Pau Hana Friday for July 4

Indy Reeves, owner of Gopal’s Creperie, also serves locally made ice cream and award-winning teas. Daniel Lane photo

Tasting Kauai

In today’s The Garden Island newspaper, our article “Serving more than crepes at Gopal’s Creparie in Kapaa” reports on the tasty and divine offerings at Gopal’s Creperie. The food truck, located in Kapaa, serves gluten-free crepes using organic ingredients and offering plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. Owner Indy Reeves also serves award-winning teas and locally made ice cream, all at reasonable prices.
In this Sunday’s On the Farm column, we report on Williams bananas and how the mutant variety became the world’s largest export.

Happy Fourth of July!

Kauai Hospice’s 25th Annual Concert in the Sky happens from 4  p.m. to 9:30 p.m. today at Vidinha Stadium in Lihue! As the largest single day event on Kauai, more than 6,000 people are expected, so plan to get there early to get the best seats!
We’re looking forward to sampling foods from the food booths and supporting area fundraisers! All of this while watching the beautiful Anuhea perform, along with rocking bands such as The Greenstone Project, Group Therapy, Ivo Monroe Miller, Paradox Lockdown and Tsunami Taiko. In addition, there will be plenty of vendors, such as Live Laugh Aloha, offering beautiful handcrafted goods made on Kauai!
Tickets are available for $15 for adults and $7 for children 6-12 at the gate.
***
On the West Side of the island, be sure to check out Kekaha’s Fourth of July celebration. The family friendly event will be brimming with cultural demonstrations, exhibits, variety of crafts, a plantation museum and lots of fun game booths and rides for the keiki.
There will be local entertainment throughout the day along with a Fun Run, contests, a talent show and much more! Of course, we are looking forward to several delicious food and beverage booths spotlighting the best foods on the West Side!
The evening culminates in a spectacular fireworks display accompanied by live music honoring of Hawaii’s finest service members. No coolers are allowed and everyone is welcome to bring a mat or chair.

July 8

Welcome Salty Wahine!

Salty Wahine Gourmet Sea Salts is hosting a Business After Hours and Grand Opening Celebration from 5 to 7 p.m., Tuesday, July 8. Their new facility is located at 1-3529 Kaumualii Highway, Unit 2B, in Hanapepe between Kauai Kookies Outlet Factory and MCS Grill.
Join them for live entertainment, fantastic food and beverages and amazing prize giveaways! Register online to join this celebration.
We caught up with the team at Salty Wahine as they were getting launching their venture. Read more about them in Salty Wahine Gourmet Blends in Midweek.

July 9

Kauai Farmers Union meeting and potluck

The Kauai Farmers Union will host their regular meeting and local potluck at 6 p.m., Wednesday, July 9, at the Anahola Clubhouse at 3900 Kawelo St. in Anahola.
Every KFU gathering opens with a local sourced potluck meal starting at 6:30 p.m., however, everyone is asked to be there by 6:15 p.m. to keep the schedule on track.
This month’s meeting will feature Kauai mayoral candidate Dustin Barca as he discusses his his ag policy for the county, and his campaign. In addition, Don Heacock will present his long awaited “Heacock Report,” on his assessment of the low hanging fruit on Kauai’s and the states legislative priorities and aquaculture.
The Farmers Union will also have and review on IMO farmer training for soil application and testing trials, along with establishing legislative, membership, and fundraising committees.
Everyone is welcome and you don’t need to be a farmer to support farmers. The Kauai Chapter of the Hawaii Farmers Union United members supports family farms on the Garden Island.

Hanalei Taro to open on Sundays

Dan takes a picture of Brad Nakayama and Lyndsey Haraguchi-Nakayama while covering the Hanalei Taro & Juice Co. Marta Lane photo

Heaven on Earth Starts

In offering more than 150 varieties of open-pollinated starts for vegetable, herbs and medicinal plants, Heaven on Earth Starts is now offering starts that can be found at the Saturday Namahana farmers market and Hoku Natural Foods Market.
For more information on Robin, check out “Romanesco: Delicious, Beautiful” from Midweek and “Eggplants, and then some” in The Garden Island.

Farming jobs available on Kauai

If you are looking for new opportunities to farm on an organic family farm, Kailani Farms is looking for employees for harvesting, weeding and other fieldwork. For more information, email kailanifarms@hawaiiantel.net. Located in Kilauea and Moloaa, Kailani Farms is a 40-acre organic family farm.

Kauai Farmacy Tea Wagon update

Kauai Farmacy noted that their Tea Wagon is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Friday (They are closed on Mondays) and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. The Tea Wagon is located in Kilauea on Kuawa Rd., just before you get to Common Ground. New farm offerings include:

• Iced and Hot Tea ~ $3
• Fresh brewed Chaya Tea ~ $3
• Turmeric Lemonade with cold-pressed sugar cane, turmeric and lemon ~ $6
• Cassava Lilikoi pudding with cold-pressed sugar cane ~ $2
• Cassava Gazpacho with Hawaiian Chilies, oregano, thyme and rosemary ~ $4

All July

“You Dine, We Donate” to benefit Kauai Humane Society

Pipikaula Flatbread. Daniel Lane photo

Sustainable Kauai Meetups

This month, Sustainable Kauai’s Meetups include:

Kapaa  Garden Share

Tuesday, July 15, 5 to 6 p.m.
Aiyah’s Garden
4558 Kukui Street
Kapaa, HI
EVENTS:

Guests Bonnie Ventis and Summer Stewart enjoy a Gaylord’s mai tai during A Taste of Kilohana. Daniel Lane photo

• Sake soaked Kauai Shrimp with Kailani mixed greens, Maui tropical pineapple, and sweet sesame ginger aioli
• Grass-fed Makaweli Meat Company beef tenderloin topped with port wine and a confit of Kauai’s Kaneshiro Farms pork belly and Island fresh Wasabi Crusted Opah with a lilikoi white wine vinaigrette, caramelized Ewa onion, jasmine rice, and a medley of farm fresh vegetables
• Rustic Wi and Molokai Uala Gallete

A portion of proceeds from Tasting Kauai’s food tours and book benefits the Hawaii Food Bank – Kauai Branch. To make reservations, visit A Taste of Kilohana. To see previous tours, check out our Facebook photo album. For a complete list of tour dates, check out our Kauai Culinary Tours Calendar.

Dave Power teaches guests how to make handcrafted cocktails on A Culinary Romp Through Paradise. Daniel Lane photo

A Culinary Romp Through Paradise

Various locations in Kapaa, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., $140
Tasting Kauai’s Culinary Tour offers an intimate glimpse into the Garden Island’s culinary scene. We start with a farm tour and sample exotic fruit grown on Kauai. At the Kauai Marriott Resort, we join executive chef Guy Higa for an outdoor cooking demonstration and gourmet, four-course lunch made with Kauai grown ingredients. This tour ends at The Feral Pig where, Dave Power, co owner and bartender, will demonstrate how to make handcrafted cocktails. This is a special treat as Dave has been written up as one of Hawaii’s best bartenders and he excels at making drinks customized to individual tastes.
Sample menu:
First Course
Chef’s Garden Salad and Lilikoi Vinaigrette
Second Course
Kaneshiro Farms Crispy Pork Belly Plantation Style
Third Course
Kauai Shrimp, Wailua Herb Butter and Fresh Pasta
Fourth Course
Kauai Coffee Expresso Cheesecake with Poha Berry Sauce
To make reservations, visit A Culinary Romp Through Paradise. To check out previous tours, visit our Facebook photo album. Chef Higa donates proceeds from his portion of the tour to the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen and Tasting Kauai donates a portion of tour and book proceeds to the Kauai Branch of the Hawaii Food Bank. For a complete list of tour dates, check out our Kauai Culinary Tours Calendar.
Saturday, July 26

A Taste of Kilohana

Sampling seasonal fruit at Kilohana Plantation. Daniel Lane photo

• Sake soaked Kauai Shrimp with Kailani mixed greens, Maui tropical pineapple, and sweet sesame ginger aioli
• Grass-fed Makaweli Meat Company beef tenderloin topped with port wine and a confit of Kauai’s Kaneshiro Farms pork belly and Island fresh Wasabi Crusted Opah with a lilikoi white wine vinaigrette, caramelized Ewa onion, jasmine rice, and a medley of farm fresh vegetables
• Rustic Wi and Molokai Uala Gallete

A portion of proceeds from Tasting Kauai’s food tours and book benefits the Hawaii Food Bank – Kauai Branch. To make reservations, visit A Taste of Kilohana. To see previous tours, check out our Facebook photo album. For a complete list of tour dates, check out our Kauai Culinary Tours Calendar.
ONGOING:

Sunshine Farmers Market in Kapaa. Daniel Lane photo

Farmers Market Tour

Wednesdays, 3 to 4 p.m., $30
Meet local farmers, learn how to select perfect produce as well as when it’s in season and how to cook with it during Tasting Kauai’s one-hour farmers market class. Farmers markets are an affordable way to immerse yourself in local culture and the best place to buy produce that’s so fresh, it was harvested that morning. But buying at the farmers market doesn’t always insure that it was grown on Kauai. It happens all over the world. In Hawaii, customers want mangoes year-round. In Colorado, they want tomatoes in May. To make that sale, vendors buy imported mangoes or tomatoes and sell them as their own. Becoming familiar with growing seasons insures your dollars are spent on local produce.
There’s a whole world of delicious produce that many people never try. Let’s face it, some of it looks like it came from another planet. Once unfamiliar produce is demystified and cooking tips are shared, it may become a regular at dinner table. Many factors can make exotic produce expensive and the last thing you want to do is buy a pineapple that isn’t at peak perfection. This class will also teach you how to tell when produce is ripe as well as how to store it for best results. To make reservations, visit our Farmers Market Tour page.

Hanapepe Friday Night Festival and Art Walk

Hanapepe Town, 6 to 9 p.m.
Every Friday evening, Old Town Hanapepe bustles with people. A dozen art galleries stay open late and local crafters sell their wares. There’s also stilt walkers, classics cars, live music and entertainment. The Right Slice sells fresh-baked pie by the slice or whole. Midnight Bear Breads makes pizza fresh from a wood-burning oven. Aloha Spice Company serves samples of their Hawaiian sea salt and spice blends on grilled chicken. These spices quickly add fantastic flavor without a lot of calories and make wonderful gifts of aloha.
Haole Girl Island Sweets sells a variety of hand-made butter croissants, including grilled chicken and portobello mushroom seasoned with Aloha Spice Company blends. Other croissants are filled with local fruit, nuts, honey or vegetables. Samples are given just outside the parking lot, in front of the darling Aloha Spice Company building. Call 808-335-6469 for more information.

Kapaa Art Walk in Old Town Kapaa. Daniel Lane photo

Kapaa Art Walk

Old Town Kapaa, 5 to 9 p.m.
On the first Saturday of the month hundreds of people party in Old Town Kapaa. The street is filled with the sounds of laughter and music, smells of delicious local food, and the work of Kauai artists. In front of the Dragon Building, Anni Caporuscio (owner of Small Town Coffee and Blue House Booksellers) sings to a three-piece band which includes a guitar player, drummer and washboard player. Art Cafe Hemingway and Java Kai open a new exhibit and serve food late. The Buttery hosts jewelers and other Kauai Made jewelry is available throughout.
A designated parking area is located at 4451 Lehua St., on a 3-acre spot next to Restore Kauai and Specialty Lumber. Cost to park in the lot is $3.
 

Kauai Culinary Market at Kukuiula Shopping Village in Poipu. Daniel Lane photo

Art Walk at Kukuiula

The Shops at Kukuiula, 6 to 9 p.m., free
An evening of fine art, fine dining and live music under the stars at The Shops at Kukuiula the second Saturday of each month. See May 10 listing for this month’s details.
Dining options include Merriman’s Fish House, Josselin’s Tapas Bar & Grill, Tortilla Republic, Dolphin Sushi, Living Foods and Lappert’s Hawaii. Plus, enjoy jazz outdoors by Hank Curtis and Steve Dubey and Latin rhythms by Manuel Mendes and Cary Valentine.

Kilauea Art Walk

Stone Building, 5 to 8 p.m.
Join more than 20 artisans on the last Saturday of the month at the Stone Building in Kilauea Town. There’s live music, original art, hand-made apparel, jewelry, photography, custom slippers, painted glass bottles, ice cream and unique creations. Face painting henna tattoos. Stop by Kilauea Fish Market for dinner.

Art and Wine Thursdays

Art and Wine Thursdays includes an art reception by Kauai based artists such as Donia Lilly, with original pastel, acrylic, and mixed media paintings from the “Oceans” and “Moons” and “Memories” series, along with prints and greeting cards. Wine tastings have included Buena Vista The Count Cabernet 2008; St. Francis Chardonnay 2009; Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc 2011; Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay 2011 and Lyeth Meritage 2010. Light appetizers of cheese, fruit and vegetable crudités are also available. Includes a coupon for a 15 percent food discount at the Naupaka Terrace with the purchase of any dinner entrée.

Truck Stop Thursday

Kauai Beer Company, 5 p.m.
Every Thursday, Kauai Beer Company invites three food trucks to serve food. Trucks park along the curb, the sidewalk is converted into a patio and hundreds of people enjoy food, conversation and each other. Since the trucks change every week, it’s a great opportunity to try something new. For a listing of this week’s trucks, check out the Kauai Beer Company’s Facebook page.

Kauai Old Fashioned with 23-year-old Ron Zacapa rum at RumFire. Daniel Lane photo

“You Dine, We Donate” to Benefit Kauai Veterans Center

Sheraton Kauai Resort announces its “You Dine, We Donate” program will honor veterans in the month of June. All net food and beverage proceeds at Table #53 in the resort’s signature restaurant, RumFire Poipu Beach, will be donated to the Kauai Veterans Center for the month-long fundraiser. More than $65,000 has been donated to charities through “You Dine, We Donate” to benefit the Kauai community since its inception in October 2012.
RumFire Poipu Beach, the south shore’s oceanfront hot spot, features locally sourced cuisine with global influences, exciting cocktails to ignite your palate and 180-degree oceanfront views from all of its 240 seats. Facing the beautifully landscaped Ocean Courtyard and inviting fire pits, Table #53 features private booth seating, perfect for viewing Kauai’s lovely sunsets. Guests can enjoy delicious pupu such as Coconut-Crab Luau Dip with smoked taro leaf and crispy flatbread and Seared Scallops served with crispy rice noodles and pho broth all while supporting a worthy cause.
Kauai Veterans Center exists to promote and enhance the delivery of benefits to all Veterans, their families and dependents of those who have given their lives for their country. It is a standing monument that honors their service, promotes their military heritage and embraces their family. All personnel associated with the Kauai Veterans Center work to maintain and foster the highest respect and honor for those who have given their lives and for those who are currently protecting the country.
“Kauai Veterans Center has been part of our family of veterans for over 25 years, but most importantly is serving our war veterans whom have represented and served our beautiful country called America,” says Aida Cruz, Site Manager of Kauai Veterans Center. “We are proud to have a beautiful home for veterans here on Kauai.”
Patrons who are interested in participating in RumFire’s month-long “You Dine, We Donate” program are encouraged to make reservations in advance by calling 808.742.4786 and requesting Table #53. The table is available on a first come, first serve basis. Net proceeds for all food and beverage at Table #53 during dinner service will be donated to the Kauai Veterans Association, gratuity will be paid to the server and taxes will be remitted to the State of Hawaii.

Photos for this blog post were contributed by Daniel Lane of Pono Photo.