edible Hawaiian Islands Spring 2012

edible

hawaiian islands 速

Celebrating the Harvest of the Aloha State, Season by Season No. 20 Spring 2012

Hearts

of Palm

Mulch or Dinner Philosophy of Aloha Delicacies From the Sea Member of Edible Communities

Spring 2012

Contents Departments 4 LETTER OF ALOHA 7 NOTABLE EDIBLES LOCAL HERO WINNERS 28 COOKING FRESH WITH CAFÉ PESTO 53 EDIBLE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS LOCAL DINING GUIDE 57 FARMERS MARKETS 60 ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY 62 WHAT IS IT AND HOW DO YOU EAT IT

Features 10 KALO: THE KEYSTONE OF A CULTURE

by Kawika Winter 15 SAVING HAWAIIAN HERITAGE PLANTS

by Jon Letman 18 MULCH OR DINNER

by Ken Love 24 PHILOSOPHY OF ALOHA

by Jill Engledow 39 DELICACIES FROM SEA & SHORE

by Wanda Adams 45 ST GERMAIN: CAN CAN CONTEST WINNERS

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Letter of Aloha I

n this Spring 2012 issue, join me as we celebrate the Local Heroes of the Hawaiian Islands. You, the community, voted and the results are in. When visiting these local businesses, be sure to congratulate them, as the work they do deserves our appreciation.

We also want to congratulate the local winners of the StGermain Can Can Classics cocktail competition sponsored by Edible Communities not only in the Hawaiian Islands but also all across North America. You can try the winning recipes starting on page 45.

While giving all of these congratulations, I am reminded of what “aloha” means. It can mean hello or good-bye; it can mean love; it can mean sharing. Dear friends and supporters of Edible Hawaiian Islands have compiled stories, recipes and lyrics from Hawai`i’s favorite folks in their book Practice Aloha: Secrets to Living Life Hawaiian Style. This book is inspiring, to say the least. E-mail me and tell me which aloha story in this wonderful book is your favorite. It’s available at your local bookseller, or check out PracticeAloha.org, where you can read more, see videos, even upload your own stories about living life with aloha.

My aloha is sharing all that I can bring to you through Edible Hawaiian Islands, and I am thankful for all of our amazing supporters—be you an advertiser, a subscriber or a great fan, you are all very important to me and my mission to support all that is local in the Hawaiian Islands.

Aloha nui to all, Gloria

edible Communities 2011 James Beard Foundation Publication of the Year 4

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Hawaiian Islands Publisher/Editor in Chief Gloria Cohen Editor at Large Steven Cohen Advertising & Distribution FrontDesk@ediblealoha.com Dania Katz, O`ahu & Maui Terry Sullivan, Kaua`i Lana Grace, Hawai`i Island Contributors Kira Cohen • Melissa Petersen Tracey Ryder • Carole Topalian Photography Lauren Brandt • Oliver Cohen Steven Cohen • G. Natale Artists Cindy Conklin • Ed McCabe • Mary Ogle Writers Wanda Adams • Jill Engledow • Jon Letman Ken Love • G. Natale • Kawika Winter Copy Editor Doug Adrianson Food Research Editor Ken Love Research & Events Editor Lila Martin

Contact Us Edible Aloha PO Box 753, Kilauea, HI 96754 • 808-828-1559 FrontDesk@EdibleAloha.com www.EdibleAloha.com Subscribe * Give A Gift * Advertise Call: 808-828-1559 Or use the above email or web address Letters For the quickest response, email FrontDesk@EdibleAloha.com Edible Hawaiian Islands is published quarterly by Edible Hawaiian Islands LLC. All rights reserved. Spring * Summer * Fall * Winter Subscription is $28 annually. No part of this publication may be used without written permission from the publisher. ©2012. 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!

Edible Hawaiian Islands is printed in Honolulu, HI

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notable

edibles

local heroes 2012 Nonprofit: Breadfruit Institute NTBG The National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) is honored to have received this award. The Breadfruit Institute of NTBG is engaged in a global initiative to respond to the critical need for food security by distributing breadfruit trees. We are committed to developing breadfruit as a viable, sustainable resource for agriculture, agroforestry and reforestation. Mahalo to Edible Hawaiian Islands for your recognition and support. www.breadfruit.org breadfruitinstitute@ntbg.org 808-332-7324 ext. 221

Food Shop: Kula Fields, Maui Dear Gloria, Thank you for bringing this enriching magazine to Hawai`i. I continue to be “wowed” with every issue. I’m still shocked and thrilled by the award!

When you hear quotes like “Hawai`i imports nearly 90% of its food,” how can anyone who lives here look around and not feel compelled to do something more sustainable? We feel it is our social responsibility, our kuleana, to make fresh, locally grown, nutritious foods convenient and accessible to Island residents. We are committed to the health of our community and driven by an understanding of the benefits of eating well. I would also like to make the distinction that we are not a conventional store with a brick and mortar location...we are a farmers’ market on wheels delivering the freshest local produce the Islands have to offer, right to your door.

We are extremely honored and grateful that our community and the readers of Edible Hawaiian Islands feel that what we do makes a difference. It gives us the motivation to keep working toward a more food secure Hawai`i.

Our local farmers and food artisans deserve our continued support. Thank you.

—Roxanne Tiffen • www.kulafields.com • 808-280-2099 Maui • 808-280-6533 Oahu • info@kulafields.com

Beverage Artisan: Kōloa Rum Company, Kaua`i Kōloa Rum Company is delighted and honored to be recognized once again in our community as the Local Hero winner in the Beverage Artisan category. KRC produces premium, artisanal, single-batch Hawaiian Rum at our distillery in Kalaheo, Kaua`i, using a wide variety of locally sourced agricultural ingredients. It also operates Hawai`i’s first and only distilled spirits tasting room and company store on the grounds of Kilohana Plantation, near Lihue.

KRC fully promotes sound and sustainable agricultural practices and believes that the eventual success of its products will provide meaningful support and diversity to the local agricultural industry and serve to stimulate employment, increase cultivated acreage and preserve open space. www.koloarum.com • Located at Kilohana Plantation—Lihue • 3-2087 Kaumuali`i Highway • Lihue, HI 96766

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Farm/Farmer: Kumu Farms, Moloka`i Through nearly 30 years of dedicated farming, Kumu Farms has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to diversified agriculture in Hawai`i. Our conventional, sustainable and certified organic production practices have allowed us to continue to be a provider of the healthiest and freshest fruits, vegetables and herbs to a growing community on Moloka`i, Maui and Oahu. By taking our farm-fresh products directly to culinary and health-savvy consumers we have added to both our community and our business viability. Farming is, by its very nature, a constant challenge requiring a dedicated workforce, adaptability and perseverance in the field, and consumerfriendly relations. Our continued success is a testament to the Kumu Farms vision and our talented team. We gratefully acknowledge our loyal, satisfied and cherished customer friends. Mahalo to all who truly appreciate our work!

Kumu Farms • P.O. Box 223 • Kualapu`u, Moloka`i, HI 96757 • 808-567-6480 • www.KumuFarms.com

Chef/Restaurant: Peter Merriman/Merriman’s “Our goal at Merriman’s is to serve the best-tasting food possible and Hawai`i grows the best food on Earth.

Hell yeah, we want to sustain that for future generations to enjoy!

“It’s very cool to have been honored for this award by folks who are so passionately concerned about environmentalism in Hawai`i. The readers of Edible Hawaiian Islands represent the avant garde of keeping Hawai`i healthy for generations to come. Mahalo, I am humbled by the honor.”

—Peter Merriman • www.merrimanshawaii.com

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Kalo: The Keystone of a Culture

BY KAWIKA WINTER DIRECTOR, LIMAHULI GARDEN AND PRESERVE

Poi

Kalo

(also known as taro) is well known all over the tropics as a highly nutritious plant, one of the virtues of which is that it is almost entirely edible (corm, leaves, stalk and flowers). It can be a tricky one to cook, however, if you didn’t grow up watching your elders prepare it. It has calcium oxalate crystals and associated proteins, which if not properly broken down by high temperatures can cause an itchy sensation in your mouth and throat.

Ultimately, the cooking process unlocks the door to a food source that is high in vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B12 and iron, to name a few, not to mention that its corm represents a high-fiber carbohydrate.

But beyond the health benefits of a diet high in kalo, this plant has a spiritual and philosophical element as well, especially for Hawaiians.

According to an ancient proverb, as long as there is kalo there will be Hawaiians, and as long as there are Hawaiians there will be kalo.

This proverb speaks to the intrinsic relationship between the native peoples of this land and a plant—considered to be the original ancestor—that is at the foundation of an entire culture.

As an abridged version of a creation story of the Hawaiian race goes, two cosmogonic ancestors, Wākea and Ho`ohokukalani, got together and had a baby. Their first child, a male, was stillborn. It was buried

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near the house, and from that spot grew forth the first kalo plant.

This child was named Hāloanakalaukapalili—a poetic reference to the fluttering of the leaf and the trembling of the stalk that occurred when touched by a gentle breeze. As time passed the mother became pregnant again, giving birth to another son. This time the boy was strong and healthy. They named him Hāloa in honor of the firstborn. Hāloa was the first of what eventually became the Hawaiian race. In this story it is seen that kalo is the elder sibling of the Hawaiian people.

A Metaphor for Family As tradition dictates in Hawaiian culture, if you are an older sibling it is your responsibility to make sure that those who are younger than you are fed and cared for; and if you are a younger sibling it is your responsibility to always show respect to those who are older.

This is precisely the relationship of Hawaiians to kalo: As the elder sibling, kalo feeds the people; and as the younger sibling, we honor and respect it in return.

But, as you can imagine, with a plant playing such a seminal role in the identity of an entire race the symbolism surrounding it is mulA young Hawaiian connects with her ancestors during one of Limahuli’s education programs.

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tifold. Much of this symbolism, as indicated above, revolves around `ohana (family). In fact, the word `ohana is rooted in the growth form of the kalo plant itself. Once a plant is harvested, the corm is removed and cooked. So too are the leaves. What is left is what we call a huli (planting stalk). This huli is put back into the earth, and as it grows it is referred to as the mākua—which is also the word for parent. As the mākua grows, little baby plants begin to pop up all around it. These baby kalo plants are called `ōhā. This process of babies popping up all around a parent is the root thought behind the Hawaiian word for family, `ohana.

There are many more traditions of how this symbolism translates into planting, cultivation and harvesting practices—but those lessons are better taught in the taro patch.

Biodiversity = Cultural Diversity Kalo is perhaps best known as the plant from which we make the island favorite, poi, but it is about much more than just that. The level of diversity managed by a culture often indicates the amount of traditions associated with it and, therefore, indicates the importance that plant holds for those people. Emerging ethnobotanical research

Assortment of poi, laulau and kulolo all on one plate

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is revealing that there may have been upwards of 400 distinct varieties of kalo in Hawai`i 200 years ago.

What would be the need for having so many varieties, especially when today all you hear about is the commercial variety, Maui Lehua?

Well, in the most practical sense if you’re eating kalo every day of your life—as the ancestors of old did—you’re going to want some different flavors to work with. Cooked kalo corms can range in colors from white to grey to purple to yellow, and a rare few are even bi-colored in the center depending upon the variety. Collectively, the cooked corms can represent an amazing array of aromatic ranges.

Just as apple aficionados and coffee connoisseurs have their favorite varieties for their flavors and aroma, so too go the likes of the eaters of kalo. In fact, it was a longstanding tradition in Hawai`i to grow several (sometimes more than a dozen) varieties on a family farm for culinary diversity.

But corm taste alone wasn’t enough to drive ancient Hawaiians to produce more than 400 varieties, so what are some other factors? For the answer we can look deeper into culinary traditions, and beyond.

The second-most-common use of kalo is utilizing its leaves to make such dishes as laulau (salted meat or fish wrapped in kalo leaves, which is then steamed within tī leaves) and lū`au (a thick stew make from cooking down kalo leaves). There exist noted varieties grown specifically for their leaves, which are described as “melting” when cooked—a trait appreciated by those of us who have eaten laulau made with leaves that have the consistency of cardboard no matter how long you cook them.

In a popular dessert dish, kūlolo, kalo corms are grated and mixed with coconut shavings and honey, then steamed. There are particular varieties that are better for this dish than others as well. Aside from culinary traditions, kalo plays a key role in herbal medicine, as well as ceremony. Some varieties, like the now-extinct hoene, had very unique and specific place in ethnopharmacology traditions as a suppository. Other varieties, like the now-rare `apuwai, has cup-shaped leaves that catch rainwater that is prized in ceremonies due to its divine purity.

Yet another reason for kalo’s high levels of diversity is its ubiquitous presence all over the land in ancient times. Limited nowadays mostly to fertile valley floors and alluvial plains, kalo was once cultivated from the mountains to the sea, literally, into a broad range of environmental ranges from upland plantings at the forest edge, to boggy swamplands, to brackish-water conditions, and into the deserts of Kā`ū. Furthermore, with maturation times ranging from eight to 18 months— depending upon variety—the wise farmer could select and rotate different kinds of kalo to ensure that the `ohana had a consistent supply of food. This amazing amount of varietal diversity reflects the importance of kalo on many levels to everyday life in old Hawai`i.

Restoring Traditions Each one of the more than 400 varieties of kalo cultivated by the ancients—whether they were used in culinary, medicinal or ceremonial traditions—had a name and a story, and collectively played into the rich tapestry of traditions that once thrived here. Unfortunately, of these 400 plus, fewer than 70 exist today—the rest being lost to extinction. These lost varieties not only represent an extinction of biodiversity, but an extinction of associated stories and traditions.

By returning to kalo farming and embracing the diversity of kalo that was nurtured by the loving hands of our ancestors we can ensure that these names, traditions and stories will live on in the ears, the practices and the words of yet another generation.

Ola ke kalo, ola ke kanaka; ola ke kanaka, ola ke kalo.

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saving Hawaiian Heritage Plants

Driven Bananas

BY JON LETMAN

W

hen you put a bunch of bananas in your shopping cart or grocery bag, do you know what you’re missing?

Today, most of us, even in Hawai`i, rarely see more than two or three kinds of bananas. But beyond the ubiquitous plantation-grown Cavendish bananas imported from Central America (think Chiquita and Dole) and the popular, locally grown Hawaiian “apple bananas,” there exist over 1,000 edible, seedless hybrid varieties. The names alone evoke an irresistible feast: Putalinga Hīna, Grande Naine, Raja Puri, Silk Fig, Dippig, Feta`u, Largo, Sucrier, Namwa and the playfully named Monkey Fingers, to list a few.

In Hawai`i, mai`a (the Hawaiian word for banana) include dozens of varieties in the Iholena, Maoli and Popoulu groups. Bananas, which were among the 30 or so “canoe plants” introduced by the first Polynesian settlers over 1,000 years ago, once played a much more prominent role in the Hawaiian diet, according to Dr. Angela Kay Kepler, a name that has become synonymous with bananas in Hawai`i.

“Bananas were extremely important in the first few centuries,” says Kepler, who along with her husband and co-researcher, Frank Rust,

recently published the 585-page book: The World of Bananas in Hawai`i: Then and Now—Traditional Pacific & global varieties, cultures, ornamentals, health & recipes.

If anyone in Hawai`i today has thoroughly documented this fruit’s illustrious past and its untapped potential, it’s Kepler and Rust.

They’ve spent almost 10 years collecting, growing and, of course, eating bananas and their starchier cousins, plantains, in Hawai`i and across the Pacific.

They are living proof that bananas and plantains can play a much larger role in our daily diets―not just as snacks or sliced on breakfast cereal but as a primary source of carbohydrates, just as they are in Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and other parts of the Pacific.

Kepler and Rust, in part to advance their research and conservation efforts, and partly out of their sheer love for the plant, grow over 30 different cultivars. Bananas are a cornerstone of their own diet, finding their way onto the plate either grilled, baked, mashed or sautéed in various states of ripeness.

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...there exist over 1,000 edible, seedless hybrid varieties. The names alone evoke an irresistible feast: Putalinga Hīna, Grande Naine, Raja Puri, Silk Fig, Dippig, Feta`u, Largo, Sucrier, Namwa and the playfully named Monkey Fingers... or even your own backyard. A diet based on bananas and other starchy Hawaiian crops like breadfruit, taro and sweet potatoes clearly shows that a more independent and (yes, the ‘S’ word) sustainable Hawai`i can become a reality.

Kepler and Rust’s fruit fixation begs the question: What was it that drove them, well… bananas?

Around the turn of this century, Kepler, a well-known biologist, ornithologist and author (she prefers the term “old-fashioned naturalist”), was asked to write a book on fruit in Hawai`i. She accepted the invitation and began gathering material, but it didn’t take long before it was obvious she’d have to narrow her scope significantly.

Kepler, who has spent most of her life in Hawai`i since first coming from New Zealand as an East-West Center student in 1963, had already done a good deal of research on bananas, so when University of Hawai`i horticulture professor Dr. Chian Leng Chia suggested she stick with bananas, she agreed.

Rust, a transplanted biochemical engineer from Delaware, has been Kepler’s constant partner and co-researcher throughout. He is a softspoken man with a calm demeanor but the handshake of a lumberjack. He also has extensive GPS mapping experience and the patience needed to conduct literally years of meticulous work ob-

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serving and recording the growth patterns and crop cycles of different banana varieties.

Much of what Kepler and Rust have learned about bananas comes from Rust’s faithful weekly visits to Maui Nui Botanical Gardens in Kahului and Kahanu Garden in Hāna, both of which have some of the state’s most extensive banana collections, assembled in partnership with Kepler and Rust.

With meticulous maintenance of traditional varieties, either in a botanical garden or private collection, they’re less likely to be lost or simply die off, a problem that plagues wild bananas in Hawai`i. Like so many other plants, bananas are vulnerable to loss of habitat, insects and disease with corm weevil, Panama wilt and banana bunchy top virus among the most destructive problems.

This loss of diversity is not unique to Hawai`i. Kepler says bananas are in decline throughout the central and eastern Pacific. In fact, she says, compared with Hawai`i traditional varieties in Tahiti, the Marquesas and Cook Islands are far worse off.

Even as Kepler and Rust have been working to raise awareness and improve understanding of banana diversity, they have been partnering with others who are building Pacific-wide collections in Tahiti, conducting virus indexing tests in Australia and amassing the

world’s largest collection of banana tissue culture at the International Transit Center in Belgium.

The decline of Hawai`i’s wild bananas, Kepler believes, began as the population swelled in the 1600s, putting more pressure to convert what would have been banana-growing land to kalo lo`i (taro patches) which could provide more calories per acre than bananas.

Over the years, Kepler and Rust have conducted aerial surveys and located wild banana populations known from historical records along with previously unknown large wild populations, most notably in rugged areas accessible only by helicopter.

In less isolated places, nontraditional varieties like Cuban Red planted by laborers during the sugar plantation era grow alongside a wild seeded species from the Philippines. It only takes one bite of this seed-filled wild banana to gain a new appreciation for the thousands of years of careful, deliberate selective crossing of bananas that resulted in the rich diversity of bananas that still exists.

Banana diversity proponents recognize the value and importance of preserving these plants, fully aware that, like other Hawaiian heritage food crops―taro, breadfruit, sugar cane―traditional banana varieties represent the accumulated knowledge and efforts of thousands of years of Pacific peoples for whom diversity wasn’t just a matter of pleasing the palate but of their very survival.

The World of Bananas in Hawai`i: Then and Now—Traditional Pacific & global varieties, cultures, ornamentals, health & recipes (Pali-O-Waipi`o Press), examines over 100 cultivars and species and is indispensable for everyone from backyard gardeners to botanists. Authors Angela Kepler and Frank Rust traveled across the Pacific from New Guinea to Easter Island and every archipelago in between in search of banana varieties.

At 585 pages with 1,900 color illustrations, the book is big on color, content and detailed, readable prose with thoroughly researched chapters on botany, horticulture, history, geography, Pacific island culture, Hawaiiana, language and recipes. For anyone wishing to better understand and appreciate one of the world’s most important foods, this is the “banana bible.”

The World of Bananas in Hawai`i: Then and Now costs $80 and is available through University of Hawai`i Press or your local bookseller.

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Mulch or Dinner?

A primer on edible weeds

BY KEN LOVE

Perhaps I should reply with something a bit more highbrow: “To thy fair flower add the rank smell of weeds: But why thy odour matcheth not thy show, The soil is this, that thou dost common grow.” (from Shakespeare’s Sonnet #69) or “What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson, Fortune of the Republic, 1878) So what is a weed? From Webster’s: “Any undesired, uncultivated plant, especially one that crowds out desired plants.” From 18

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Wikipedia: “A weed in a general sense is a plant that is considered by the user of the term to be a nuisance, and normally applied to unwanted plants in human-controlled settings, especially farm fields and gardens, but also lawns, parks, woods and other areas. More specifically, the term is often used to describe any plants that grow and reproduce aggressively.[1] Generally, a weed is a plant in an undesired place.”

Red Clover

Weeds are what we make of them and I’ve decided to enjoy those that are edible, with a little manipulation and planning. I also can’t forget the medicinal value of what many sadly consider as receptacles for herbicide.

Photos by Dreamstime.com

I

‘m always telling people that if I can’t eat it, I don’t know what it is. An all-too-convenient answer when I have no idea what I’ve just been asked to identify.

Amaranth

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Dandelion My earliest memories of a weed is the common dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, The name comes from Arabic and means like chicory. It was prized in ancient cultures for culinary use and as a medicinal. I still remember being yelled at for blowing seeds all over the place and never would have thought that I would wind up buying seeds to plant them. I love the greens cooked as the Greek horta vrasta.

Gobo It’s still hard for me to think of gobo or burdock, Arctium lappa, as a weed. Especially after being trained to cut and cook it in a variety of Japanese dishes. Kinpira gobo is darn near one of the food groups in Japan, where gobo is prized for its root and the young leaves are also used in the countryside. Found in areas of Hawai`i where there is

abundant soil, the plant can also be grown in deep boxes and even in 55-gallon drums. Gobo is also considered to inhibit arthritis.

Chickweed The common chickweed, Stellaria media, is more common in parts of Maui but found all over the state. Usually found in cultivated fields, pastures, gardens, shaded lawns and neglected areas, it likes cool, moist, shady places.

I find it under my greenhouse benches. An herb, it is considered a diuretic and expectorant. It’s often added to salads or mixed with other greens and cooked. I’ve seen it made into pesto in some places.

I’ll check under the benches later today. I’ve also made tea with it. It is very high in vitamins, especially C and A.

Lamb’s Quarters Lamb’s quarters, Chenopodium album, is a fast-growing annual in many parts of Hawai`i. It is considered invasive although it is less common that some other invasive plants and reportedly is sold on Maui, where it’s most common in lower Kula. I’ve been served this in curries in Indian restaurants. While living on the mainland, I regularly steamed or stir-fried it in various dishes.

Chickweed

Clover There are more than 300 species of clover, Trifolium, most of them edible in a variety of forms. In addition to common sprouts, young leaves are used in salads and often added to stir-fry. Red and other clovers can be used as a tea, while the seeds and flowers are dried and made into flour. Clover is also popular as a cover crop for animal grazing and erosion control—a living mulch. Some prefer clover flowers over its leaves, finding them less bitter, but I’ve never found bitterness in young leaves. They have a vanilla-like flavor. A quick Google of clover or its Latin name will give you a variety of recipes from desserts to drinks.

Broadleaf Plantain Not a banana, the broadleaf plantain, Plantago major, or Laukahi in Hawaiian, consists of seven species in Hawai`i out of 300 worldwide. Three are endemic to Hawai`i.

Young leaves are juiced but can also be used in salads or steamed.

Finding them to be somewhat of a pest on my previous farm, I would often stir-fry them with a host of other greens. I used to have Cherokee friend who was an artist and talked of boiling them. The plant has a long history of usage.

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Sow Thistle Sow thistle, Sonchus oleraceus, called pualele in Hawaiian, is naturalized across the state. The leaves, reminiscent of dandelion, taste of lemon and are often used in salads along with the flowers. It’s very common in Italian Ligurian cuisine. Using some of the leaves in soup is common. Roots are roasted and used as a coffee substitute.

The plant is also used medicinally as a diuretic.

Common Mallow Common mallow, Malva neglecta, is usually considered something to be sprayed with herbicides, pulled or dug out but always destroyed before seedpods develop. On the other hand it’s also found sold in a variety of big-box stores. The plant is served in restaurants in Europe, where the plant parts are used for everything from making marshmallows to sprouted seeds, which are very high in protein. Mallow and sow thistle leaves are often mixed in salads.

Amaranth There are nine types of Amaranthus found in Hawai`i, from the common green to the critically endangered Amaranthus brownii.

More common varieties, also called papala or kulu`i, are often found along trails in dry areas. At one time this grain was looked at as a chicken feed in Hawaii but the chickens didn’t like the taste or the small size. In India various types of amaranth leaves are found at farmers’ markets and used in a wide variety of vegetable dishes. The grain is milled and commonly sold as flour for flat breads like dosa and roti. Being gluten-free, the flour is gaining popularity among celiac patients. Few grains can grow as well as amaranth in Hawai`i and more work could be done to bring this into the mainstream.

I’ve learned to look twice at what comes up in the fields or even the cracks in the driveway now. Having to harvest for dinner is a much more pleasant way to think about weeds. Just make sure you are sure what it is before you look for recipes.

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PHilosoPHy of AloHA Indigenous industry built on tastes, values of Hawai`i

BY JILL ENGLEDOW

ichael Moore, Robert Aguiar and Tim Moore, owners of Na Hoaloha `Ekolu, each discovered a surprise on his doorstep one morning in January: a copy of the Sunday paper and a bouquet of flowers.

Inside the paper was an ad purchased by their 300-plus employees, celebrating the 25th anniversary of Na Hoaloha and praising the partners’ “leadership, integrity, and most of all your generosity.”

M

Na Hoaloha `Ehā (The Four Friends) was a bootstrap operation for a while, with all working their regular jobs in the visitor and entertainment industry while running a three-nights-a-week lū`au featuring authentic Hawaiian food, music and dance. The response was enthusiastic, and in 1988 the company purchased a nearby restaurant that provided a kitchen and a liquor license to the lū`au, by then hosting 300 guests every night.

“I don’t think any of the three of us ever felt more successful,” Moore said during an interview at Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop, the partners’ latest venture. The growth of Na Hoaloha from a seaside lū`au that won rave reviews to a culinary powerhouse on Maui’s west side has been as much a story of community growth as of business achievement.

Na Hoaloha kept improving and growing. In the mid-’90s, they opened Aloha Mixed Plate, a casual outdoor restaurant at the Kā`anapali end of town, near Māla Wharf. The new venue became famous for its local-style plate lunches. The lū`au moved to a gorgeous oceanfront setting at Moali`i, not far from Aloha Mixed Plate, and the original site now hosts The Feast at Lele, a partnership between Na Hoaloha and chef James McDonald showcasing four Pacific Island nations: Hawai`i, Tahiti, Tonga and Samoa.

It all began in 1986 with the Old Lāhaina Lū`au. Moore and Robert Aguiar developed and opened the lū`au at 505 Front St. in Lāhaina for a large ocean-recreation company. When the recreation company decided it didn’t want to continue the operation, Moore and Aguiar recruited two friends, Tim Moore (not related to Michael) and Kevin Butler, and scraped up enough money to purchase the lū`au.

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All this was going on with minimal and often off-site kitchen facilities, so Na Hoaloha (now with three partners: Michael Moore, Tim Moore and Robert Aguiar) began planning for a custom-designed production facility. They bought land and built a 2,500-square-foot

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warehouse and a 3,500-square-foot production kitchen, with a restaurant at the site that turned into one of the hottest Maui eateries of recent years, Star Noodle.

“I’m a big noodle person,” says Moore, a hapa-haole Oregonian who moved to Maui in 1980. “My mom’s Japanese.” He had eaten at trendy noodle shops in New York City, and thought their sophisticated versions of Asian dishes would be the perfect thing for Hawai`i. Na Hoaloha sent a team of four to New York City. “They ate noodles for a week,” expanding their local sensibilities and tastes as they experienced the latest trends in a culinary hotspot.

The partners used the same technique to develop their newest restaurant, Leoda’s (named for Aguiar’s mother, a member of a long time Olowalu family), in an old Olowalu building that once was Ichiki Store and then, for many years, a French restaurant called Chez Paul. This time, they sent the team to San Francisco to eat bread and pies. Decorated in a spare plantation style, Leoda’s attracts a mix of tourists and locals who line up for sandwiches, salads and luscious-looking pies. One wall displays vintage pictures of Olowalu residents (including former storekeeper Mrs. Ichiki, now almost 100, and Leoda herself ).

While the various restaurants and lū`au are well-known, Na Hoaloha also caters whale-watching boats and condos and hosts weddings at the Moali`i site, where newlyweds sometimes choose to hold the ceremony just before the lū`au and then enjoy a readymade party as the regular festivities commence. They’ve also become farmers, signing up master kalo (taro) grower Bobby Pahia to grow the Hawaiian staple plant used to make poi. The crop is so abundant that they have far more kalo then they need to supply the lū`au, so they are now developing new kalo-based products.

The growth had an unexpected consequence. With more than 300 employees, Moore was surprised to learn that some did not recognize him. “I always thought we were `ohana,” he said. Now the partners put on an orientation class, showing a video about the company’s early years and then personally telling the story of more recent expansion.

In recruiting new employees, they make it clear that, while they don’t require people to do things like pick up roadside litter or pull weeds for the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust, “that’s the kind of people we want.” Moore’s favorite party of the year is one the company hosts, an annual New Year’s bingo party for west-side senior citizens. The usual bingo prizes take a decided step up at this event, ranging from microwaves to trips to Las Vegas, and the games continue until every guest has won a big prize. The 80- and 90-year26

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olds who attend are “a direct connection to the past,” says Moore. “I treasure that.”

Na Hoaloha has seen a lot of growth despite bad times; construction on the new warehouse and production facility was about to begin when the economy crashed in 2008. The partners and their crew have kept things going by concentrating on the quality of their product.

“The next few years are about training and leadership development,” Moore said. To achieve that training, the company has taken over the lease of Hale Aloha, a restored historic church in Lāhaina town where they have established the Charles Ka`upu Learning Center.

The late Charles Ka`upu was a respected chanter and cultural expert who participated in the Old Lāhaina Lū`au but also “was part of virtually everything we’ve done since we started,” says Moore. “His passing was a major, major loss for us. The best thing we could do to honor him would be to teach.”

The learning center will teach not only the kind of skills Na Hoaloha’s employees need for restaurant work, but life skills (from balancing a checkbook to applying for a mortgage) and Hawaiian arts (with a special soundproof area for practices such as drumming and chanting). Everything will be done with a Hawaiian sensibility, applying Hawaiian values as the company has tried to do in everything they undertake, Moore said.

The Na Hoaloha partners started out with no formal business training, and their vision was therefore unique, Moore said. “We wanted to be a place where people liked to be.” With hundreds of employees, the company now indirectly affects thousands. “The community is us, and we are the community. You take care of the community you operate in,” Moore said. “It’s just what we do.”

The partners’ approach to their work has resulted in Na Hoaloha restaurants winning awards for their dishes and the company. But perhaps the biggest honor the three have received was a simple newspaper ad, bought and signed by employees grateful for the philosophy of aloha that governs the place where they earn a living.

www.Starnoodle.com www.Leodas.com www.Oldlahainaluau.com

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Special Menu for Edible Hawaiian Islands Spring Issue

~Big Island Love~ 1st course “Hearts and Diamonds” Ahi sashimi with Big Island tortilla chips, Wailea hearts of palm salsa and wasabi chimichurri

2nd course “South East” Hester Farms super sweet corn with pickled Hamakua mushrooms, vine-ripened tomatoes and white truffle oil

main course “Kulana” Hapa Brown Ale–braised beef short ribs with roasted Pahala squash roulade and ohelo berry gastrique

dessert course “Ahualoa to Waimea” Rincon Farms strawberry and Ahualoa goat cheese semifreddo with macadamia crumble and Hawaiian chili pepper flakes

Cooking Fresh with Casey Halpern at Café Pesto

This menu is inspired by the abundance that is Hawai`i Island. Many great farmers, ranchers and fishermen call the Big Island home. Chefs from across the state and country are sourcing many of their products from here. Suisan Fish Market provides fish caught and served on the very same day. Hearts of palm are perfectly cared for by Mike and Leslie at Wailea Agriculture. Ellis and Socka Hester of Pahala are growing some awesome vegetables like sweet corn, peppers and tomatoes. What about those Hamakua mushrooms? Probably the best you will ever eat! Thanks to Bob and Janice Stanga for doing such a great job. Kulana is another island company that is doing their part. They have helped to keep island ranching alive and continue to provide excellent grass-fed natural beef. Hawai`i Nui brewing has created Hapa Brown Ale that pairs perfectly with the rich flavor of island beef. Then there are Rincon Farms strawberries, amazingly delicious and only 60 miles away from Hilo. Blended with Hawai`i Island Goat Dairies cheese and some dried local chili peppers, it’s a perfect combination. Dick Trefall’s goat cheese is surprisingly smooth, prized by chefs all over the state.

So really this menu is about the people who produce these stellar products. These individuals and companies have inspired local chefs for years. We can only hope that they will continue doing this as time goes on. Their products make cooking easy. When we start with something great the end product tends to be so much better. It’s good to know that people like this are all over the country and the world. As consumers we need to make sure that we support them. So find a product produced by these dedicated individuals and make some great food!

Aloha.

Downtown Hilo Bay & Kawaihae Harbor

See their menu online: www.cafepesto.com

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“Kulana” Hapa Brown Ale–Braised Short Ribs with Pahala Squash Roulade and Ohelo Berry Gastrique

For the roasted squash:

Serves 4

4 summer squash, sliced thin 1 ounce olive oil Salt and pepper to taste

For the short ribs: 4 pounds bone-in Kulana short ribs

1.

Season squash and brush with oil.

1 bottle Hapa Brown Ale

2.

Stack 5 slices on top of one another.

3 bay leaves

3.

Roast stacks in a 350° oven for 20 minutes.

5 peppercorns

4.

Remove from oven and roll up. (can be prepared 1 day ahead)

2 tablespoons garlic 1 onion, diced 1 carrot, diced

For the ohelo berry gastrique:

1 stalk celery, diced

½ cup ohelo berries, cleaned

1 clove garlic, smashed

¼ cup vinegar

6 cups beef broth

1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon sugar

1.

Up to two days before cooking, toss ribs in beer, bay leaves, peppercorns and garlic.

2.

Refrigerate, turning in excess sauce twice each day.

3.

On the third day, season ribs with salt and pepper and coat with flour.

4.

Brown on all sides in oil, pork fat, or butter.

5.

In the same pan, brown the vegetables.

6.

Deglaze pan with beer and put everything into a 4-inch-deep braising pan.

7.

1.

Place vinegar and sugar into a nonreactive sauce pan and reduce by half.

2.

Add ohelo berries and cook for 5 minutes.

Plating:

1.

Place ribs on plate.

2.

Top with squash roulade.

Cover with wax paper and foil and put into a 350° oven.

3.

Spoon ohelo berries over the top.

8.

Braise for 5 hours, turning ribs over every hour.

4.

Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.

9.

When ribs are fork tender, remove from oven and cool overnight in the fridge.

10. On the day of service, clean ribs of bone and excess fat and reheat in cooking juices.

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“South East” Roasted Hester Sweet Corn with Pickled Hamakua Mushrooms, Vine-Ripened Tomatoes and Truffle Oil Serves 4 For the corn: 4 ears Hester sweet corn

1.

Roast corn in 400° oven for about 35 minutes.

2.

Clean off husk and hair.

3.

Cut kernels off cob.

For the pickled mushrooms: 4 ounces Hamakua mushrooms 1 ounce apple cider vinegar 1 ounce honey 1 bay leaf 4 peppercorns 1 sprig rosemary white truffle oil to drizzle salt & pepper to taste. bread and sour cream for garnish

1.

Place all ingredients in a nonreactive sauce pot.

2.

Place over medium heat and bring to a boil.

3.

Once boiling, remove from heat and let cool.

Plating:

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1.

Cut tomatoes into desired size and place on plate.

2.

Arrange corn and mushrooms.

3.

Drizzle with white truffle oil and season with salt and pepper.

4.

Garnish with bread and sour cream.

“Hearts and Diamonds” Ahi Sashimi, Big Island Tortilla Chips, Wailea Palm Heart Salsa and Wasabi Chimichurri Serves 4 For the salsa: ½ cup tomato, diced ¼ cup Wailea hearts of palm, diced ¼ cup Pahala sweet peppers, diced ¼ cup sweet onion, diced Lime, chili pepper and salt to taste

1.

Mix all ingredients and store in fridge up to 1 day ahead.

For the wasabi chimichurri: ¼ cup cleaned cilantro, chopped ¼ cup cleaned parsley, chopped ¼ cup scallion, sliced 1 teaspoon garlic, minced 2 tablespoon wasabi paste 1 tablespoon honey Salt and pepper to taste

1.

Place all ingredients except salt and pepper into food processor and blend until smooth.

2.

Season with salt and pepper.

For the tortillas: 2 (12-inch) tortillas, cut into desired shape

1.

Fry tortillas until crisp and season with salt.

For the ahi: 8 ounces ahi, sliced thin Cabbage

Plating:

1.

Place ahi on one side of plate on a bed of cabbage.

2.

Place tortillas on the opposite side of the plate.

3.

Using a spoon, spread chimichurri down the middle of the plate.

4.

Put salsa in a container and place at end of chimichurri.

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“Ahualoa to Waimea” Rincon Farms Strawberry and Ahualoa Goat Cheese Semifreddo With Macadamia Crumble and Spicy Hawaiian Chili Pepper Flakes Serves 4 For the semifreddo: 1½ cups strawberries, stems removed 2 teaspoons lilikoi juice 5 ounces sugar, divided 2 eggs 1 ounce whole milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ cup Hawaii Island Goat Dairies goat cheese ¾ cup heavy cream

1.

Line a small loaf pan with plastic wrap, making sure to cover the sides.

2.

Purée the strawberries with the lilikoi juice and 1 tablespoon of the sugar.

3.

Fill the bottom of a double boiler with water and heat; in a bowl over the water, beat the eggs with the sugar, milk and vanilla.

4.

Continue beating for about 8 minutes, until the mixture thickens.

5.

Cool mixture and whisk in the goat cheese and all but ¼ cup of the strawberry purée.

6.

Beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form and fold into the cheese and strawberry mixture.

7.

Place in freezer for at least 4 hours.

8.

When ready to serve, unmold semifreddo and cut or scoop into desired portions.

9.

Spoon sauce over semifreddo and garnish with mint and dried Hawaiian chili pepper flakes.

For the macadamia crumble: ½ cup flour ½ cup diced macadamia nuts ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar ¼ cup unsalted butter, chilled

1.

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse on and off until well mixed.

2.

Put crumble into a 250° oven and toast.

3.

Stir every 15 minutes until golden brown.

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Wenhao Sun with sea asparagus on his farm (courtesy Marine Agrifutures)

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Delicacies

from sea and shore “Ocean’s Plant Bounty Enriches Islands’ Diet”

BY WANDA A. ADAMS

T

he traditional pre-contact Hawaiian diet has been called bland and starchy: taro, sweet potatoes, breadfruit. But the first Hawai`i peoples had a vast source of sprightly ingredients: the sea and its fringes. Pa`akai, salt, harvested in drying pans. And seaweed.

It is perhaps a measure of our understanding that we call these weeds.

Hawaiians, in songs such as the famous “Uluwehi O Ke Kai,” called them delicacies. The current, more descriptive term in English is sea vegetables.

Three of these have become staples: ogo (Gracilaria, aka limu or limu loa), found ubiquitously in pau hana poke; sea asparagus or sea bean (many species of the genus Salicornia) also known as samphire, glasswort, saltwort, it’s been called “the plant with a thousand names”); and, least known, `akulikuli (Sesuvium portulicastrum, also known as sea purslane), thought of by most as a lei plant but to Hawaiians a tasty quick beach snack.

“We call it Hawaiian Gatorade,” said Hi`ilei Kawelo, executive director of Paepae O He`eia, a nonprofit educational organization seeking to restore a fishpond at He`eia on O`ahu, between Kane`ohe and Kahalu`u. The plant restores the body’s salt and electrolytes.

“It wasn’t something you ate in large quantities.” When her family spent days out on Kapapa Island in Kane`ohe Bay, they’d pick a few tender shoots and munch as they fished.

Indeed, `akulikuli leaves remind me of caviar or tobiko: Your teeth snap through the crisp outer skin and meet with a sudden, swift hit of sea-fresh saltiness.

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Hi`ilei is responsible for the presence of `akulikuli on the menu of chef Mark Noguchi’s He`eia Kea General Store & Deli.

Noguchi—”Gooch” to friends—is a former hula dancer with Hilo’s famed Halau O Kekuhi, with a deep respect for Hawaiian culture and traditions, and so much a friend of the pond that he spends some Saturdays off in strenuous work parties that are rebuilding the enclosure.

One day, Hi`ilei was enjoying a salad he’d made with purslane, a ground cover succulent grown by MAO Organic Farms. “Hey,” she said, “you should use `akulikuli.”

We call it Hawaiian Gatorade “Wot?” said Noguchi in true local-boy style. He had been around the plant “forever” and never knew it was edible. “You can eat dat?”

And you can.

And I did, not long ago, in a salad of ho`io (tender fern tips that resemble young asparagus), MAO carrots with `akulikuli on top and a side of pa`iai (undiluted poi) from nearby Kahalu`u on the side.

Noguchi likes `akulikuli for Japanese-style pickles, too. He made namasu (simple vinegar-marinated quick salad, often on the sweeter side) and tsukemono (quick pickle) one weekend.

He recommends using the end tips; the stems can be bitter and slimy.

For a taste of `akulikuli, you’ll likely have to make a trip to the beach, but you can find ogo, cleaned and packaged, at almost any fish shop, poke store or market that specializes in Hawaiian or local food.

There are many different types of this branching, crisp, salty seaweed and it may be red, brown or tawny, pencil-lead-thin or knobby thick. Some types are almost more texture than flavor; others yield an off-putting hint of iodine.

The key is to prepare the ogo correctly: Blanch it and shock it. That is, drop it into briskly boiling water for a few seconds, then plunge it into icy water until it’s chilled. Ogo treated in this way, especially the mustard-colored “elephant ogo” becomes cleaner-tasting and less salty or iodiney. (As elephant ogo is an invasive import, activists such as those at He`eia Pond are delighted when foragers pick it, clearing the way for native plants, Hi`ilei Kawelo said.)

`Akulikuli is the Hawaiian word for succulents in general; it is a common indigenous ground cover, a member of the carpetweed family. (Why do we keep calling edible things weeds?)

The Department of Agriculture of the State of Hawai`i reports that the algae-growing division is the largest of the aquaculture sectors here, outselling shellfish, finfish and aquarium plants and animals.

But much of this production, more than $11 million in farm gate sales, is in spirulina and other microalgae used in food supplements.

Limu or ogo sales represent about a $1 million business. Most is sold fresh but there’s been an increasing interest in “value-added” ogo products: kimchee, pickles, salsa, inamona (kukui nut relish).

`Akulikuli is easily recognized by its burgundy to pinkish red stems, speartip-shaped leaves, flowers (magenta, white, even yellow or orange) and crawling nature. It’s not cultivated except by nurseries for ground cover and flower plants. But its readily gathered and you don’t need much.

A man who has come to know a lot about ogo while he was growing and studying the third member of our sea vegetable trio is Dr. Wenhao Sun, who began as a laboratory scientist interested in aquaculture possibilities and is now an entrepreneur growing sea asparagus, ogo and tilapia in happy harmony in ponds in Kahuku.

Furthermore, said Noguchi, it’s hardy: I took home a couple of handfuls and, following my limited lei-keeping knowledge, laid the hand-length stems gently on damp paper toweling in a plastic container in the refrigerator. They kept their crispness for more than week and went into everything from salads to soups (as a last-minute garnish).

But it’s been a long wade through muddy waters since he and two partners created Marine Agrifutures LLC/dba Olakai Hawaii and launched their first field trial in a former Kahuku shrimp pond in 2006.

Food love.

“What IS this stuff?” I asked and was stunned to find out you could eat the leaves of the gorgeous magenta lei flower.

Noguchi makes a limu (seaweed) and `akulikuli salad. “They grow together, it’s only logical,” he said. “If they grow together, they go together.”

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At first, the bobbing waterfields of Salicornia bigelovii flourished and celebrity chefs and the food media flocked to this Next Big Thing.

Foodies loved the knobby, branched vegetable with its air of the sea and crunchy texture. They made salads, served fish on beds of the lightly steamed or sautéed greens, made pickles.

Marine Agrifutures borrowed money to plant more. The summer harvest looked great. And then, in fall, it began to rain. The whole crop died.

To make a very long story short, it took several failed crops, a business reorganization (Sun is now sole owner of Marine Agrifutures) and much hand-wringing and research to realize one simple fact: Sea asparagus is a brackish-water plant. Not a sea plant. Not a freshwater plant. Too much salt, it dies. Too little salt, it is weakened and becomes prey to pests.

Problem solved. And better yet, ecosystem created. Sun figured out how to use fish to eat up microalgae that threaten sea asparagus, replacing it with edible (and salable) ogo. The sea asparagus produces carbon dioxide; the ogo eats it up and produces oxygen for the fish.

“That,” says Sun with satisfaction, “is sustainable.”

In weekly farmers’ market tastings, Sun has doggedly gone about the business of introducing potential buyers to sea asparagus—most already know his “skinny crunchy” Kahuku ogo. He’s able to sell all the ogo he grows to fish purveyors and poke makers.

But gamely enticing walkers-by to taste his wares at farmers’ markets, he’s found out something so counterintuitive it’s hard to believe: Asians, who eat seaweed like candy, don’t like sea asparagus.

Too powerfully salty. Europeans and North Americans greet it like an old friend. Those from the Mediterranean are used to it (“samphire” is a corruption of St. Pierre, patron saint of fishermen) as are East Coasters.

His theory: Westerners like a number of bitter ingredients (chocolate, coffee) and know how to employ rich ingredients (such as butter, cream and cheese) to tame the bitterness. Asian people, Japanese especially, enjoy their foods very lightly and subtly flavored.

Sea asparagus, `akulikuli and ogo all can be used in any salad, particularly Asian-style salads. Crisp sliced vegetables (cucumber, tomato, blanched carrots, sliced green onions, cabbage and such), plus freshly minced garlic and ginger, toasted sesame seeds and a drizzle of sesame oil, as well as some wasabi for spice, are all that’s needed.

Both sea asparagus and ogo are generally washed, blanched and shocked before use, though it’s not required. In sea asparagus, the process creates a certain extra crispness. In ogo, particularly elephant ogo, it lessens any unpleasant iodine flavor.

Blanching is plunging the vegetable into a potful of briskly boiling water for 10–30 seconds. Shocking is draining the hot vegetable, or using a skimmer to pull it out of the boiling water and immersing immediately in a bowl or sink full of ice-cold water (float some ice cubes in cold tap water). Remove vegetable as soon as it’s chilled unless recipe directs otherwise.

But since the Japanese gift market is a lot easier for island purveyors to crack than the white tablecloth restaurants of New York, he’s created a group of products that are delicious, use plenty of sea asparagus and don’t taste like the stuff at all (creamy salad dressing, lively pesto and tangy salsa).

“Instead of make them fit you, you fit them,” he said, beaming.

Me? I’ll take mine in a salad, with a piece of steamed or grilled fresh fish or in Sun’s trademark musubi.

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Most crisp sea vegetables lend themselves to pickling.

Wenhao Sun makes this simple sea asparagus pickle. Another option is to go the Japanese route and use a sunomono treatment (equal parts rice vinegar, shoyu and mirin or sugar) or tsukemono (with the addition of kombu seaweed in a sugarvinegar-water mixture) with ogo or sea asparagus.

Pickled Sea Asparagus 4 ounces fresh sea asparagus 6 tablespoons white wine vinegar 6 tablespoons water 4 tablespoons sugar 1 hot, red chili pepper (ni`oi; Hawaiian pepper), minced, or 1 teaspoon pickling spice 1 clove garlic, peeled

Rinse sea asparagus in cold, running water and drain. In a saucepan, bring vinegar, water and sugar to a boil; lower heat and simmer 15 minutes. In a sterilized pint canning jar, place garlic and pepper or spice. Pack sea asparagus tightly into jar.

Pour hot solution over, leaving ½ inch headroom. Seal the jar and process in boiling water bath 15 minutes (or refrigerate, and keep refrigerated even after use). Mixture will be ready to taste in two days.

In the following recipe, the first Dr. Wenhao Sun created for the curious to try during tastings, salty sea asparagus takes the place of salt salmon in an Island favorite. If you want to add some toasted kukui nut/chili relish (inamona), do.

Lomi Sea Asparagus 4 ounces fresh sea asparagus tips 4 ounces ripe tomato, chopped as for lomi salmon 1 ounce sliced sweet onion (Maui), broken into crescents

Blanch and shock sea asparagus. Cut into 1-inch lengths. Soak in ice water for 30 minutes to an hour. In a medium bowl, toss together drained sea asparagus, tomato and onion and refrigerate, covered, for 1 hour before serving.

Makes 2 servings.

Variations: Sea asparagus may be used without blanching.

Cooked or dried shrimp may be added. Sliced cucumber may be used in place of onion.

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...the first Hawai`i peoples had a vast source of sprightly ingredients: the sea and its fringes.

Pa`akai, salt, harvested in drying pans. And seaweed.

Chef Mark Noguchi of He`eia Kea Pier General Market & Deli loves to add a pop of salty moisture with a handful of `akulikuli tips, an ingredient few of his customers have ever experienced. One day, for a TV photo shoot, he prepared a salad of ho`io (fern leaf tips) and fresh local carrots with a knob of pa`iai (unthinned poi) and a garnish of `akulikuli that remains on my Best Things to Cross My Lips in 2011 list. Here’s a low-fat, high-nutrition idea from Noguchi.

Mark Noguchi’s Sea Salad 1 pound ogo or elephant ogo, washed, blanched and shocked ½ small onion, very thinly sliced 1 hot, red chili pepper (ni`oi; Hawaiian pepper), finely minced ¼–½ pound cherry tomatoes, halved 2 cloves garlic, minced Small handful of `akulikuli tips White vinegar Sherry vinegar Shoyu

Combine seaweed, pepper and vegetables in medium bowl and toss. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine vinegars and shoyu to taste.

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St-Germain Announces Fourth Annual Can-Can Cocktail Classic Winner St-Germain and Edible Communities are pleased to announce Joseph Ambrose’s Peach Milk Fizz from Edible DC as the winning entry in the fourth annual Can-Can Cocktail Classic. Ambrose lives in Washington, DC, and bartends at the W Hotel there. As the national winner, he will receive an Edible Communities editorial profile as well as $10,000.

This year St-Germain partnered with Edible Communities to provide a new twist on their annual competition. St-Germain is an all-natural, artisanally produced liqueur made from wild elderflower blossoms that are handpicked by farmers during a four- to six-week blossoming season in the French Alps. Both St-Germain and Edible Communities support working with fresh ingredients and for this contest they challenged bartenders to develop an original cocktail recipe featuring St-Germain and seasonal ingredients from their local region. All ingredients used in Ambrose’s Peach Milk Fizz are locally grown in the Washington, DC, area.

Peach Milk Fizz Collins glass 1½ ounces bourbon 1½ ounces smoked-peach milk punch ¾ ounce St-Germain ½ ounce simple syrup 1 egg white 4–6 nepitella leaves Add all contents to shaker except leaves.

Whip, then add leaves and ice; shake.

Strain contents into an iced Collins glass; top with soda water.

Garnish with a nepitella sprig.

St-Germain is the world’s first handcrafted elderflower liqueur. An all-natural, artisanal French liqueur, St-Germain was released in 2007 and its elderflowers are handpicked from the Savoie region at the foothills of the French Alps. St-Germain boasts a subtle, yet complex flavor with notes of tropical fruits, grapefruit and pear, with a hint of honeysuckle.

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In our region, the Hawaiian Islands winner in the St-Germain Can-Can Cocktail Contest is:

Sunset Smoked St. Martini Jesse Scott The Beach House Restaurant/Kaua`i, Koloa Jesse1138@hotmail.com

In bar mixing tin filled with fresh ice, add: 1.4 ounces St-Germain 1 ounce (2–3 cubes) smoked pineapple 2.25 ounces fresh baby coconut water 1 squeeze fresh Kaua`i lime Muddle until smoked pineapple is well macerated.

Shake very, very well until all ingredients are incorporated.

Strain into well-chilled cocktail glass and garnish with another cube of smoked pineapple, speared with a fresh leaf of Kaua`i or Hawaiian sage on a cocktail pick.

Enjoy this unique and revitalizing cocktail!

To make smoked pineapple: (This needs to be made in advance and stored in a refrigerated airtight container.)

Take 1 large ripe Kaua`i- or Hawaiian-grown pineapple, preferably organic, and peel off outer skin, leaving crown and bottom plus 1 inch of rind.

In a non-gas barbecue with cover, place 5–8 briquettes and start till they are red hot.

In a medium mixing bowl, soak 2 large handfuls of wood smoking chips (preferably apple wood or alder) in a mixture of ¾ cup water to ¼ cup St-Germain. Let them soak for approximately 1 hour. Drain excess liquid and add chips to coals.

About the Sunset Smoked St. By using the abundant fresh local produce here in Hawai`i and adding a new twist by smoking the pineapple you get an amazing complexity and richness of flavors that well complement the subtle floral and citrus notes of St-Germain. When you add that with incredibly refreshing coconut water (which, by the way, is packed with electrolytes) and just a hint of lime, the results are fantastic!

The drink continues to develop additional flavors as the very subtle hint of the sage leaf garnish slowly unfolds. Amazingly layered flavors and the perfect match for St-Germain!

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Place peeled pineapple on upper rack of grill with small drip pan below it to capture juice. Close down smoker to retain maximum smoke and turn and rotate pineapple for next 1–2 hours, basting with captured juice drippings.

When ready, cut off crown and bottom rind and place rest of pineapple immediately in large zip-lock bag and refrigerate.

After about an hour in the refrigerator, cut into ½-inch cubes for use.

Honorable Mentions went to David Newman of Nobu Waikiki...

Roasted Germain Pepper Drop David Newman Nobu, Waikiki david@noburestaurants.com ½ Shishito pepper 1 Meyer lemon wedge 1 ounce St-Germain 1½ ounces Hangar 1 Buddha’s Hand Vodka ½ ounce fresh Meyer lemon juice½ ounce homemade hibiscus simple syrup Splash Fever Tree organic soda water

Muddle pepper and lemon wedge, add rest of ingredients and hard shake for 30 seconds to infuse cocktail with pepper, hibiscus and St-Germain flavors. Strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish with other half of pepper that has been sprinkled with granulated sugar and torched. Sugar rim.

We are sourcing locally grown Shishito peppers (Japanese sweet peppers), which we also feature as an appetizer on our menu. Ma`o Farms supplies those as well as the Meyer lemons and dried hibiscus we use. Supporting the local growers is something we strive to do here at Nobu.

This seasonal cocktail is a spin on one of our most popular drinks at the restaurant. It is light, refreshing and designed with a wow factor. People are stunned when they try the drink and always ask how we possibly came up with it.

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...and Kyle Reutner of Town Honolulu.

Cheers!

Hello Again Kyle Reutner Town, Honolulu • kyle.reutner@gmail.com 4-ounce coupette ¾ ounce St-Germain 1½ ounces Hawaiian rum (Koloa) ¾ ounce Ma`o Tahitian lime juice Dash Hawaiian cane syrup 3 fresh-picked lychees, peeled and pitted 1 half peeled lychee for garnish

Muddle lychees and cane syrup, add lime juice, St-Germain and rum and shake hard with cracked ice. Double strain into coupette and garnish with half peeled fresh lychee.

At Town we focus on local ingredients first and foremost. This drink came from realizing that even many local people hadn’t tasted fresh lychee. They are so accustomed to the canned variety from Thailand that most didn’t know that the lychees have pits and a hard shell. The garnish allows a look into the nature of the fruit, and the cocktail brings out the best in our local produce with St-Germain highlighting the natural lychee flavor.

edible hawaiian islands marketplace

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recipe

wave

BY THE EDITOR AT LARGE

My favorite Hearts of Palm Salad is from The Kauai Grill at the St. Regis Princeville Resort on Kaua`i. Here is the salad dressing courtesy of Garrison Price, Chef De Cuisine. We have also included a recipe for charring the hearts of palm. ENJOY!

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Charred Hearts of Palm, Red Quinoa Salad, White Balsamic Vinaigette

Hearts of Palm Salad Dressing

Yield: approximately 8 servings 2 cups red quinoa, toasted, blanched, rinsed

Kauai Grill 808-826-9644 www.stregisprinceville.com

¼ cup sunflower seeds, raw ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, raw

1¼ cup coconut water

½ cup heart of palm, raw, small dice

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

½ cup orange bell pepper, small dice

2 tablespoons St-Germain elderflower liqueur

½ cup red onion, small dice ½ cup ripe pomelo flesh, crumbled

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon tarragon, chopped

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon chives, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon red Thai chili

1 tablespoon Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

2 teaspoons organic mesquite, raw, ground

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon Hawaiian red Alea sea salt 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

½ cup grapeseed oil

1 lemon, zest and juice

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 lime, zest and juice

1 teaspoon oregano leaves

1 Clementine, zest and juice 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Ruby Red grapefruit segments (for garnish)

In blender, combine first set of ingredients.

Purée to emulsify with oils. Mix with oregano.

Makes about 3 cups.

For the Salad In a medium-size sauté pan, toast the red quinoa dry over medium heat until lightly toasted. Gently simmer the quinoa in 3 quarts of water until tender, approximately 7–9 minutes; drain and rinse with cold water and drain again completely.

In a large mixing bowl simply combine all of the remaining ingredients, starting with the vegetables, herbs, dry ingredients, zest and liquids. The salad is best when marinated overnight and has a shelf life of 5 days due to its high acidity. It can be served cold or heated up and is a great accompaniment to any protein—especially grilled organic tofu or fresh island fish. Mesquite powder adds a smoky spice flavor similar to, but not as bold as, cinnamon and is beneficial in balancing blood sugars and is a great source of digestible protein, lysine and numerous minerals.

To Serve Generously season a 1½-inch diameter piece of hearts of palm with extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Grill over high heat until darkly charred on all sides. Remove from the grill and slice ¼-inch thick. Warm the quinoa salad in a pan with 1 tablespoon of water. Place the salad on the plate, rest the charred hearts of palm on top, garnish with Ruby Red grapefruit segments and extra-virgin olive oil. The charred hearts of palm add a smoky and bitter savory dimension to this raw-inspired nutritious salad.

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edible HAWAIIAN ISLANDS

LOCAL DINING GUIDE Restaurants are chosen for this dining guide because of their emphasis on using local, seasonal ingredients in their menus, creating a distinctly Hawaiian Islands Experience. — Let them know we sent you. Aloha!

O`ahu

Maui 12th Ave Grill An Award Winning Neighborhood Gem offering the Ripeness of the Season and the Best of Hawai`i’s farms and ranches. Wine list, unique microbrew beers and scratch bar cocktails are the perfect pairings for any palate. Warm service in a Bistro style complement this serious Contemporary American Cooking. Reservations 732.9469. www.12thavegrill.com. Follow us on Twitter @12thavenuegrillnow

Flatbread Company — Fresh, local, organic, salads, authentic wood-fire handmade, locally grown produce, micro beers, martini’s & mojito’s, open daily Sun-Thur 11:30-10PM FRI & SAT 11:3011PM (808)579-8989 Located at 89 Hana Hwy Paia www.flatbreadcompany.com - Like us on Facebook

EAT Honolulu Chef David Passanisi serves up Hawaiian Regional Cuisine in his own fantastic Rustic Gourmet way. Our unique private dining concept includes EAT-ATE-TAE, a 24 course Seasonal Deconstruction and EATnPrivate, which seats up to 14 people, available by reservations only. We incorporate as much locally made and produced items as possible and work with all styles of cuisines. www.EATHonolulu.com

Ko Executive Chef Tylun Pang leads the culinary masterpiece of Kō restaurant, the only place on Maui to offer plantation inspired cuisine. As the sugar industry grew, so did its need for manpower, bringing people from around the world. Kō, which translates to “sugarcane” in Hawaiian, celebrates the many cultures of the era serving Hawaiian, Chinese, Filipino, Portuguese, Korean, and Japanese menu items with an innovative twist.

4100 Wailea Alanui, Wailea, Maui, HI 96753, 808875-2210, ko.kealani@fairmont.com, www.korestaurant.com

V Lounge keeps the craft of the pizzaiolo alive. We

Lahaina Grill features innovative New American

adhere to the principles of any great pizzaiolo; “Never take shortcuts and make the pizza the way that it is supposed to be made.” The final product is the same type of pizza and flavors that you would get in Naples. Open Mon-Sat, 5pm-4am.

808-953-0007 www.vloungehawaii.com

cuisine that uses the freshest ingredients from Maui’s local farms, dairies and surrounding waters.

Voted “Best Maui Restaurant” for eighteen consecutive years by HONOLULU Magazine readers’ poll (1994-2011), Lahaina Grill delivers impeccable service and a delicious meal. Open nightly from 6pm, 127 Lahainaluna Road, Lahaina, www.lahainagrill.com, reservations recommended (808) 6675117

Mala Ocean Tavern: Fantastic Ocean View. Chef Mark Ellman and his wife Judy, and daughters, Michelle & Ariana make Mala a family business.

Farm fresh organic foods, Mark has been delighting Maui for 25+ years along with his other restaurants, Avalon, Maui Tacos, & Penne Pasta Cafe. Remember to Practice Aloha. 834 Front Street Lahaina (808) 667-9394 M-F 11am-10pm, Sat/Sun 9am-9pm Chef Mark Ellman presents Mala Wailea - offering stunning sunset vistas over the Pacific. Mala upholds a tradition of organic, healthy, fresh, and delicious food. Authentic menu of Mediterranean and Pacific Rim cuisine, award winning beautifully crafted dishes will please the palates of revered guests. Breakfast & Dinner (808) 875-9394 Located inside Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa

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Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop features casual family style dining in a comfortable plantation era atmosphere. Our glorified comfort food menu includes an assortment of handcrafted sandwiches, pizzas, and salads, daily specials and of course, sweet and savory pies. Located at 820 Olowalu Village Road off of Honoapiilani Hwy, Lahaina.

Open 7 days a week from 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Call us at (808) 662-3600 or visit us online at www.leodas.com.

Porto: Flame-Fired Artisan Pizza Overlooking Ma’alaea Harbor, Porto is a new restaurant offering tantalizing artisan pizzas, flame-fired to perfection in a copper-clad oven. Porto also serves panini with homemade focaccia, sandwiches, salads, pasta and other Italian specialties, featuring natural (and organic when available) produce, including fresh herbs, vegetables, meats and fruits from Hawai’i farms. All profits benefit Pacific Whale Foundation.

Open lunch/dinner. Ma’alaea Harbor Shops (off H30, Honoapiilani Highway, next to Maui Ocean Center) 808 856-8337 www.portomaui.com

Star Noodle, an intimate restaurant blending many flavors across Asia. Specializing in a variety of house made noodles and inventive Asian share plates served in a contemporary stylish setting.

Open 7 days a week for Lunch and Dinner at the top of Lahaina Business Park at 286 Kupuohi Street in Lahaina. (808)667-5400

Kaua`i Bar Acuda: Kaua`i’s coolest place to relax with friends and share a tapas menu filled with locally sourced ingredients. You know it’s going to be a fun evening as soon as you walk in the door. The atmosphere is welcoming. The bar area is cool, with a large-screen TV showing anything from Blue Planet series to old B&W movies. In Hanalei Town 808-826-7081 The Hanalei Dolphin has greeted visitor and local alike as they enter the town of Hanalei. Both the restaurant and fishmarket are known for the freshest fish caught by local fisherman, produce grown by local farmers and a second-to-none ambiance; one can enjoy a peaceful riverside lunch on umbrella shaded tables, outstanding dinner fare in a nostalgic tropical setting or just hang out in the stylish, world class sushi lounge. 5-5015 Kuhio Hwy, at the entrance of Hanalei 808-826-6113 www.hanaleidolphin.com

Advertising in this directory is by invitation.

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At Hukilau Lanai they love their local farmers & fishermen! The 10 year old business says they can’t imagine life without them. They always strive to use the finest ingredients & products from Kaua`i & the neighbor islands. Dinner Tuesday - Sunday, from 5-9 pm for casual, ocean view dining. 5 course tasting menu from 5-5:45 pm daily. 822-0600 www.hukilaukauai.com

Kaua`i Grill — A comfortable yet elegant hideaway—Kaua`i Grill is the latest in creative dining experiences from Michelin awarded Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Featuring a selection of signature appetizers, side dishes and accompaniments from his portfolio of domestic and international restaurants. Kaua`i Grill opened from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm.

Closed Sunday and Monday. For reservations contact The St. Regis Princeville Resort at 808826-9644 or www.stregisprinceville.com.

Lighthouse Bistro has been serving the North Shore of Kaua`i great food and live entertainment in an open air Hawaiian plantation garden setting since 1999. We pride ourselves on using fresh local produce and ingredients to create a unique European, pacific rim, fusion menu. Serving Lunch, Dinner and Happy Hour daily On the way to the Lighthouse. 808-828-0480 2484 Keneke Street, Kilauea, Hawai`i 96754. www.lighthousebistro.com

Living Foods Market and Café’ — The market’s cafe’-style restaurant offers a simple European-style menu; from poached eggs, grilled panini, pizzettas & crepes to Nicoise salads, and roasted chicken to enjoy on a 1,000+-sq ft open air deck. The cafe’ also roasts their own coffee on-site, with beans from each of the Hawaiian islands, and fresh fruit agua fresca throughout the day. Daily 8am to 8pm. In Kukui`ula Village 808-742-2323

Makana Terrace Restaurant — Dining at the Makana Terrace Restaurant is a culinary journey that embraces island lifestyle and farm to table cuisine.

Enjoy weekly culinary experiences such as the Mailani Dinner Show on Thursdays or an evening dedicated to Hawaiian seafood and vegetables with tropical marinades and exotic spices. Breakfast 6:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., Dinner 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p. m.

Sunday Brunch 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. For reservations contact The St. Regis Princeville Resort at 808826-9644 or www.stregisprinceville.com.

Postcards Café’ — Casual/ Fine Dining in Hanalei We’re big on buying locally for our seafood and vegetarian restaurant. But we also grow our own organic fruits, vegetables and herbs, like garlic chives and basil. Our fresh, delectable dinners have made us one of Kaua`i’s top restaurants - for 15 years!

Open nightly from 6:00. Entering Hanalei, we’re first on the left. Reservations for 4 or more: 826.1191.

The Garden at Common Ground on Kaua`i’s north shore, provides fresh, healthy and locally acquired organic and natural foods that are prepared daily into delicious meals with all recipes from scratch at a great value. The dining environment is quaint and beautiful providing views of the fields where the daily harvest comes from for your meals.

Open for breakfast and lunch daily. Weekend brunch 4900 Kuawa Rd, Kilauea Hi 96754, 808-828-1041 www.commongroundkauai.net Tidepools Open-air bungalows seemingly floating over tropical lagoons at the base of a waterfall provide Kauai’s most distinctive dining setting. With contemporary Hawaiian fare inspired by the rich traditions and natural ingredients of Hawaii, tantalizing selections pay homage to the classics while creating fresh new taste sensations. The exceptional service, atmosphere and delicacies will wow you. Located at the Grand Hyatt in Poipu. Call 808.240.6456 for reservations.

Hawai`i Island Experience the charm of Old Hawai`i at Cafe Pesto, Hilo Bay or a wonderful alternative to the resorts at Kawaihae. A family restaurant with a reputation for fresh, creative, affordable cuisine featuring local seafood and beef, exotic pizzas, eclectic salads, Asian inspired pastas and risottos. Open daily from 11:00AM to 9:00PM. Ph: (808)882-1071 in Kawaihae or (808) 969-6640 in Hilo. www.cafepesto.com

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Farmers’ Markets

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Kaua`i Farmers’ Markets

Hawai`i Island Farmers’ Markets

SATURDAY

Keauhou Farmers’ Market Keauhou Shopping Center, Keauhou 8a.m. – 12 noon

SATURDAY

Kaua`i Community Market At Kaua`i Community College Front Parking Lot (across from Grove Farm) • 9:30 am – 1:pm

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

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

Space Farmers’ Market Space Performing Arts Center 12-247 West Pohakupele Loop Pahoa, HI 96778 • Sat. 8:00a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Hanalei Saturday Market Hanalei • 10 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

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

MONDAY

A local tip: Get there early!

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

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

Kukui Grove Shopping Center Lihue • 3 p.m.

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

Waimea Town Market At Parker School, 65-1224 Lindsey Road Waimea/Kamuela HI 96743 Sat. 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 pm.

Waimea Hawaiian Homestead Farmers’ Market Mamalahoa Hwy., 2 miles east of Waimea town 7:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon

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

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

Kaua`i Culinary Market 4:00pm – 6:00pm Kukui`ula Village, Po`ipu In Conjunction w/ Kaua`i County Farm Bureau

THURSDAY

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

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

Coconut Marketplace 4-484 Kuhio Hwy, Kapaa • 9:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS Kekela Farms Organic Farmers Mkt 64-604 Mana Road, Waimea, HI 808-887-0023 • Tues. & Fri. 2:00-5:00pm 100% organic

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.

Waimea Mid-Week Farmer’s Market Anna Ranch • 12:30 P.M. – 5:30 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 Hale`iwa Farmers’ Market The Heart of Hale`iwa Traffic Signal @ Kamehameha Hwy. & Cane Haul Rd. Next to the North Shore Marketplace (free parking) • 9am.-1pm.

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.

O`ahu Farmers’ Markets

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

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

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

Manoa Marketplace Honolulu • 7–11 a.m.

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

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

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

Waianae Framers’ Market Waianae High School, 85-251 Farrington Hwy 8 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

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

MONDAYS

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hawai`i Kai Town 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.

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.

Honolulu Farmers’ Market at Neal Blaisdell Center, Local Bounty 808-848-2074 • 4:00-7:00 pm Waialua Farmers’ Co-Op At the Sugar Mill • 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 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.

Hana Health 4590 Hana Hwy, Hana • 9a.m. - 2p.m.

Hana Health 4590 Hana Hwy, Hana • 9a.m. - 5p.m.

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

Ono Organic Farms Across from Hasagawa Store, Hana 10:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Ono Organic Farms Across from Hasagawa Store, Hana 10:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Manoa Marketplace Honolulu • 7–11 a.m.

MONDAY

FRIDAY

Farmers’ Market of Maui-Kihei 61 Kihei Rd, Suda Store parking lot on South Kihei • 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

Farmers’ Market of Maui-Kihei 61 Kihei Rd, Suda Store parking lot on South Kihei • 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

Farmers’ Market of Maui-Honokowai 3636 Lower Honoapiilani Road, Kahana (Lahaina) • 7a.m.–11 a.m.

Farmers’ Market of Maui-Honokowai 3636 Lower Honoapiilani Road, Kahana (Lahaina) • 7–11 a.m.

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

Hana Health 4590 Hana Hwy, Hana • 9a.m. - 5p.m.

Hana Health 4590 Hana Hwy, Hana • 9a.m. - 5p.m.

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

Ono Organic Farms Across from Hasagawa Store, Hana 10:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Lana`i Farmers’ Market

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

TUESDAY Farmers’ Market of Maui-Kihei 61 Kihei Rd, Suda Store parking lot on South Kihei • 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

Lana`i Market Place Dole Park • 8 a.m.-1p.m.

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

Hana Health 4590 Hana Hwy, Hana • 9a.m. - 5p.m.

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

Ono Organic Farms Across from Hasagawa Store, Hana 10:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

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

FRIDAYS

Maui Farmers’ Markets SATURDAY Kula Country Farms Kula Hwy at Kekaulike Ave, Kula • 11 a.m. – 4 pm Maui Swap Meet University of Hawaii, Maui College 310 Ka`aumanu Ave in Kahului 7:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Upcountry Farmer’s Market Kula Malu Shopping center 55 Kiopaa Street in Pukalani • 7 a.m. – 12 Noon

SATURDAY

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

WEDNESDAY Farmers’ Market of Maui-Kihei 61 Kihei Rd, Suda Store parking lot on South Kihei • 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

Farmers’ Market of Maui-Honokowai 3636 Lower Honoapiilani Road, Kahana (Lahaina) • 7–11 a.m.

Hana Health 4590 Hana Hwy, Hana • 9a.m. - 5p.m.

Ono Organic Farms Across from Hasagawa Store, Hana 10:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Lipoa Street Farmers Market 95 Lipoa Street in Kihei • 8 a.m. – 12 Noon

THURSDAY

Hana Fresh Farmer’s Market 4590 Hana Hwy, in Hana • 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Farmers’ Market of Maui-Kihei 61 Kihei Rd, Suda Store parking lot on South Kihei • 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

SUNDAY Kula Country Farms Kula Hwy at Kekaulike Ave, Kula • 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

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Advertiser Directory This Directory is meant to help you quickly find our supporters listed by island, enjoy and let them know we sent you. Aloha

Kaua`i Anahola Granola www.anaholagranola.com Aunty Lilikoi 9875 Waimea Rd., Waimea 866-545-4564 • www.auntylilikoi.com Bar Acuda Restaurant Reservations: 808-826-7081 5-5161 Kuhio Hwy Hanalei, Kaua`i www.restaurantbaracuda.com Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa www.grandhayattkauai.com Hanalei Dolphin 5-5016 Kuhio Hwy., Hanalei, Kaua`i 808-826-6113 Harvest Market Hanalei 5-5161 Kuhio Hwy., Hanalei, Kaua`i 808-826-0089 Healthy Hut On the way to Kilauea Lighthouse 808-828-6626 • www.healthyhutkauai.com Hendrikus Organics 808-828-0099 • www.hendrikusorganics.com Hukilau Lanai Kaua`i Coast Resort Reservations Recommended 808-822-0600 • www.hukilaukauai.com Java Kai Kapaa 4-1384 Kuhio Hwy 808-823-6887 • www.javakaihawaii.com Kauai Grown Kauai County Farm Bureau 808-337-9944 • kcfb@hawaiiantel.net www.kauaigrown.org Kilauea Fish Market 4270 Kilauea Rd., Kilauea, Kaua`i 808-828-6244

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SPRING 2012

Kilauea Town Market 2474 Keneke St., Kilauea, Kaua`i 808-828-1512 Koloa Rum Company 808-246-8900 • www.koloarum.com Kukui`ula Village Kaua`i Culinary Market Po`ipu Roundabout at Kalanikaumaka 808-742-9545 • www.kukuiulavillage.com Living Foods Market Kukui`ula Village Po`ipu (on the south side) 808-742-2323 • www.livingfoodskauai.com

O`ahu EATHonolulu Gentry Pacific Design Center (808) 538-0597 • www.EATHonolulu.com Farm Credit Services Of Hawai`i, ACA 2850 Pa`a St. Ste 100, Honolulu 808-836-8009 • www.hawaiifarmcredit.com Hagadone Printing Co. 274 Puuhale Road, Honolulu, HI 96819 808-847-5310 • www.hagadoneprinting.com

Moloa`a Sunrise Fruit Stand Corner of Kuhio Hwy and Koolau Road * Phone orders welcome 808-822-1441

Kula Fields On O`ahu 808-281-6141 On Maui 808-280-6533 www.kulafields.com

Nani Moon Mead 4-939 D Kuhio Hwy 808-823-0486 • www.nanimoonmead.com

Whole Foods Market Kahala Mall in Honolulu, 4211 Wai`alae Ave www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Papaya’s Natural Foods & Café Kaua`i Village Shopping Center In the courtyard by the waterfall, Kapa`a, Kaua`i 808-823-0190 • www.papayasnaturalfoods.com Postcards Café Hanalei • 808-826-1191 Salty Wahine Gourmet Hawaiian Sea Salts 808-346-2942 • info@saltywahine.com The Coconut Cup Juice Bar & Café At the Coral Reef Resort, Kapa`a 808-823-8630 • www.coconutcupjuicebar.com The Garden at Common Ground 4900 Kauwa Road, Kilauea 808-828-1041 www.commongroundkauai.net/thegarden The Wine Garden 4495 Puhi Road, Lihue 808-245-5766 • www.kauaiwinegarden.com

EDIBLE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS

Maui Alii Kula Lavender 1100 Waipoli Road, Kula 808-878-3004 • www.aklmaui.com Aloha Mixed Plate 1285 Front Street Lahaina (808) 661-3322 • www.alohamixedplate.com Chef Lulu Agan 808-633-6707 • www.luluscuisine.com Chef Dan Fiske Private chef serving all islands 808-280-1138 • www.privatemauichef.com Chef Jana McMahon 808-281-8393 • www.chefjana.com Cilantro Old Lahaina Center 808-667-5444 • www.cilantrogrill.com da Local Banana 808-283-9646 • www.dalocalbanana.com

Flatbread Pizza Company 89 Hana Hwy, Paia 808-579-8989 • www.flatbreadcompany.com Flavor Waves 808-276-0144 • info@flavorwaves.com Gourmet-Delights www.gourmet-delights.com Guava, Gouda & Caviar In the Wailea Gateway 808-874-3930 www.guavagoudaandcaviar.com Hawaiian Moons Natural Foods 2411 South Kihei Road 808-875-4356 • www.hawaiianmoons.com Joel Katz Hawaiian Steel Guitar (808) 280-0722 • www.joelkatzmaui.com KO The Fairmont Kea Lani 4100 Wailea Alanui 808-875-2210 • www.korestaurant.com Kula Country Farms Kula Highway across from Rice Park, Kula 808-878-8318 Kula Fields On Maui 808-280-2099 On O`ahu 808-280-6533 www.kulafields.com Lahaina Grill 127 Lahainaluna Road, Lahaina 808-667-5117 • www.lahainagrill.com Leoda’s Kitchen & Pie Shop 820 Olowalu Village Road • 808-662-3600 Malama Farms Berkshire Hog Farm 808-633-3959 • www.malamafarm.com

Maui Country Store At Ma`alaea Harbor Springs • 808-856-8336 Maui County Farm Bureau www.mauicountyfarmbureau.com

Hawai`i Island Café Pesto Hilo Bay 808-969-6640 Kawaihae 808-882-1071 www.cafepesto.com

Maui Film Festival www.mauifilmfestival.com Maui Gelato 2395 South Kihei Rd. #120 808-280-3198 • www.mauigelatocompany.com Maui Preserved 808-214-8780 • www.mauipreserved.com Maui Prime Fine Foods 142 Kupuohi St. #F7 Emerald Plaza (By Lahaina Gateway) 808-661-4912 • www.mauiprime.com

Farm Credit Services of Hawai`i,ACA 988 Kinoole St., Hilo 808-836-8009 • www.hawaiifarmcredit.com Kona Coffee and Tea Toll Free 888-873-2035 In Kona 329-6577 www.konacoffeeandtea.com Original Hawaiian Chocolate 808-322-2626 • 888-447-2626 (toll free) www.ohcf.us

Ocean Vodka 250 Alamaha St, S9, Kahului 808-877-0009 • www.oceanvodka.com

Moloka`i

Old Lahaina Luau 1251 Front Street, Lahaina 808-667-1998 • www.oldlahainaluau.com

Coffees of Hawai`i Order on website www.coffeesofhawaii.com

National

Porto At Ma`alaea Harbor Springs 808-856-8337 • www.portomaui.com

Slow Food Hawai`i Island Shelby Floyd • sfloyd@ahfi.com

Star Noodle 808-667-5400 • www.starnoodle.com Surfing Goat Dairy 3651 Omaopio Rd., Kula 808-878-2870 • www.surfinggoatdairy.com Whole Foods Market Maui Mall, 70 East Ka’ahumanu Ave 808-872-3310 • www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Slow Food Kaua`i Shelby Floyd • sfloyd@ahfi.com Slow Food Maui Jana McMahon/Susan Teton info@slowfoodmaui.org www.slowfoodmaui.org Slow Food O`ahu Laurie Carlson • laurie@honoluluweekly.com Slow Food Nation www.slowfoodnation.org

Mala Ocean Tavern & Honu Restaurant 1307 Front Street, Lahaina 808-667-9394 • www.malaoceantavern.com Maui & Co Real Estate 808-280-8898 WWW.EDIBLEALOHA.COM

SPRING 2012

61

What Is It and How Do You Eat It

Hearts of Palm

H

eart of Palm is the tender edible point at the growing tip of the Peach palm and is considered a very exotic gourmet product. Originally from Central and South America, the Peach palm is a renewable and sustainable resource because it continues to produce new edible shoots; meaning harvesting doesn’t harm the mother plant.

With a unique, clean, slightly sweet flavor and a perfect texture, it’s a favorite ingredient of many top chefs.

Nutrition wise it’s also a winner having generous amounts of magnesium, iron and potassium.

We are lucky enough to have Wailea Agriculture Group on Hawai’i Island who will ship fresh hearts of palm to your door. There is a minimum of 10lbs for commercial use but they also offer a gift box (contact them for the current price. Their website is full of interesting information as well as tasty recipes. They will take phone, or email orders.

P 808-963-6360 • www.waileaag.com • F 808-963-6373 • Email:wag@waileaag.com Owners are Michael Crowell & Lesley Hill, say aloha from us.

Check out a couple of recipes on page 51.

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SPRING 2012

EDIBLE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS