. Not that it conceals the task ahead: I still face eating a cooked duck fetus.

My hands are sweaty. I put a stupid amount of salt on top. And I close my eyes. I don’t want to be a spitter. A very loud voice in my head is screaming, “Get it down, get it down.” It’s my first experience with balut.

Balut is a fertilized duck egg, a delicacy that’s popular in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. It’s an uncommon food, but still readily available in Asian markets around the state. My friend, whom I’ll call Frank, grew up eating balut. It’s a traditional food he likes to share with friends; it’s his way of breaking bread.

“If you like duck, you’ll like balut,” he says, quite logically.

I do love duck. Balut, however, seems another matter. I know it’s psychological. Civilized cultures around the world accept this tradition of sharing food as a form social communion. That is what we’re doing, isn’t it?

Hawaii is the kind of place where even hard-core foodies can be tested. If you are remotely adventurous and/or culturally sensitive, you

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will likely encounter what I refer to as the deal-breaker—a food served with good will that can turn the best of us into spitters.

For here, even the innocuous can be simultaneously odd—especially for tourists and visitors. Seaweed on popcorn? No problem.

Chicken gizzards with your beer? Commonplace. It’s not to say these foods can’t be found elsewhere (although I’d like to know where else hurricane popcorn is popular) it’s more about our tendency to embrace the foods of others and incorporate them into our daily lives.

A cursory inventory of our everyday and celebratory foods reveals the depth of the melting pot: Lau-lau, opihi, limu, spam, crack seed, chi-chi dango, a’ama crab, ake (raw bull’s liver), dried aku, fish jun, pickled mango, pickled pig’s feet, chicken feet, umeboshi, blood sausage, rambutan and so on. They may be things in your refrigerator.

They may be things you love.

But some, like balut, elicit visceral reactions. These are the dealbreakers. They don’t necessarily pander to idiosyncrasies and generally fall into two categories: psychological (chicken feet, pig’s head stew) and physiological (uni, squid luau). These items may or may not be served with a side of sophomoric behavior.

A’ama crab—A’ama crabs live in rocky areas near the ocean.

There are a myriad of ways to serve a’ama crab, which is a traditional Hawaiian delicacy. Many people eat the thin-shelled crabs live, with

Photo by G. Natale

just a little salt. (See prankster uncle footnote #2.) Some eat it raw and mix it into a poke. When served raw, they have a gelatinous, almost gooey texture. Since they are usually no bigger than your palm, you have to work a bit to suck the meat out of the legs. They’re also steamed and served at luaus.

Bitter Melon—Bitter melon is the ugly cousin of the cucumber.

Its warty exterior conceals a strong-flavored fruit (technically, it is a fruit, though it’s used like a vegetable). Bitter melon is commonly found in traditional Filipino (pinakbet) and Okinawan (champuru) stew-like dishes. It’s renowned for its healthful properties—it’s high in calcium, potassium and beta-carotene. Its bitterness is part of its appeal—allowing it to cut through greasy foods or bring a dish back into balance. Almost everyone who likes bitter melon will tell you that it’s an acquired taste.

Durian—They say the smell of durian is so powerful that it’s banned in chic hotels in Southeast Asia. Old sweat socks, strong Camembert cheese and rotting sludge are common descriptions of its scent—and that’s from people who like durian. It has a spiky texture on the outside and is generally eaten fresh. You cleave the center of the fruit, which will reveal large seeds covered with a sweet, custard-like substance, and proceed to slurp the honey-vanilla-like custard from the seed.

Balut—The gestation for the fertilized eggs varies (usually 12–18 days); the younger the egg, the less it looks like a duck. Different breeds will produce different flavors in the egg. It’s lightly boiled and can be eaten on a plate or inside the shell with a spoon. More than simply nutritious, balut is a cultural touchstone. Served both in the Philippines and Southeast Asia as a street food, it’s primarily consumed by men. It’s rumored to be an aphrodisiac and a good for pregnant women. It’s also a food that tickles the Filipino funny bone. And yeah, it’s funny to witness a soft-bellied wimp eat balut for the first time.

Frank slurps the juice from his balut, peels back the shell and takes a bite.

“I think it’s overcooked; this one wasn’t so good,” with a slight inference in his voice that we’ll be doing this again. My ears are ringing and warm. My stomach is near my ankles, but I spoon some into my mouth. It’s like a slightly rubbery, extra-firm yolk. Mostly, it tastes like a salty yolk. I oversalted. It’s squishy in parts, though I do not chew much. But I swallow.

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TALK STORY

Kahu `Aina, “Caring for the Land, Earth and all its Beauty”

BY TERESA ABENOJA

Kahu `Aina, “Caring for the Land, Earth and all its Beauty” is a breakthrough art program that seeks to connect our youth to the beauty and uniqueness of our native and cultural flora through art. It is the blended marriage of conservation and creativity, of environment and imagination.

The word kahu means caretaker, and `aina, often referred to as land, literally means that which nourishes us. Through art, students and their guardians gain insightful and intimate knowledge about Hawaii’s native and indigenous plants. This newfound knowledge inspires needed champions of our land, our new kahu `ainas.

For Kahu `Aina, the journey began in early 2007. Mona Abadir, co-founder of Honu Group and former chairperson of the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, was looking to establish new partnerships between local businesses of HG’s newly acquired north shore Princeville Center and Kaua`i’s nonprofit community. Her goal was to use the company’s funding and support to celebrate the environment while reinforcing artistic expression through this new three-way creative model program.

Shortly after meeting with Mona’s old friend, 30-year arts advocate and designated Living Treasure Carol Yotsuda of Garden Island Arts Council (GIAC), and a new friend, enthusiastic environmentalist Jackie Kozak of Kaua`i Conservation, the idea of Kahu `Aina was firmly planted. The concept was to utilize GIAC’s Van Go! program to teach art to the children while utilizing local botanists and naturalists to give lessons about Hawaii’s native and cultural plants.

The National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) rounded out the team by providing sites for many of the art sessions.

Twelve workshops later, from May through July 2007, a total of 117 beautiful art entries were submitted by young people all over Kaua`i. Outside and under the sun, students were able to touch, smell and observe live specimens of Hawaii’s rare and endangered plants. On a few occasions they were given opportunities to plant and care for them.

In these workshops, students learned not only to draw and create unique artwork of indigenous plants, they also gained intimate knowledge of their importance to our island ecology and protection of their fragile environment. It is a proven fact that our children become passionate Kahu `Aina/ caretakers from firsthand experience and cultivated appreciation of the natural world.

The Kahu `Aina awards ceremony was held at Princeville Center on September 15, with music, food and awards celebrating all the participants. The students and their `ohana were treated to an outdoor exhibit of all 117 beautiful, vibrant art works. Splashes of color were everywhere! That day, 29 proud winners stood in front of peers and families: 13 for calendars, eight for cards, two for T-shirts and six for banners.

Calendars, note cards and T-shirts have been created and underwritten by Honu Group and Princeville Center, with all proceeds being donated to Kahu `Aina’s nonprofit partners. You may call or email giac@hawaiilink.net to help support them.

Today, you will find the six winning banner artworks of plants flying high and proud on north shore Kaua`i’s Princeville Center. Honu Group commissioned a permanent mosaic mural of recycled tile by Kaua`i’s own Melinda Morey. The 12- foot mural is made up of three panels showcasing another 22 of the Kahu `Aina entries and was installed at Princeville Center.

Kahu `Aina is a wonderful model of an innovative partnership and collaboration between business, the arts and the environment. When we creatively work together to celebrate our uniqueness and stimulate our imaginations, while at the same time learning to care for our `aina, we all benefit. The looks on the kids’ faces tell us we must continue.

So, what is next? Honu Group/Princeville Center is sponsoring Kahu `Ohana, “Caring for our family of people.” Mona says, “This go-around, we are connecting the arts, health and wellness, mentors and family. And if you want to help, please contact us. There is room to grow and more people to reach.”

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What’s Fresh

Spring Vegetables: Bitter Melon Chinese Cabbage Celery Cucumber Daikon Eggplant Ginger Root Hearts of Palm Mushrooms Taro

Fruit: Banana Lime Lychee Liliko`i Orange Papaya Pineapple

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Liliko`i

By Lila Martin

When it comes to fruit flavors, I don’t know that there is another with such an instant ability to transport taste buds to the tropics like passion fruit.

Liliko`i, as we call it in Hawaii, is exotic in every sense—the speckled appearance of its flesh, those delicate and complex blossoms, and of course its distinct flavor: tart, piquant and intense. Just a touch of liliko`i juice in any drink, dish, or dessert imparts a flavor that is unmistakable. And unforgettable—like the fact that while kids on the mainland grew up on orange juice, in Hawaii we drank “passion-orange.”

Passion fruit originated in Brazil, but was brought to Hawaii from Australia. The plant became known as liliko`i after the Liliko`i Gulch area on Maui where it was first introduced to the islands.

Liliko`i has been grown commercially in Hawaii for over 50 years, its juice bottled and frozen for shipment throughout Hawaii and to the mainland. Luckily, living in Hawaii we are able to find them fresh from April to November, falling off the vine in our yards or for sale at local farmers’ markets.

The surest way to confirm a liliko`i’s ripeness is to wait until the egg-shaped fruit falls from the vine. Even after a few days on the ground, when its skin is wrinkled and spotted with brown, the pulp will most likely still be good. The tangy pulp (and seeds) can be eaten straight out of the skin, but to use the juice in recipes the seeds must be strained.

To prepare liliko`i juice: • Cut the fruit in half and scoop the flesh out of the skin and into a blender. Pulse a couple of times to loosen the seeds from the pulp, then pour into a container through a fine-mesh strainer.

• OR Scoop the pulp into a small saucepan and simmer on low, stirring until the seeds come loose from the juice. Pour into a container through a fine-mesh strainer. This option allows you to maintain the shape of the seeds, so that they can be later added back into a recipe for dramatic presentation.

A classic and heavenly flavor pairing is liliko`i and cream. There are innumerable variations on this combination (from classic cream to coconut), but here are a few favorites: • Use liliko`i juice* in place of lemon or lime juice in recipes such as mousse, bars, cheesecake or layer cakes.

• Liliko`i yogurt: Mix equal parts fresh liliko`i juice and honey in a small bowl. Stir mixture into a small amount of plain organic yogurt, adding more liliko`i mixture until desired flavor is achieved. Drizzle this over a halved papaya, stir it into fruit salad or add it to granola for breakfast.

• For an incredibly delicious and simple dessert, scoop servings of Roselani’s Haupia (coconut) ice cream into small serving bowls. Pour liliko`i juice over the ice cream to cover, and top with toasted shredded coconut.

SUMMER SALAD WITH LILIKO`I DRESSING For dressing: 3 tablespoons liliko`i juice 1 tablespoon orange juice 1 tablespoon lime juice ¼ teaspoon chili powder ½ teaspoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon olive oil Sea salt and pepper For salad: 6 ears sweet corn 1 large cucumber 2 vine-ripened tomatoes 1 small bunch (a handful) cilantro ½ Maui onion 1 avocado (cut into cubes) 40

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Prepare corn by cooking the ears in boiling water for a couple of minutes, until they are slightly cooked but still firm. Take out and cool in an ice bath. When chilled, cut the corn off the cob and into a mixing bowl.

Whisk together all ingredients for dressing, except for the olive oil, salt and pepper, in a small bowl and set aside.

Chop the onion (finely) and cilantro (roughly), and add to the corn. Cube the cucumber and tomatoes (removing seeds first), and add those as well. Cube the avocado, but set aside.

Photo by Carole Topalian

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COOKING

fresh Pupus and Party Drinks

BY DAHLIA Haas

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When I entertain at home, I like to think of a dinner party as a culinary journey. If I’m in the mood to cook, I’m a like a runaway train. But lately, the thought of whipping up a multi-course meal of salad or soup, an entree with vegetables and rice doesn’t seem festive or fun. I am tired of the same old, same old.

That’s why the Hawaiian culinary tradition of pupu platters to share works so well for our get-togethers. Rather than set a formal table, we serve and eat by candlelight in the living room, which is also a nice change.

Pupus are cousins of mezze, antipasto and tapas. Restaurants have caught the pupu fever. It’s the hot new trend. Small plates are big business. Fusion cuisine featuring small hot and cold appetizers such as glazed ribs, sushi rolls, fried rice balls and quick-fried noodle dishes makes eating out exiting again. .

Creating new and exotic recipes is my passion and the real reason I love to cook.

I buy seasonally, easily enticed with sparkling fresh produce. The market is my candy store. I’m thinking frozen mango and pineapple martinis and a wonton crisp topped with big eye tuna sashimi; sugarcane-skewered shrimp marinated in rum, honey and oyster sauce; small lamb chops with a coconut-maple glaze; and miso-marinated butterfish.

By the time I get home from a day of shopping, my mind is reeling with ideas and I have enough food for three pupu parties!

Here is one group of fast, delicious and easy recipes for when you need instant pupus and party drinks: steamed edamame and a dipping sauce of sake with sesame salt, peeled cucumber cups stuffed with finely diced tuna poke, steamed beets with crushed macadamia nuts drizzled with macadamia oil and rice wine vinegar, Puna goat cheese whipped with basil pesto and sun-dried tomatoes, skewered cubes of pineapple and chicken marinated in teriyaki sauce, or steak and scallion rolls grilled, lovely small chopped salads with slices of avocado, mint leaves, grated carrots, and fresh papaya. Add pitchers of spiked fresh lemonade with lilikoi purée, vodka and ice or a lively punch made with guava nectar, pineapple juice, fresh lime juice and rum.

With a smidgen of imagination you can turn your next party into a tropical feast just the way the Hawaiians have done it for centuries.

edible hawaiian islands

MISO-MARINATED BUTTERFISH ¾ cup saki ½ cup shiro (white) miso ¼ cup white sugar Chili oil to taste 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 pound butterfish, deboned and cut into four pieces White pepper to taste Combine saki, miso, sugar, chili oil, ginger and soy sauce in a blender and whirl on high speed till emulsified.

Pour marinade over the fish fillets in 13- by 9-inch pan, cover or place in a zip-lock bag and refrigerate overnight.

Remove fish from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking.

Preheat the broiler. Transfer the fish to a baking dish. Broil the

FROZEN MANGO MARTINI

fish 6 inches from the heat source until browned on top and opaque in center, about 6 minutes per side.

Makes 4 ½ cup sugar ½ cup water 1¼-inch fresh ginger 2 medium mangoes, peeled and pitted ½ cupvodka 20 ice cubes Combine sugar, water and ginger in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover; let steep 1 hour. Strain ginger syrup.

Cover; chill. (Can be made one day ahead.)

Purée mangoes in a blender. Pour into measuring cup. Return ¾ cup purée to blender (reserve any remaining purée for another use). Add ½ cup of ginger syrup (reserve any remaining syrup for another use), vodka and ice cubes to blender. Blend until smooth.

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GLAZED LAMB CHOPS WITH COCONUT MAPLE & MINT INFUSION

SUGARCANE SHRIMP WITH A RUM GLAZE

Serves 4

1 baton sugarcane, enough to make six skewers ½ cup brown sugar, packed 4 tablespoons butter 2 teaspoons sesame oil ½ cup dark rum 3 tablespoons Chinese hot mustard 2 tablespoons oyster sauce ¼ cup honey Black pepper to taste 24 shrimp, peeled and deveined 24 small pineapple cubes, peeled

2 racks of lamb, drenched and trimmed of all visible fat, cut into 16 chops Marinade: ¼ cup coconut milk ½ cup maple syrup 1 tablespoon mint tea leaves, crushed 1 tablespoon dry rosemary, crushed Salt to taste 2 teaspoons cracked black peppercorns Place lamb chops and all the ingredients in a zip-lock bag, place in refrigerator overnight.

Remove lamb chops from refrigerator 1½ hours before cooking.

Light the grill. Remove lamb from marinade and reserve.

Grill lamb chops to rare or medium rare. Lamb chops also can be browned on a stovetop grill. Remove from the barbecue or stovetop grill. Let meat rest to seal juices.

Heat reserved marinade slightly and pour over cooked lamb.

Trim ends of the sugarcane and cut off the tough outer skin.

With a downward motion, cut the cane into flat ¼-inch-thick strips. Lay the strips on a flat board and cut each one lengthwise into ¼-inch-wide skewers, about 6 inches long.

Place all the ingredients except the shrimp and pineapple cubes in a medium saucepan and simmer over a low flame till reduced by 1/3 and thick and syrupy. Let cool.

Poke holes through the shrimp with the tip of a paring knife; this helps the skewer easily pierce the shrimp.

Skewer four shrimps and four pineapple cubes on each of the sugarcane sticks, alternating.

Light the grill. When hot, cook the shrimp on the grill for about 2–4 minutes per side. Baste with the remaining glaze before turning and before removing from the grill. Shrimp will be firm and white when cooked through.

Drizzle with the remaining sauce.

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SEARED TUNA ON A SURFBOARD ½ pound fresh sushi-grade ahi tuna, cut into two logs Salt and pepper Oil to fry 1 large wonton skin, cut into four equal strips Ÿ cup sour cream Chili oil to taste Wasabi caviar for garnish Heat a cast-iron grill over high heat. Brush grill with olive oil.

Meanwhile, season ahi logs with salt and coarsely cracked pepper. When pan is smoking, sear ahi on all four sides, approximately 10 seconds per side. Remove from pan and set aside on a plate.

Spray wonton strips on both sides with olive oil. Place on an oiled sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Slice each ahi log into eight thin slices. Place four slices of ahi on top of each wonton strip. Lay a crispy wonton strip across the rim of each glass. Garnish tuna with small dabs of sour cream and wasabi caviar.

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farmers’ markets Kaua`i Farmers’ Markets MONDAY West Kauai Agricultural Association Poipu Road and Cane Haul Rd, 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.

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

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

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

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

WEDNESDAY Kapaa New Town Park (Sunshine Markets) Kahau Road, Kapaa 3 p.m.

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

Honokaa Farmers Market Honokaa town near Honokaa Trading Co. Hilo Farmers’ Market

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

Hawai`i Island Farmers’ Markets

Wednesdays and Saturdays Corner of Mamo and Kamehameha Ave., downtown Hilo Saturdays, 8 a.m.–noon

SATURDAY Keauhou Farmers Market Keauhou Shopping Center, Keauhou 8–11 a.m.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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.

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

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

O`ahu Farmers’ Markets

Manoa Marketplace Honolulu 7–11 a.m.

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

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

Manoa Marketplace Honolulu 7–11 a.m.

The Kailua Thursday Night Farmers’ Market Kailua town 5–7:30 p.m. behind Longs on Kailua Road FRIDAYS Halawa District Park (People’s Open Market) 99-795 Iwaiwa Street 7–8 a.m.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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.

Hawaii 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.

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

Spring 2008

Maui Farmers’ Markets

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

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

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

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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) 7–11 a.m.

Waialua Farmers’ Market Waialua Sugar Mill 8:30 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.

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.

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 Aloha Spice Company Available at Banana Patch Hanapepe: 808-335-5944 & Kilauea: 808-828-6522 www.alohaspice.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 Caffe Coco Casual Garden Dining Wailua, Kaua`i • 808-822-7990 Cake Clothing *Accessories * Gifts Kong Lung Center Kilauea, Kaua’i 7 days a week • 808-828-6412 First Hawaiian Bank Throughout the Islands Garden Ponds Mauka of Banana Joe’s, Kilauea, Kauai Classes: “Secrets of Water Gardening” 808.826.6400 • gardenpondskauai.com gia designs Fine Interiors ~ Custom Furniture ~ Color Consulting Roberta Jones • 808.639.8266 rmj.kauai@hawaiiantel.net Ginger Boutique Best Bikini’s * Coolest Brands Kilauea, Kaua`i • 808-652-9057 Hanalei Dolphin Restaurant & Fish Market 5-5016 Kuhio Hwy., Hanalei, Kaua’i 808-826-6113 Hawaiian Woodworks Custom Cabinetry & Furniture George Cudworth 6351-F Unit 4-B, Lala Road Lihue, HI 96766 • 808-635-7833 iww.george@hawaiiantel.net

Honu Group Inc. 1001 Bishop St., ASB Tower, Suite 2800 Honolulu, HI 96813 808.550.4449 www.honugroup.com

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

Icing on the Cake 808-823-1210 www.icingonthecakekauai.com

One Love 11 Clothing 917-345-6072 www.onelove11clothing.com

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

Papaya’s Natural Food & Café Organic Produce, Vegetarian Café

Kaua`i Made 808-241-6390 • www.kauaimade.net kauaimade@kauai.net Kaua`i Products Store Fine Locally Made Products Kukui Grove Shopping Center Kapa`a, Kaua`i Kau Hale Cottage Hawaiian Style w/Panoramic Views 808-639-3867 • www.kauhalecottage.com 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 Kauai 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 Kauai 866-457-7873 • www.purekauai.com Joan Namkoong Food Lovers Guide to Honolulu at your favorite book store Natural Health Clinic 3093 Akahi Street Lihue, Kaua`i 808-245-2277

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 Po’ipu Beach Estates Terry P. Kamen—Call for a Tour 808-651-0071 www.poipubeachestates@yahoo.com Princeville Center PO Box 223640, Princeville, HI 96722 808.826.9497www.princevillecenter.com Slow Food Hawai’i Island—Nancy Piianaia Nap2@flex.com Kaua’i—Patrick Quinn Icingonthecake.Kauai@gmail.com O’ahu—Laurie Carleson laurie@honoluluweekly.com Strings & Things Ching Young Village, Hanalei, Kaua’i Yarn to Ukuleles 808-826-9633 The Wine Garden 4495 Puhi Road, Lihu’e, Kaua’i Fine Wine, Vintage Port Hand-Rolled Kaua’i Cigars Tues.–Sat. 10 a.m.–6:30 p.m.

808-245-5766 `Umeke Market Natural Foods & Deli 4400 Kalanianaole Hwy. (Across From Kahala Mall) 808-739-2990 • www.umekemarket.com

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Pepino what is it & how do you eat it?

Pepino, (Solanum muricatum) sometimes called pepino dulce. The plant is a small bush resembling a tomato vine. The taste, somewhere between a cucumber, cantaloupe and a honeydew melon, has caused this exotic fruit to have such common names, which include melon shrub, tree melon, mellowfruit, pear melon and the sweet cucumber.

How to eat it: The taste is sweet, and most often eaten as a dessert fruit, it is often found mixed with other exotic fruits in a salad, or sliced and sprinkled with brown sugar. The skin is not eaten.

Photo by Oliver Cohen

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