edible Hawaiian Islands Winter 2009

edible

hawaiian islands tm

Celebrating the Harvest of the Aloha State, Season by Season No. 7 Winter 2009

Member of Edible Communities

www.ediblealoha.com

Fall 2008

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LETTER of

Aloha

E` komo mai, and welcome to the Winter 2009 issue. As we settle into the New Year, it’s the thought of communities that inspires me.

It always puts a smile on my face when I hear about the work and the projects that are going on around our islands.

I am reminded of Edible Hawaiian Islands’ mission: To celebrate family farmers, bakers, fisherman, ranchers, poultry farmers, local chefs and the rest of the community for their dedication to producing the highest quality fresh and seasonal foods. We want to highlight those efforts towards a more sustainable and safe food system in the Hawaiian Islands.

In order to continue our mission, we have to give a great Mahalo nui loa to our devoted advertisers and loyal subscribers, both here on the islands, and all across the mainland. Without them, we would not be here.

This issue is full of community stories and interesting people. Be sure also to check out the comfort food recipes with Tropical Winter Flavors in our Cooking Fresh section.

Moving into 2009, our editors have been busy. On this page you see a beautiful rainbow, the Hawaiian Islands are abundant with this blessing. We have decided to have a rainbow photo contest, for more details see page 35. We are also working on a new department, Remembering the Past. If you have stories, photos or know someone we should contact, please email lauren@ediblehawaiianislands.com.

We are looking forward to all the amazing history that needs to be remembered.

Wishing for peace in the world, we wish you a warm Aloha.

Gloria Cohen Publisher/Editor in Chief

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Photo by Lauren Brandt

winter 2009 Contents

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Departments 4 Letter of Aloha 7 Cover Recipe 9 Notable Edibles

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50

Features 10 Don’t let the bugs bug you

By Joan Namkoong 12 Grow Together Beyond the era of import

dependency By Jon Letman

16 Cooking Fresh 23 What’s in Season 35 Photo Contest

24 A New Generation of Hawaiian Chefs An inside look at the Pa’ina Culinary Arts

Center By John Cox

37 Subscribe

26 Book Review Taste of Maui

44 Recipe Wave

29 Chef Profile: Ed Kenney By Sue Kiyabu

46 Farmers Market Directory

32 Talk Story: Preserving Hawaiian History

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

Cover

Keauhou Heiau By Tim Ryan 38 A Personal Reflection 41 Indigenous Industry:

The Maui Book of Lavender

Photo by John Cox www.ediblealoha.com

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

Writers John Cox Dahlia Haas Sue Kiyabu Jon Letman Joan Namkoong Tim Ryan Copy Editor Doug Adrianson Research & Events Editor Lila Martin

Artists Cindy Conklin Mary Ogle

Contact Us Edible Aloha PO Box 753, Kilauea, HI 96754 808-828-1559

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. Š2009.

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 Oliver Gohen

FrontDesk@EdibleAloha.com www.EdibleAloha.com

On the cover

ONAGA SNAPPER TARTARE WITH HEARTS OF PALM AND VEGETABLE CHIPS Cover Photo Recipe, by John Cox Tartare 1 cup diced onaga snapper (no bloodline or sinew) 3 tablespoons diced fresh palm hearts 1 tablespoon diced Maui onion 1 pinch lemon zest 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil Garnish Thin-shaved watermelon radish Beet, Orange and Fennel Chips Using a mandoline or slicer, cut the vegetables into thin slices. Make a syrup with 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons lemon juice.

Bring to simmer. Put the thinly sliced oranges, beet and fennel into the syrup and let steep for 2 minutes.

Line the sliced vegetables on a silicon baking sheet and bake at 250째 for about 1 hour, until dry but not brown. Remove from pan and cook; chips should be crisp.

Citrus Caviar Bring 1 cup of fresh orange juice to a simmer. Add 1 slice of ginger and 1 lime leaf and a pinch of sea salt. Add 1 teaspoon of agar agar flake to the warm orange juice and stir until all dissolved.

Strain the liquid and set aside. Once the liquid has cooled slightly put it into a squeeze bottle or small eyedropper. Drop the liquid into a pot filled with cold vegetable oil (almost cold enough to congeal). The droplets will solidify and can be strained with a slotted spoon.

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o`ahu

Photo by G. Natale

Notable Edibles

Especially for your Valentine Be our Valentine, and be sure to say we sent you. Mahalo!

Hawai`i Island Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory, made and grown on the Island of Hawai`i exceptionally unique chocolate, the only one in fact, grown, harvested processed and packaged in Hawai`i, America’s own! Besides being able to order beautifully boxed chocolate, you might think about giving a cacao seedling. For more information, contact Bob and Pam Cooper 808-322-2626 or toll free: 888-4472626 also info@originalhawaiianchocolatefactory.com www.originalhawaiianchocolatefactory.com

Maui Hana Herbs & Flowers, To send flowers for Valentine’s Day, be sure to order by Feb. 10, 2009, also available for the a foodie delight, they are the source for fresh Gourmet TROPICAL FERN SHOOTS, Called Pohole on Maui and Ho`i`o on the Big Island, and can export them for you all year round. You can also check out their website for recipes. 808-248-7407 or email hanaherbs@maui.net www.hanaherbs.com

Kaua`i Kaua`i Made, a wonderful program dedicated to promoting small businesses on Kaua`i. Go to their website and click on “Food & Floral,” there you will find an array of goodies to delight any of your loved ones on Valentine’s Day. From passion fruit products, Hawaiian sweet breads, Hawaiian taro, premium chocolates, fruit gift baskets, tropical granola and much more. Many will ship, be sure to contact the vendors and ask. www.kauaimade.net Hanalei Dolphin’s has a new expanded bar and Sushi Lounge on the front lanai next to the Hanalei Heritage River. The master sushi chef team of Jeff Benson and Jaimie Sperling are so excited to roll sushi in the new lounge. It's a marriage made in heaven having the Hanalei Dolphin Restaurant and Fish market to choose the freshest seafood from daily. Do not hesitate to ask whether you can see the fresh caught fish hanging in the walk-ins. Be sure and check them out opening late January 2009. 5-5016 Kuhio Highway, Hanalei, HI 96714, phone (808) 826-6113

O`ahu

Sweet Paradise Chocolate, in Kailua, The Art of Chocolate Hawaiian Style. These award winning chocolates would win anyone heart, beautifully hand made as well as beautifully packaged, a visit to their website will have your mouth watering. 808-230-8228 www.sweetparadisechocolate.com

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Don’t let the bugs bug you

By Joan Namkoong Photo by John Cox

If you’re as squeamish as I am, you don’t like to see a bug—dead or alive—amongst your salad greens. Even more disarming is a worm floating to the surface of a boiling pot of water that is blanching your kale. Eeeeks!

But I’ve learned not to let the bugs bug me—something we as consumers all need to digest, figuratively and literally.

Let’s face it: Insects, bugs and worms are a part of farming and they have to eat too. Caterpillars find kale, cabbages, broccoli and other leafy greens as delicious as we do. Aphids love lettuces. All of these critters can make holes in leafy greens, evidence that they have been there.

They don’t change the taste of the greens, just the appearance.

Farmers try to remove all bugs and worms from greens before they reach the consumer. Washing before packing is part of the harvesting process. But sometimes that worm hangs on to that kale leaf or hides in the florets of the broccoli.

Farmers have some options when dealing with these critters before harvesting. One option is to pick them off when they see them in the fields—an impossible task if you’ve got acres and acres of green vegetables exposed to flying insects all around you.

Farmers can spray with insecticides, something we really don’t want on our vegetables. The chemicals they use these days are generally less potent than in the past, when pesticides were developed to attack a wide range of critters. Today farmers can use a specific chemical to kill a specific critter. But farmers really don’t like to spray anything on their crops unless they have to. For one thing, it takes a lot of time

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and is costly. Furthermore, bugs become immune to these chemicals, build up a tolerance and continue to eat their greens.

Organic farmers rely on pest management regimens in which natural predators attack other insects that are eating crops. Ladybugs, for example, will eat aphids that like to eat delicate lettuces. Some insects, such as wasps, will lay their eggs inside another insect, disrupting that insect’s own cycle.

“We’re like a bug festival,” says Gary Maunakea-Forth of MA‘O Farm, an organic farm in Waianae, Oahu. “People cringe but if there are centipedes in the mulch they’re keeping beetles, cutworms and rose beetles under control. It’s a juggling act.”

If we lived in a colder climate, Mother Nature would take care of killing off insects and other bugs when temperatures drop. Like us, bugs like the warm tropical climate of the islands and they’re all around us.

So when you see a bug in your lettuce or a worm in your cabbage, don’t let it bug you.

“Push it aside, wash it off,” says Charlene Nakagawa of B.E.S.T. Farm in Waimea on Hawaii Island. “We try to send out bug-free prime specimens. Sometimes there are things you can’t see, like E. coli or salmonella bacteria, that will hurt you more than eating a worm.”

Your best defense? Wash vegetables well in plenty of water. Add a squeeze of lemon or a drizzle of vinegar to your washing water, agitate the water to separate any bugs from leaves, pick out any critters and put them in the garbage. Don’t let them bug you.

Kaua`i

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Grow Together

Beyond the era of import dependency

Story and photo By Jon Letman

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Kaua`i

There you are, standing in line at the register waiting to have your chicken Caesar salad scanned. You look down and ask yourself, “Where did this come from?” Romaine lettuce from California, tomatoes from Texas, croutons from Ohio, and the chicken? Who knows?

The uncomfortable reality is, without a steady supply of cheap oil, around 90 percent of the store-bought food consumed in Hawaii wouldn’t get here. If the ships stop coming, we no mo food.

Glenn Hontz, an instructor working under a USDA grant at Kaua`i Community College (KCC) wants to change that.

Two years ago Hontz and KCC faculty started a community gardens training program to teach people how to garden organically at home or as part of a community garden. The program was founded on the simple premise that people in Hawaii are best served when they eat food from plants grown in Hawaii.

Incorporating local farmers, gardeners and UH staff, KCC’s community gardens program aims to train new generations of people to produce food locally. To that end, it employs experts in compost and fertilizer development, seed storage and other areas of food production.

Hontz explains the program provides the practical skills and theoretic and academic background necessary for good organic gardening.

The result sought is a community in which more people can successfully develop home and community gardens and start small commercial enterprises. The basic principles are the same; only the scale is different.

Besides producing better, healthier food locally, the program also brings people together at a critical time.

“The U.S. mainland-based food industry that we have been relying on is falling on its face,” Hontz says bluntly.

He warns that large-scale monocropping has turned soil into a medium that no longer produces as it once did because the nutrient value has been dramatically reduced. Furthermore, water tables have been depleted to the point that they’re no longer economically viable to pump. What was once healthy farmland is rapidly being turned into desert.

Hontz points to the cruel irony that as the world’s population soars—the United Nations estimates it will top 9.2 billion by 2050— there is less and less productive farmland.

The global scale of the problem is intimidating, but the solution—at least one solution—is pretty simple: Grow your own food.

As many in Hawaii increasingly live a more mainland-like lifestyle, becoming further removed from the old plantation model of close-knit communities, the KCC program and others like it provide Kaua`i

a chance for people to reconnect with their neighbors as well as the earth.

Take Joanne Watanabe, a youth advocate living in Kekaha.

Watanabe cleared a 15- 20-foot area in her backyard to start her own organic garden, which she plans to work with her neighbors.

On a sunny Saturday morning, Watanabe is wearing a loose dungaree shirt, floppy straw hat and black rubber boots as she snips at vines heavy with eggplants like curly plump purple fingers. She pauses from her work to speak about why she joined the KCC program.

“My main purpose is to interest my neighbors in organic gardening. It may take a little more work in the beginning, but eventually the food will be better and people will be healthier,” Watanabe says.

Watanabe joined the program last September after reading about it in the paper. Today she attends weekly lectures and works in the community garden on KCC’s Puhi campus on Saturday mornings.

These two activities combined, she says, help her gain a better understanding of how to start an organic garden in her own neighborhood.

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Working the same field a few rows over is Taradan Lewis, who has been active in the garden from the beginning of the program. Lewis is crouched down gathering springy heads of crisp green Anuenue lettuce, a portion of which she collects, weighs and sells weekly to a small local grocer in Poipu on behalf of the garden.

KCC community gardeners start literally from the ground up, learning how to produce nutrients that make for healthier soil, plants and food. Classes and seminars within the program examine seed selection, growing medicinal and herbal plants, Permaculture, biodynamics, and, for those interested, how to develop entrepreneurial skills and food distribution.

Participation in the program requires a commitment of at least four hours of gardening each week and a nominal monthly fee that helps offset costs. In return, gardeners take home fresh produce along with invaluable gardening skills and knowledge.

Support for KCC’s community gardens comes from the top down, including Helen Cox, who took over as the college’s new chancellor last August. A self-described “die-hard gardener,” Cox saw the need to seriously address Kaua`i’s food security and is a member of a planning committee that meets regularly to examine how the college can best support local food production.

Cox says she tries to get her hands in the dirt every weekend, explaining it has proven to be the best way for her to settle back into living in Hawaii after returning from more than two decades on the mainland.

As KCC pursues more home-grown gardeners and farmers, Cox says she hopes food growers from every camp will approach the college, offer their input and be a part of the process.

“We want to be an inclusive partner, to hear many voices and really get it right,” Cox says.

Beyond KCC, similar community gardens have been started in Kīlauea, Hanapēpē and Kekaha with a new program in Moloa‘a from early 2009. These gardens maintain a voluntary affiliation with the KCC program while focusing on training people who can work in leadership positions and help create more community gardens.

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KCC’s garden started with about a dozen people and in the two years since, Hontz says there has been a constant influx of new people who get the training, then go home and apply the knowledge. Current participant numbers range from 25 to 30 people a month with an increasing number of long-term participants.

Meanwhile, interest in the program continues to grow as a greater awareness of peak oil, soaring food and energy costs and a downward spiraling world economy have coincided to underscore the importance of turning the vulnerabilities of Hawaii’s import-based food supply into opportunity to improve and secure the food we eat.

“People who taste our food can’t believe how much more flavorful it is compared to what they buy in the store,” Hontz says.

“The difference is better nutrition, better flavor and better stewardship of our environment. Anyone who has a backyard garden will tell you that it costs some money to first get started, but eventually that changes and as your productivity improves you get better food at a way cheaper price.”

Hontz says it is becoming widely understood that we have to shift from the current model of food production and importation to a complete revision of how we obtain food. In doing so, we can begin to interact with our environment in a more benevolent and sustainable way.

In short, Hontz says, “We have to look at food as something we provide for ourselves.”

For more information about KCC’s Community Gardens program, call 808-256-4859.

Kaua`i

Kaua`i

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cooking fresh Tropical Winter Flavors

By Dahlia Haas Photography and Food Styling

by Dahlia Haas

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From now until spring, the cool weather calls for rustic stews rather than barbecue—warm luscious sauces, spicy noodle dishes and homemade old-fashioned desserts like bread pudding. I’ve conjured up a collection of speedy one- dish meals using key winter ingredients.

Braised Short Ribs in Asian Jam, Wok-Fried Garlic Noodles with Macadamia Nuts, Chicken Coconaise and Tropical Rocky Road Bread Pudding are all easy to make with few ingredients. To round out the menus, add your favorite side dishes such as purple mashed potatoes, wholesome grains, winter greens or oven-roasted vegetables. One-pot meals are also a brilliant way to feed a battalion of hungry guests and perfect for casual Sunday night get-togethers. If your family likes to cook, these recipes are simple to put together. More important, cleanup is a breeze.

The long, slow braise in the earthy Asian jam sauce makes these big, meaty short ribs tender to the bone. Best of all, let your slowcooker do the work and go to the beach for a few hours. The Asian jam sauce is a culinary workhorse; a great sauce to make with pulled pork, meatballs or as a basting sauce.

The Chicken Coconaise has everything going for it! Lemongrass, mango, citrus, basil and ginger makes this versatile coconut curry sauce assertive. Once strained, it becomes silky, seductive, bright and golden. It goes with anything from noodles to stir-fry and it’s lovely with fresh local fish and meats.

From start to finish, Wok-Fried Garlic Noodles with Macadamia Nuts takes less time to make than ordering a pizza on the phone! While the pasta cooks, gather together the sauce ingredients and chop the fresh herbs. Heat a wok, add everything at once, toss, twirl and serve.

Bread pudding can be simple or shamelessly decadent. Toasted cubes of King’s Hawaiian bread, miniature marshmallows, dark chocolate, macadamia nuts and shredded coconut are baked in a rich egg and coconut custard. It’s my style of cooking to use local Hawaiian ingredients. Leftover bread pudding makes a fine breakfast, more like deconstructed French toast with warm coconut syrup.

The season for comfort foods is rolling in and recipes like these will satisfy cold-weather cravings. Soul-satisfying and heartwarming, your kitchen will be filled with the welcoming aromas of ginger, garlic butter, curry and coconut. Rest, rejuvenate, recharge and nurture your loved ones. They will appreciate good home cooking.

WOK-FRIED GARLIC NOODLES WITH MACADAMIA NUTS Makes 4 servings This is a secret family recipe. Not mine, but from a well-known family restaurant in Los Angeles. These noodles are the bomb! I decoded and re-created their recipe in my kitchen. It took a few visits. Then I added a few ingredients that I think make this recipe even better! It’s the finest and most loved dish I make at home. If you wish, add sautéed shrimp, diced baked tofu, slivers of barbecued pork and seared Chinese sausage.

1 pound thin spaghetti 3 tablespoons olive oil 6 tablespoons butter or margarine 3 tablespoons garlic, minced 3 tablespoons Maggi seasoning ½ cup oyster sauce 1½ teaspoon chili oil Cracked black pepper to taste 2/3 cup cilantro, finely minced for garnish 2/3 cup scallion, finely minced for garnish 2/3 cup macadamia nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped for garnish

Fill a pasta pot or stockpot with salted water and bring to a rolling boil; add pasta.

While pasta cooks, heat a large wok over medium heat and add butter and garlic; sauté until golden brown.

When the pasta is al dente, drain in a colander and add pasta to the wok with the garlic and butter, tossing carefully to combine.

Then add Maggi, oyster sauce, black pepper and chili oil. Toss together so strands are well coated. Add more butter if pasta seems dry.

Garnish with minced cilantro, scallions and macadamia nuts, stirring well to combine.

Note: To toast macadamia nuts, heat a nonstick skillet over a medium flame, add nuts and cook carefully until golden brown, then chop. Toasted nuts can be frozen and used as needed.

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CHICKEN COCONAISE Makes 4 Servings This versatile sauce marries beautifully with sautéed shrimp, wok-fried vegetables or any fresh Hawaiian fish. I like to use coconut milk in recipes instead of heavy cream or milk. It’s a good product to stock in your pantry.

Peanut oil or olive oil for cooking Salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 boneless breasts of chicken, lightly pounded (about 8 ounces each) 2 tablespoons garlic cloves, diced ½ pound Oyster mushrooms, de-stemmed ½ cup ginger, chopped ½ cup scallion, chopped 2 stalks lemongrass, chopped ¼ cup orange juice 4 tablespoons lime juice 2 tablespoons Madras curry powder ½ mango, peeled and cubed 5 cups coconut milk ½ bunch cilantro, chopped ½ bunch basil, chopped

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Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat oil in a medium sauté pan over a medium flame. Sauté the chicken breasts until well browned on both sides. When chicken is cooked, remove from pan and place on a plate.

To the same pan, add 2 tablespoons of oil and sauté the garlic, mushrooms, ginger, scallions and lemongrass until the garlic is golden brown. Then add the rest of the ingredients, simmer the sauce until slightly reduced—about 20 minutes or until the sauce coats the back of the spoon.

Cool the sauce and strain through a colander. Press the solids with the back of a spoon to extract the juices. Place cooked chicken and sauce in the sauté pan and heat until warmed through. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Serve with purple mashed potatoes or steamed white rice.

edible hawaiian islands

BRAISED SHORT RIBS IN ASIAN JAM Makes 4 servings Be sure to buy short ribs of equal size so they cook at the same rate. Use a smallish Dutch oven so the short ribs are submerged in sauce while they braise. These are finger-licking good. I usually double the recipe because I know how good they taste for a midnight snack.

2½ pounds short ribs (beef or pork), about 8 ribs 2 large onions, thinly sliced 3 cups ketchup 1¾ cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon garlic chili sauce (Lee Kum Kee brand) ½ cup or less beef, chicken or vegetable stock Salt and freshly ground black pepper Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Lightly season the short ribs with salt and black pepper. Place 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium flame.

When hot, add the short ribs and brown well on all sides. Remove from the pan; add the sliced onions and sauté over a low flame till caramelized.

Then whisk in the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for 5 minutes and add short ribs; cover and place in the oven to cook for approximately 3–4 hours. The meat should slip off the bone and be fork tender.

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TROPICAL ROCKY ROAD BREAD PUDDING Makes 8 (3-inch) ramekins or a 9- by 13-inch pan Homemade dessert doesn’t get any better. Homemade bread pudding is the ultimate comfort food. Use individual ramekins so everyone has their own portion of goodness. If you can’t locate King’s Hawaiian Bread in your local supermarket, substitute with loaves of cinnamon raisin, pumpkin, banana, brioche or croissants. You can make the recipe your own by adding cranberries, tropical fruits or any nut.

Whatever the outcome, serve the baked puddings with a sensational ice cream.

4 cups (1 loaf ) King’s Hawaiian bread, crust removed 2 whole eggs, beaten 2 whole egg whites, beaten 2½ cups coconut milk 1 cup macadamia nuts, toasted and diced 2 tablespoons butter, melted 4 tablespoons agave syrup or brown sugar 1 cup miniature marshmallows 1 cup dark chocolate chunks or chips ¾ cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Lightly butter 8 ramekins; set aside.

Preheat oven to 325°. Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and toast in the oven until golden brown.

In a large bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients and add bread cubes. Stirring well to combine; if mixture seems dry, add a little more coconut milk. Let mixture sit for 30 minutes or overnight and evenly divide the mixture into the ramekins or a 9by 13-inch baking dish.

Bake puddings in the oven uncovered until golden brown—about 35—40 minutes, until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serve warm, with fresh coconut or macadamia nut ice cream. Dust with powdered sugar.

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Kaua`i

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What’s In Season

winter Vegetables Asian Cabbage Cucumber Heart of Palm Mushrooms Pumpkin Sprouts Sweet Corn Sweet Potato Taro Zucchini

Photo by Carole Topalian

Fruit Atemoya Avocado Lime Orange Mango Papaya Rambutan Strawberry Tangerine

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A New Generation of Hawaiian Chefs An inside look at the Pa’ina Culinary Arts Center

By John Cox

I don’t know why I was surprised when I first walked into the kitchens

The students are an eclectic group, mostly from Hawaii, but with

at the Maui Culinary Academy. Maybe it was the unexpected location,

a handful of mainland and international students scattered throughout.

tucked between the industrial shipyard of Kahului and sprawling com-

From timid wide-eyed young girls fresh out of high school to calloused

mercial district of Wailuku; or perhaps it was the facade of the com-

professional cooks looking to legitimize a life spent behind the stoves,

munity college where it is based.

to others who come by way of corporate offices and Ivy League diplo-

Was it flashbacks of my own culinary school, with its ancient Wolf

mas, they all unite through a common passion for food. They may

ranges and sagging Sheetrock ceilings that would drip as the snow

never find themselves riding a camel into the sunset to savor roasted

melted in the spring? Whatever it was, the Maui Culinary Academy

goat with a Berber tribe in Africa. Few will rub elbows with actors and

was certainly not what I expected.

models while flipping copper pans across a television studio. While

In juxtaposition to the haphazard informality of the Islands, the

their journeys will rarely follow the glamorous lifestyles portrayed on

school seems meticulous and organized. Every surface in the kitchen is

television, they will each embark on their very own culinary adventure.

immaculate. Fluorescent lights reflect off the mirror-like tops of stain-

Who knows? One day one of them might be the next star of Food

less work benches, and pure white veins of virgin grout lay seemingly

TV—but right now there are many knuckles to be scarred, forearms to

untouched by food or grease between the perfect rows of tile that line

be branded and hands to be bleached white from hours of scrubbing

the floors. Students scurry from class to class, their neatly pressed coats

and polishing before any of them become chefs.

and tall pleated toques setting them apart from the swarm of baseball caps and backpacks heading to other wings of the campus.

Upon graduating from culinary programs across America many students have only a diploma and $50,000 in debt to their name. As these students begin looking for jobs, they discover the sobering real-

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Maui

ity that most restaurants are barely willing to pay minimum wage, even given their qualifications. Rising up through the ranks of the kitchen while paying off school loans and maintaining sanity can be a truly daunting task. Shockingly, for just over $4,000 a Hawaii resident can get an associate’s degree in culinary arts at a community college. Nonresident pay as much as five times this tuition—still less than a comparable private culinary school.

Maui Culinary Institute epitomizes a sustainable living system within a community. It gives young Hawaiians an opportunity to learn

themselves, yet each remembers the fundamental values of community and sustainability.

the number one industry in the state: hospitality. This knowledge en-

The school’s incredible transformation wouldn’t have been possi-

ables them to stay close to family and friends while following their pas-

ble without a dedicated team of chefs and teachers who have worked re-

sion. The school also provides a trained workforce to hotels and

lentlessly toward a common vision, but it is a success story shared as

restaurants across the islands, helping them become less dependent on

much by the community as the staff. From local farms and fisherman,

workers from outside Hawaii. The food that is produced by the culi-

to the numerous hotels and restaurants that provide on-the-job training

nary program is fed to the students in the school’s food court and to

for students and graduates, and for the locals who support and encour-

the public in the Class Act restaurant. Even the agriculture on Maui

age the aspiring cooks by dining in the school’s restaurant, it seems like

benefits from the school’s steadfast support of local farms and relent-

almost everyone on Maui has a vested interest in the school’s success.

less effort to find new products that will help recycle the island’s pre-

This holiday season show your support for the future cooks of

cious resources. In fact, the school currently works with Maui

Hawaii by purchasing their first book, Taste of Maui—Favorite Recipes

Pineapple and Tedeschi vineyards to utilize scraps and seconds in a line

from the Maui Culinary Academy. Copies can be picked up at the col-

of products developed and produced by the students and faculty.

lege or by e-mailing speere@hawaii.edu.

Though the new $17 million culinary arts facility has only been open for five years, the college has been offering food and beverage studies for over 30 years. Many of the program’s graduates have gone on to do extraordinary things: They have been sous chefs at worldrenowned restaurants such as the French Laundry; they have opened their own restaurants, and become executive chefs both on Maui and across the country. Their career paths are as unique as the students

Maui

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Book Review

By G. Cohen

Taste of Maui features many of the dishes served in the Academy’s student-run Pa`ina Food Court, voted as “Maui’s Best Business Lunch” by the readers of Maui No Ka Oi magazine. From the traditional Hawaiian Poke to twists on traditions such as Lemongrass Crème Brulee, Taste of Maui is a diverse collection of recipes. Proceeds from Taste of Maui go to support Maui Culinary Academy’s cultural arts program.

Mutual Publishing $18.95 at your favorite bookseller

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Maui

Maui

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chef profile

Ed Kenney: Saying Yes to Sustainability, but Losing the Sermon

By Sue Kiyabu

In October I ran into Dave Caldiero, a chef/partner in Town and Downtown@theHiSam restaurants. The normally chipper Caldiero was looking a little haggard, thin around the edges. First, he stayed up all night with his young daughter, then there was work: Big Island’s Taste of the Range, Roy’s 20th Anniversary Celebration Weekend and a large party that he and partner Ed Kenney needed to prep.

“Ed’s at Downtown right now, making fresh sausage for 500 people,” Caldiero smiles. “I know that we are the ‘Yes’ restaurant, but there are times when I wish he could say no.”

Kenney laughs when I tell him of Caldiero’s half-hearted lament.

“It’s true,” Kenney says. “I can’t say no. It’s kind of my nature. ...I tend to spread myself really thin between the two restaurants and my family. And then I sit on boards because I want to make a difference.”

OK, so he’s a bit of a pushover. But on a deeper level, Kenney also seems to possess an old-fashioned can-do spirit—a basic sense of agree-

ability coupled with discipline and ambition.

It’s taken him from a world of “Reyn Spooner shirts and worsted wool slacks” to donning chefs’ whites, from the hot lines of Honolulu kitchens to running two of his own restaurants. It’s allowed him to develop as both a chef and businessman. And his next step? A nonprofit foundation, tentatively called the Town Foundation, which would merge ideas of sustainability and community through the vehicle of the urban garden.

“It’s so complicated,” Kenney says. “Because you can incorporate each community. You can use it like Ma’O [Organic Farms] does as a leadership-training platform. You can integrate cultural values into it.

Where do you stop? Because after you grow it, you can cook it, you can feed people, you can sell it.”

His career didn’t start with such grand questions or noble intentions. He started with a bowl of soup. In 1995, Kenney was working www.ediblealoha.com

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as a commercial real estate agent, not satisfied with his job. His thengirlfriend-now-wife, Kristen, insightfully suggested walking away and taking a trip around the world. Coming from a family of foodies, he naturally gravitated toward eating experiences on his trip. Three months in, he found his calling.

“The revelation really took place for me, when we were in Hanoi, North Vietnam,” Kenney says. “It a was freezing cold morning. I was sitting on this street corner on this crate and surrounded by all these Vietnamese guys. I’m the only foreigner there. And they were smiling and patting me on the back and talking a mile a minute—they were probably ripping on me—but we were having a great time and I just sat there and I thought ‘This is amazing. Here I am in a completely foreign place, with people where we have very little in common. But this bowl of soup is bringing us together.’”

He returned to Hawaii with purpose. Although he considers himself a man of limited focus, he took to task, absorbing everything he could. He worked in numerous kitchens, read, traveled and ate. And he set a goal: Within 10 years, he would open his own place.

When he opened Town 3½ years ago, he was ahead of his self-imposed schedule by one year, but still he wasn’t sure people would like his concept, much less embrace it. Supporting local farmers, yes, people would support that. But beyond a one-off ingredient? Could it be done on a larger scale? Could he effect change? And what about a neighborhood restaurant with no enticing view, yet with outdoor café– style tables? With music that ranges from AC/DC to Swimming With Sharks? A budget modern space with funky metal barstools? In Kaimuki?

Turns out, they did. From the New York’s high glossies to the hometown dailies, Town has garnered accolades since its inception.

Two years later, he opened Downtown to similar acclaim. But perhaps more important to Kenney, he’s developed a local following.

“I wanted it to be a neighborhood restaurant, because for me, it was about those relationships,” he says. “The other night, everyone was walking around saying hi to everyone else. It seems like everyone knew each other. It was great.”

When we talk, he’s wearing a black T-shirt that says “Vote With Your Fork.” With sleeve tattoos indicating his indie preferences, he looks the part of a post-modern do-gooder. But the affable chef is clearly self-conscious. It’s a conundrum for Kenney to discuss sustainability. He doesn’t want to lecture, but he is passionate about food and its influence on the community and the planet. He grimaces when I ask him why, when he’s afforded a soapbox, he’s so uncomfortable.

“I was a business school graduate, I went into commercial real estate development. I was about the me. I was about making money to support the lavish lifestyle that I was supposedly going to have,” Ken-

ney laughs. “But I’ve made a shift, and there’s that sacrifice. Most people aren’t ready to make that sacrifice yet, but I’ve become aware of it, and it seems like there are more people that are becoming aware of it.

That’s the path I’ve chosen, but it’s not something that I really want to preach.”

Still, he remains committed to the societal benefits of food grown locally and has pursued a broader understanding of the issues. In his limited time off, he’s read the books and sits on the boards. He’s been to Terre Madre, Italy, for the Slow Food International Convention and took a few key staff for an inspirational weekend at Slow Food Nation in San Francisco. In his own neighborhood, he makes an effort to discuss the benefits of buying local with other restaurateurs. And he’s received a lot of ink for “greening” his business—the enzymes in the grease traps, the worm bins, the waste to biodiesel, the biodegradable take-out containers.

Those measures? “A no-brainer.” He’d like to do more. But what’s driving him now is on a much larger scale—health of the community, health of the planet. Although like that bowl of soup, it begins with the basics.

He’s found inspiration in local organic duck eggs, creating a duck egg and polenta dish with mushrooms and bitter greens. Local asparagus receives the most minimal treatment—grilled, tossed with olive oil and finished with cheese. He’s making his own salumi (salumi is Italian-style house-cured meats—like charcuterie) from Hawaiian Wild Boar, learning to butcher along the way. It’s his preferred form of advocacy—a way of saying yes to sustainability without the sermon.

“Really, what we are trying to focus on more recently is that community, that conviviality,” Kenney says. “Cooking together, eating together. It goes hand-in-hand. We are a restaurant. …I don’t really understand carbon emissions and carbon footprint. So I just kind of do what feels right, what makes sense.”

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Talk Story

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hawai`i

Preserving Hawaiian History

Keauhou Heiau

By Tim Ryan Photos by Tim Ryan

“Find the niho stone,” he says, pointing to one of several massive heiau in Keauhou undergoing extensive and costly restoration after decades of neglect.

We’re standing 50 feet from one sacred Hawaiian structure known as Hapaialii that sits on reef.

The altar seems unusual in that unlike more typical heiau this one extends into the ocean, making it vulnerable to ocean swells on three sides.

The roar of a tractor working at a nearby heiau momentarily overwhelms the thunder of crashing surf. Kapuna William Mahealani Pai, cultural resources specialist overseeing the restoration work, speaks softy, choosing his words carefully when the tractor noise subsides.

“We had to follow the niho stone to guide us in our restoration,” he says. “It is the most prominent.”

Pai describes the niho as resembling “a big tooth.” There is, I learn later, a niho on the northeast corner of the heiau where we are standing.

“Do not just see with your eyes,” Pai says. “Close your eyes and look from your heart as to what a niho would be like, feel like its importance.”

It takes a long moment to turn off my cluttered thoughts and Western sense of logic to imagine the niho.

Then I remember the sunrise a day earlier when I stood in this spot and saw where the first rays of light lit the heiau. I must have been smiling because even before I reopened my eyes Pai says “You’ve seen the stone.”

I have.

We walk over slippery reef in a rising tide to where I point to the niho, the first rock that ancient Hawaii heiau builders placed here.

“Good,” Pai says.

The 2,400 Keauhou Resort about five miles south of Kailua-Kona includes the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa and Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort hotels. The mostly lava cliff shoreline contains numerous sacred Hawaiian sites fell into disrepair while landowner Kamehameha Schools took time to decide what to do here.

The new master plan includes historic site restoration as part of a major renaissance of Hawaiian culture that reportedly will cost as much as $800 million. The plans center around Keauhou’s physical features and historic past.

Greg Chun, president of Kamehameha Investment Corporation, one of the for-profit subsidiaries of Kamehameha Schools and responsible for development of the resort, says the company’s “charter” for future development in Keauhou is “to make things pono, right, to solve the mistakes of the past and move ahead.

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“We want to make sure that any and all future development in Keauhou first and foremost is culturally correct.”

The disrepair began in the 1920s and 1930s when native Hawaiians living in the area were “asked” to relocate because Keauhou was to be developed into resorts.

“Many were displaced,” Pai says. “Moved to other land.”

Before the current restoration began, there was a Hawaiian ceremony to ask ancestors “for forgiveness of the past wrongs here,” says Pai, who is related to some Keauhou families.

“Protocol dictates that we still must ask permission to share this [restoration] vision before we do anything,” he says.

Restoration was done in part using some existing maps and photographs of the area made from 1906 to 1910. Kamehameha Investment Corporation in 2008 was awarded the Hawaii Tourism Authority’s highest cultural award for restoring sacred places program in Keauhou that included complete restoration of three heiau— Ke‘eku, Hapaiali‘i and Makolea—plus documentation of the generational stories of Keauhou, mapping of the Kapuanoni heiau, creation of the Keauhou Kahaluu Heritage Center and a monthly educational series centered on Hawaiian history, culture and tradition.

The 150- by 100-foot Hapaialii heiau is more than 600 years old and surrounded by water at high tide. The restoration team included archaeologists, cultural practitioners and Hawaiian experts in uhau humu pohaku, or dry-stack masonry. Restoration was completed in 2007.

Restoration work continues at nearby Keeku and Makolea heiau.

KS envisions that in five years the Keauhou area will include a cultural education center on a site adjacent to the old Kona Lagoon hotel, visitor programs geared for cultural tourism and some residential development.

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“There were strong arguments [by KS executives] that from the economic perspective the best thing to do in Keauhou would be to sell off the remaining undeveloped lands and walk away from the resort,” Chun said. “Developing or running a resort is not our key business.”

The new Keauhou master plan has “exciting potential that could reposition what this area is all about: Hawaiian culture,” Chun says.

“Other resort areas in Hawaii do not have the richly intense historical and cultural significance offered at Keauhou.”

KS trustees believe that restoring Hawaiian sites will attract a different type of visitor.

“We’ve done some initial studies on the cultural tourism market and we believe it’s a very viable segment of the market, especially with Asian visitors, East Coast of the U.S. and Europe,” he said. “We work very closely with Outrigger and they know our direction in translating the cultural piece with how we see it connected to the hospitality element. …

“The Cultural Leadership Development Institute will be built on 45 acres near the current Outrigger hotel. The hotel will be renovated 34

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and redesigned to support the institute, its programs and cultural tourism market into “one piece,” Chun said.

Additional significant Hawaiian sites are still to be identified as candidates for restoration or stabilization.

“When the stones are in disrepair it’s like the head and arms are in different places,” Pai says. “When you put the stones back together the body and spirit becomes healthy.”

Pai says non-Hawaiians are welcome to “approach our past [here] at a distance.

We don’t want them to go on the heiau.”

Some Hawaiian ceremonies will be allowed on the heiau but “proper protocol” must be followed to not offend “our ancestors.”

“We hope to impress on visitors that this is a place of the ancients that needs respect and appreciation,” says Pai.

hawai`i

Photo Contest

Photo by G. Natale

Our Editor at Large has decided to have a photo contest in each of our new issues. The first one will be of rainbows. The photos will be judged by our editorial staff, and the winner will have their photo published in our next magazine as well as being featured on our website.

Photos must all be 8.5� x 11� at 300dpi. It must be the original, not a photo that has been resized, otherwise it will be disqualified. This is because it will not print the way it may look on your computer.

Submit to our photo editor, lauren@ediblehawaiianislands.com Deadline for our Spring 09 issue is Feb. 20th.

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

No matter how many we distribute, demand exceeds supply.

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

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

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

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

Edible Hawaiian Islands is published quarterly by Edible Hawaiian Islands LLC. Telephone: 808-828-1559. Distribution is throughout the state of Hawai`i and nationally by subscription. All rights reserved. Subscription rate is $28 annually. Published in April, July, October and December. Call the number above to inquire about advertising rates, deadlines or subscription information, or email us at: info@ediblehawaiianislands.com. No part of this publication may be used without written permission of the publisher. © 2009 All Rights Reserved.

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A personal reflection Last summer I first saw Edible Hawaiian Islands and was attracted immediately to the cover image: luscious Maui pineapple against the cool blue Hawaiian ocean. I read the entire magazine, cover to cover.

It propelled me to rethink about what we were growing in my own home garden and where we shopped for food and where our food comes from. I was motivated and felt the shift of change.

My family and I love living in Hawai`i. Our change has been slow but significant over the past several months. With our local economy in a downturn we put ideas into action and began to think more about supporting our local economy. We began shopping more at farmers’ markets and vacationing right here in the islands. Growing your own food is rewarding even if it is an small herb garden on your front porch and one single tomato plant bearing red ripe tomatoes. At least you know where your food comes from and what it takes to grow.

Recently we had the weekend off and packed up the car with our son Noah (11) and daughter Lily (8) and drove to Hana. We stopped at several farms and gardens along the way. We decided to stay at Hotel Hana Maui on the east side of Maui. The chef is a graduate of Maui Community College and told us 90 percent of his menu consists of local produce, Maui beef and local line-caught fish. This meal had such an impact on our children that the shift in our lifestyle was almost complete. We went on several farm tours and tasted Tropical Popsicles in the rain, nibbled pohole fern at Hana Herbs & Flower Garden, and our lunch was at a farmers’ market (Hana Fresh and Ono Organic Farms) under a palm tree.

Now we have an opportunity to visit local farms, support our local economy and celebrate our abundance right here in our backyard. I encourage everyone to take a step off the regular road and take a farm tour with your family. Plant a garden. And the lifestyle change… well, now my kids ask where their food was grown. They are encouraging me to step away from our regular habits and keep all things local. It’s inspiring.

I fell in love with this magazine and it has motivated me to truly support all things local. It has helped me and my family and I hope when you will read our story you will feel a shift. It’s coming!

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Photo by G. Natale

By Dahnia Katz

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Photo by Steve Cohen

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Maui

INDIGENOUS INDUSTRY Book Review • Ag Tourism • Recipes

By G. Natale

THE MAUI BOOK OF LAVENDER: A FRESH NEW GUIDE TO THE FRAGRANT HERB Co-authored by Alii Chang, Lani Medina Weigert and Jill Engledow

The Maui Book Of Lavender traces the herb’s historic uses in Hawai`i and abroad, as it unveils the unique agribusiness story of Maui’s Ali`i Kula Lavender. This beautiful book is filled with stunning photography and useful information on lavender crafts and home uses, as well as 40 recipes incorporating lavender High on the slopes of Haleakala, the lavender plants stretch across the hillside in a sea of purple, green and silver. Here you can have tea with lavender scones, have an informative tour and lunch prepared for you right there.

My husband and spent a day with Alii and Lani at the Ali`i Kula Lavender farm, these two truly embrace the aloha spirit and partner – rather then compete with – other Maui businesses to offer more then 75 different lavender-based products. They take their kuleana – their responsibility – to heart: to connect with the land and enrich the community.

Watermark Publishing, $22.95 at all booksellers, or directly from the publisher at www.bookshawaii.net where you can purchase the book in a beautifully wrapped gift set, that includes Ali`i Kula Lavender Dark Chocolate, and a travel size bottle of Organic Lavender Waterless Hand Soap (I keep a bottle of this in my car).

Be sure to also check out www.aliikulalavender.com not only for this beautiful book, but also for a complete selection of lavender items.

Maui

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Lavender Crab & Mango Spring Rolls

By Chef Paul Lamparelli Spring Rolls 1cup blue crab meat, cooked 1/2 cup fresh mango, diced pinch of Culinary Lavender Flowers 1 tablespoon Lavender Gourmet Seasoning 1 cucumber, julienned 1 large carrot, julienned 4 ounce radish sprouts 1 package Thai rice paper spring roll wrappers (round) Dipping Sauce 1 tablespoon Lavender Liliko`i Jelly 1 tablespoon Lavender Herb Vinegar 1 tablespoon water Fresh ground pepper, to taste.

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In a large bowl, mix crab with mango and seasonings. Divide mixture into six portions. Lay down a clean linen napkin on your counter or cutting board. Make spring rolls one at a time. Pour warm water in a wide-rim shallow bowl or plate. Dredge rice paper through warm water for a few seconds, but not until soft. Lay wrapper down on linen napkin and add one portion of the crab mix. Cover with layers of the vegetables and roll bottom up. Bring in sides and roll all the way up.

Mix together for dipping sauce.

Serves 6-8

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Maui

LAVENDER–PEPPER POLENTA WITH WARM TOMATO VINAIGRETTE

By Chef Paul Lamparelli Warm Tomato Vinaigrette 1 large tomato, cored and quartered ¼ sweet onion, sliced thick 1 garlic clove, crushed salt and pepper, to taste 1/4 cup Lavender Herb Vinegar 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 2 whole basil leaves 1/2 cup olive oil Lavender-Pepper Polenta 4 cup chicken stock or milk 1 ½ tablespoons salt 1 tablespoon Lavender Pepper Seasoning 1cup fine cornmeal 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small baking or roasting dish, combine tomato, onion and garlic. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Toss this mixture until it is coated well. Roast until tomatoes are soft and garlic and onions are brown.

Onion may be a little toasted on the edges. Deglaze pan with some vinegar and transfer contents to a blender. Add remaining vinegar and herbs. Blend on low speed. Slowly drizzle in olive oil until sauce is thick.

Bring stock to a simmer and add salt and Lavender Pepper Seasoning. Slowly wisk in the cornmeal to the simmering stock; there should be no lumps. Lower heat to medium and continue to stir with wooden spoon. It needs to be stirred fairly often for 10-15 minutes. When polenta is quite thick and pulls away from the sides of the pot, fold in the parsley and cheese.

Pour into 8”x8” baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and smooth surface by pressing down with same-sized pan. Chill completely. Polenta can be cut into any shape desired. It may be seared on top and bottom in a non-stick pan with minimal oil, or deep-fried for an even crispier taste.

Serves 8-10

Maui

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wave

Recipe

These recipes are offered with aloha by Eden Marie Peart, owner-operator of Kawaiholehole Farm in Hamakua, Hawai`i, and organizer for the Hawai`i Farmers Union.

KAMA’AINA SLAW (easy, raw, ’ono, mostly local)

GINGER–ORANGE SWEET POTATOES 2 pounds steamed Okinawan purple sweet potatoes, steamed, peeled and sliced into rounds 1–2 ounces grated fresh ginger 1 ½ cup fresh-squeezed orange (or tangerine, tangelo or other) juice Toss sweet potatoes and grated ginger; arrange in serving dish.

Drizzle juice over; garnish with marigolds or other edible flowers.

1 head Hawai`i grade A green cabbage, finely chopped 1 cup chopped red cabbage (let it be local too!)

1 Hawai`i grade A organic round onion, chopped 4 tablespoons virgin olive oil 4 tablespoons organic apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon filtered water 1 ½ tablespoons Hawaiian organic sugar or organic agave syrup 1 teaspoon Pa’akai (natural Hawaiian sea salt) Optional additions: 1–2 grated carrots 1 chopped or grated daikon 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or dill Sprinkling of fresh ground black pepper Experiment!

Combine all ingredients. Keep refrigerated. Best flavor 6–24 hours after preparation.

Makes 6–8 servings.

Photo by Carole Topalian

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farmers’ markets Kaua`i Farmers’ Markets

Hanalei Saturday Market Hanalei • 10 a.m.–1:30 p.m.

MONDAY West Kaua`i Agricultural Association Poipu Road and Cane Haul Road, Poipu 8 a.m.

Hawai`i Island Farmers’ Markets

Koloa Ball Park (Knudsen) (Sunshine Markets) Maluhia Road, Koloa • Noon

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

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

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

O`ahu Farmers’ Markets

Kino`ole Farmers’ Market Kino`ole Shopping Plaza, 1990 Kino`ole St., Hilo • 7 a.m.-noon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kukui Grove Shopping Center Lihue • 3 p.m.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Honokaa Farmers’ Market Honokaa town near Honokaa Trading Co. Hilo Farmers’ Market Wednesdays and Saturdays Corner of Mamo and Kamehameha Ave., downtown Hilo • Saturdays, 8 a.m.–noon Wednesdays, Naalehu Farmers’ Market Ace Hardware lawn • 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

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

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

edible hawaiian islands

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

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

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

Photo by G. Natale

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.

Manoa Marketplace Honolulu 7–11 a.m.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Manoa Marketplace Honolulu 7–11 a.m.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Waianae Framers’ Market Makaha Resort 84-626 Makaha Valley Road Waianae, 808-848-2074 1st and 3rd Sat of the month 7:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WEDNESDAY Farmers’ Market of Maui-Kihei Suda Store parking lot on South Kihei Road 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.

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

Makawao Eddie Tam Center Upcountry 8a.m.-1p.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.

Hana Fresh Hana Medical Center M. 3p.m.-6p.m.

TH. 11a.m.-3p.m.

Sat. 7:30a.m.- 1:30p.m.

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

FRIDAY Farmers’ Market of Maui-Kihei Suda Store parking lot on South Kihei Road 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.

Ono Organic Across from Hasagawa General Store, Hana M. 10:30a.m.- 6 Lana`i Farmers’ Market Lana`i Market Place Lana`i, Dole Park 8 a.m.-1p.m.

Moloka`i Farmers’ Market Ala Malama Street Kaunakakai 7a.m.-1p.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.

edible hawaiian islands

Photo by Oliver Cohen & Lauren Brandt

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

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

Reservations: 808-826-7081 5-5161 Kuhio Hwy., Hanalei, Kaua`i, Closed Mondays www.restaurantbaracuda.com Cake Clothing *Accessories * Gifts Kong Lung Center Kilauea, Kaua`i 7 days a week • 808-828-6412 Hanalei Dolphin Restaurant & Fish Market 5-5016 Kuhio Hwy. Hanalei, Kaua`i • 808-826-6113 Hukilau Lanai Torchlit, airy setting, Kauai fresh cusine.

In Kapa`a, behind the Coconut Marketplace Dinner & Cocktails begin 5pm, Tues – Sun. Reservations recommended 808-822-0600 Icing On The Cake 808-823-1210 www.icingonyhecakekauai.com Island Green Living green goes mainstrean Professional consulting Services for building and Living green 808-635-7660 islandgreen@aloha.net www.islandgreenkauai.com Kaua`i Coffee 1-800-545-8605 www.kauaicoffee.com

Kaua`i Made 808-241-6390 www.kauaimade.net kauaimade@kauai.net

Po’ipu Beach Estates Terry P. Kamen Call for a Tour 808-651-0071 poipubeachestates@yahoo.com

Kilauea Fish Market 4270 Kilauea Rd. Kilauea, Kaua`i 808-828-6244 Mon.–Sat. 11 a.m.–8 p.m.

Pure Kaua`i 866-457-7873 www.purekauai.com

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

KKCR Kaua`i Community Radio 808-826-7774 PO Box 825 Hanalei, Kaua`i 96714 Listener Supported www.kkcr.org Koa Properties 808-651-1777 www.koakauai.com Moloa`a Sunrise Fruit Stand Corner of Kuhio Hwy and Koolau Road Farm Fresh Local Grown Produce, Smoothies, juices, salads & Sandwiches Open Mon thru Sat 7:30am–5pm Phone orders welcome 808-822-1441 The Palmwood A boutique Inn “An oasis in the midst of Paradise” Frommer’s 2008 808-631-9006 www.thepalmwood.com Papaya’s Natural Food & Café Organic Produce Vegetarian Café Kaua`i Village 4-831 Kuhio Hwy. Kapa’a, Kaua`i • 808-823-0190 Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-8 p.m.

Hanalei 5-5161 Kuhio Hwy. Hanalei, Kaua`i • 808-826-0089 7 days 9 a.m.–8 p.m.

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 Open everyday 10am-6:30pm 808-245-5766

O`AHU Honu Group Inc. 1001 Bishop Street ASB Tower, Suite 2800 Honolulu, Hawai`i 96722 808-550-4449 tabenoja@honugroup.com www.honugroup.com Pelekunu’s Teri Sauces • 808-282-9699 www.pelekunus.com Sweet Paradise Chocolatier The Art of Chocolate Hawaiian Style 20-A Kainehe Street, Kailua 808-230-8228 www.sweetparadisechocolate.com `Umeke Market Natural Foods & Deli 4400 Kalanianaole Hwy. (Across From Kahala Mall) O`ahu • 808-739-2990 www.umekemarket.com Whole Foods Market Supporting the local farmers And growers here on the Islands Kahala Mall in Honolulu 4211 Wai`alae Ave 808-738-0820 – 7am-10pm www.wholefoodsmarket.com

MAUI Hana Fresh Gourmet produce, organic Crops, Asian specialties.

4590 Hana Highway Mon. 3pm-6pm, Thur. 11 am-3pm, Second Sat. of the month 7:301:30pm, Store or restaurant orders: 808-248-7515 ext.26 www.hanafresh.org Hana Herbs & Flowers Fresh Maui Fern Shoots (Pohole) Tropical Flowers & Herb Gift Boxes 808-248-7407 • hanaherb@maui.net www.hanaherbs.com Kamaaina Loan Reduce Reuse Recycle 46 N. Market Street Wailuku • 808-244-5555 kamaainaloan.com Ono Gelato Company Made fresh using local organic fruit. 115D Highway Paia 808-579-9201 Open 7 days a week 11 am-10pm www.onogelatocompany.com

HAWAI`I ISLAND Joan Namkoong “Food Lovers Guide to Honolulu” at your favorite book store.

NATIONAL Organic Valley Family Farms One Love 11 Clothing 917-345-6072 www.onelove11clothing.com Slow Food – Hawai`i Island Shelby Floyd sfloyd@ahfi.com Slow Food – Kaua`i Patrick Quinn Icingonthecake.Kauai@gmail.com Slow Food – O`ahu Laurie Carleson laurie@honoluluweekly.com Slow Food Nation www.slowfoodnation.org

www.ediblealoha.com

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Photo by John Cox

Pohole

what is it & how do you eat it?

Pohole, the fern shoots of Athyrium spp. answer to many names. On Maui, where they grow large and tender and are available year round, they are called pohole. They are known as ho’i’o on the Big Island of Hawai`i, pako in the Philippines and warabi in Japanese.

Their crunchy texture and mild flavor are similar to asparagus or okra—perfect for salad, mixed with tomato, onion and a vinaigrette dressing.

Native to Hawai`i, pohole is fat-free and high in fiber, 98 percent water with high levels of iron, vitamin C and beta carotene. Two ounces of the raw shoots (about a ½ cup) provides a third of the adult daily requirement for vitamin C, 15 percent of the iron (twice as much as spinach) and the same level of vitamin A, small amounts of calcium and vitamin B. Pohole has a six-day refrigerator shelf life.

Hawaiians have been eating this food for hundreds of years, storing the ferns in holes in the ground lined with rocks then lined with ti leaves. Even today ti leaves are used to keep the ferns cool in shipping.

Hana Herbs & Flowers is the first farm to receive an export stamp for pohole, under the name Maui Fern Shoots.

The company is dedicated to helping all Hawai`i with an agriculture food that is plentiful and can be harvested without disturbing the land—the more you pick it the more you get. Now this ancient plant is being bulldozed under for development. Marketing this food will give it value, helping to preserve this ancient food.

Adapting Hawaiian traditions to the needs of the contemporary chef, Hana Herbs has spent more than 12 years developing an abundant, perennial crop, and now regularly supplies some of Maui’s finest restaurants and hotel dining rooms. These have included the Ritz-Carlton, the Four Seasons and the Hotel Hana-Maui.

Hana Herbs & Flowers: 808-248-7407; HanaHerbs.com

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