A bride and groom during sunset at The Beach House. Photo courtesy of The Beach House.

Kauai Made Food Hub

The former Big Save in Lihue is being converted into a food hub which will include retail space, a commercial kitchen and a meat processing facility. The county developed a plan that will use up to 9,000 square feet. The meat-processing plant will not slaughter animals, but will receive quartered carcasses from Kauai ranchers for further processing. The food hub will also sell local produce as well as Kauai Grown and Kauai Made products. This is not only great news  for shoppers, but Kauai’s food growers and makers. The facility will be a one stop location to buy fresh produce and meat. I hope they offer eggs as well! Right now, the multi-use concept is in its infancy stage, but I’ll share the news as it becomes available.

The Beach House

Besides serving great meals in a stunning location, The Beach House is busy winning awards. The south shore restaurant was just awarded the Best Restaurant for a romantic dinner in Hawaii by Hawaii Magazine’s First Annual Reader’s Choice Awards.
Last fall, the magazine asked an estimated 200,000 Hawaii Magazine print edition readers and 250,000 monthly website readers to share their “Hawaii best” selections in more than 60 categories. They tallied their reader’s picks — more than 50,000, in all — and compiled them into the First Annual Hawaii Magazine Readers’ Choice Awards, which is featured in their March/April issue.
Tim Obert, The Beach House General Manager says, “On behalf of the culinary team, wait staff, photographers and management at the Beach House, we are truly honored to be recognized by the readers of Hawaii Magazine.”

Lotus Fudge

Lotus Fudge makes seven varieties of delectable fudge with organic, raw, gluten-free and vegan ingredients. Owner Katie Ranke tells me that Chocolate Truffle Easter Eggs are being delivered to stores this week. “We have small, solid truffle eggs,” says Katie, “as well as large Honey Mac Nut Butter filled truffle eggs. They are YUMMY! All organic, made on Kauai, with eco packaging, as always.”  Visit the Lotus Fudge website to learn more, or find out where you can buy their fudge.
EVENTS:
Friday, March 15

Sarah’s Raw Kitchen

The Cliffs, 11 a.m. to noon, $20
This one hour class will teach you how to make raw Thai spring rolls and delicious dipping sauce. Instructor Sarah Mangold, owner of Sarah’s Raw Kitchen, is a certified raw vegan chef and health educator by the Graff Academy of Raw Food Education in Atlanta. In April she will be a certified holistic health coach by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition based in New York. Reservations required. Visit Sarah’s Raw Kitchen on Facebook to schedule.
Saturday, March 16

Anthurium Workshop

Kauai Nursery & Landscaping, 9:05 to 10:05 a.m., free
Learn how to care for and multiply your anthurium collection. For more information call 808-245-7747.

Get Kauai Grown seeds from Regenerations Botanical Garden at the Seed Exchange. Daniel Lane photo

11th Biannual Seed and Plant Exchange

Church of the Pacific in Princeville, noon to 5 p.m., free
Regenerations Botanical Garden is joining forces with Ohana o Kauai, who will offer an all Kauai luau at the seed exchange, a service they regularly perform at special events on the north shore. “Food like chayote, tapioca, kalo, chaya and ulu are some of the plants that often show up at the seed exchange, but are new to many people’s taste buds. Ohana o Kauai’s gift of aloha grinds is the perfect way to share the abundance and diversity of what we can grow and eat here on the Garden Island”, says Jill Richardson, event co-founder and organizer.
The event will showcase dozens of tables of seeds, cuttings, and potted plants that community participants bring to share. Felicia Cowden of Regenerations says, “this is a generosity party celebrating the potential of our homegrown food and plants. It’s important for our leaders to see the strength of our combined citizenry, people who want food independence and resilience, individual sovereignty and home rule.”
To find out more visit the Regenerations Botanical Garden’s website, or call 652-4118.

Rob’s Good Times Grill

St. Patrick’s Day Party, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Celebrate St. Patty’s Day with Rob and the gang. From 1 to 3 p.m., Kong Radio will be there with a keiki tent that includes face painting, tattoos and games. Blaze Entertainment is the DJ from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. when DJ Jason takes over. There’ll be corned beef and cabbage, a Guinness tent, Jameson Irish Car Bombs and green Coors Light. Live music starts at 3 p.m. with The Quake followed by Ooklah The Moc.

The Feral Pig

The Pig is one of Tasting Kauai’s favorite places to eat and drink on Kauai. This St. Patty’s Day, they’re celebrating with tasty breakfast, lunch and dinner specials as well as good ‘ol Guinness and Kilkenney (an Irish cream ale, only recently available in the state). They’ll also have Kauai Island Brewing’s Cane Fire Red Ale on draft.
“We have corned beef specials all day,” says co owner and awesome bartender Dave Power. “The ones I’m most excited about are the Corned Beef Benedict. It’s served on a potato pancake topped with poached eggs and some really velvety Hollandaise sauce, and the Rueben which is made with Passion Bakery Rye bread.”
Whiskey-O, a traditional Irish Ceili, will be playing from 3-7 p.m.
“People are pretty excited about these guys,” says Dave. “I’d come early to get a good seat, and as always, we never charge a cover.”
Here’s the special menu items:
Breakfast
Available until noon

• Corned Beef Benedict ~ Corned Beef, poached eggs, potato pancake, hollandaise
• Corned Beef Hash and Eggs ~ Corned Beef Hash, and your choice of eggs and toast

Lunch and Dinner

• Rueben ~ Passion Bakery Rye, Swiss, Corned beef, sauerkraut, 1000 island dressing
• Corned Beef and Cabbage ~ Corned Beef, Cabbage, Potatoes and Carrots
• Guinness Lamb Stew

Draught Beer

• Guinness Stout
• Kilkenney Irish Cream Ale
• Maui Brewing Co. Mana Wheat
• Maui Brewing Co. Big Swell IPA
• Pacifico
• Angry Orchard Hard Cider
• Kauai Island Brewing’s Red Ale

Irish Whiskies

• Bushmill’s $7
• Power’s $7
• Jameson’s $7
• Red Breast $7
• Jameson’s 18 year $12

Kalua Turkey lau lau made by Waipa’s chef for the Kalo Festival. Daniel Lane photo.

A Taste of Old Kauai

Waipa, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., $155
Tasting Kauai offers this new tour of the Waipa ahupuaa, one of 67 watersheds homesteaded by the first Polynesians to settle on Kauai. Guests are saturated in timeless beauty as they learn about Hawaii’s culture and food. This one-of-a-kind experience was designed for those who wish to explore traditional agriculture and food, and how it relates to today. In a verdant valley surrounded by majestic peaks, guests explore a vast loi (taro garden) fed by auwai, or irrigation system, that supplies water from mountain streams. While learning about Hawaii’s staff of life: taro, or kalo as it’s known in Hawaii, guests sample cooked taro corms, poi and kulolo, a traditional dessert made with coconut. Lunch, prepared by Waipa’s chef, changes seasonally and is made with vegetables grown in onsite gardens, locally sourced meat or fish, and mamaki tea with lemongrass and mint. Afterwards, will visit a garden and learn the difference between native, canoe and introduced plants. For more information, visit our A Taste of Old Kauai page or call 808-635-0257.
 
 
Sunday, March 24

Grown

Mahiko Lounge at Kilohana Plantation, $75, 5 p.m.
Grown, a restaurant for the community, has been operating as a popup restaurant for the last year, and is proud to once again feature its original Chef Garrison Price. Grown’s debut was largely facilitated with Garrison’s dedication and willingness to share resources. Unfortunately for us, he left the Kauai Grill and moved to New York City to join Jean Georges Vongerichten‘s think tank, Culinary Concepts, and has been spending time at some of the world’s most brilliant restaurants.
Grown is welcoming Garrison back home for one very special evening as and will combine techniques rooted in culinary tradition with local Kauai products. This inspired menu will call upon classic themes, yet embrace the flexibility of utilizing what the market has to offer. The ticket includes a full tasting of the menu with wines paired by sommelier Collin Darrell, and enjoyed in the newly renovated Mahiko Lounge at Gaylord’s.
Being able to “pop-up” when the talent and inspiration are aligned provides a uniquely real dining experience. Grown appreciates food and those who provide it, and feel privileged to be able to share with our community.
Reservations Required. OpenTable.com, Facebook, Twitter: @GrowCulture, collin@growculture.com, 808-722-6316

Dragon fruit is a special summertime treat. Daniel Lane photo

Value-Added Innovation for Hawaii Growers: Making the Family Farm Profitable

Kalaheo, National Tropical Botanical Garden, free
This workshop helps growers hone their skills at adding value to their products and services. Competing with cheap imported agricultural goods, many Hawaii farms have a difficult time selling their products profitably as raw commodities. The workshop will show how Hawaii farm enterprises can differentiate their products to become more profitable, and therefore viable businesses.
The workshop will be led by Craig Elevitch, Ken Love, and specialist presenters at each workshop location. Elevitch is an agroforestry educator whose most recent book Specialty Crops for Pacific Islands (2011), provides insights into sustainable cultivation and processing techniques for local and export markets with an emphasis on production methods, postharvest processing, and marketing. Love, widely known as a passionate advocate for the innovative small farm, is co-owner of Love Family Farms in Kona, Hawaii, which produces a range of value-added products including jams, jellies, dried fruits, and coffee.
Dr. Diane Ragone, guest presenter at our March 27 Value-Added Innovation workshop, is offering a Ma’afala breadfruit tree to Kaua’i workshop participants. This is a very generous offer. Please see Diane’s email message below regarding submitting an application (form attached to this email) for a tree. Applications are due by Friday, March 22 by email to breadfruitinstitute@ntbg.org or faxed to 808-332-9765.
For more information and to register, visit the Value Added website or call 808-756-9437.
UPCOMING: 
Monday, April 29

The Power of the Indigenous: Native Success in Education and in Life

This event takes place in Honolulu, but I thought I’d post it because there is a lot of interest in this subject. Indigenous Educators, Ku-A-Kanaka and the Native American Alliance for Charter Schools (NAACS) presents The Power of the Indigenous: Native Success in Education and in Life, at the Hawaii Convention Center, in conjunction with Pacific Rim 2013 International Conference on Disabilities and Diversity.
This one-day Indigenous Education Institute brings together Hawaiian-focused and Native American Charter School leaders, as well as other global Indigenous educators to share Best Practices in Indigenous Education.
Topics include:

• Native Values Inform Modern Instruction
• Pedagogy of Place Drives 21st Century Curriculum
• Traditional Practices Shape Modern Assessments
• Local Communities Impart Global Skills and Responsibility

Each of the four 90-minute exchanges will be moderated by a facilitator and involve four, 15-minute speaker presentations, followed by a 15-minute small group discussion on the same topic, with the final 15 minutes to be used for discussion summaries and comments from the audience.
For more information about the Institute, or other information re: PacRim 2013 visit http://www.pacrim.hawaii.edu/pacriminfo/pacrim2013/specialevents/indigenous/, or call me at (808) 775-0867.
KU-A-KANAKA – Indigenous Institute for Culture and Language
P.O. Box 1764 Honokaa, Hawaii 96727
808-775-0867
ONGOING:
March 16 – March 30

Prince Kuhio Week

Two weeks of numerous events are set to celebrate Prince Kuhio’s birthday (an official state holiday in Hawaii). Kuhio was one of Hawaii’s most beloved alii (royalty) and statesmen. Located in Poipu, Eleele, Lihue and Wailua these events provide many interactive educational sessions about Hawaiian cultural practices and arts. Most events are free to the public. There are also diverse opportunities for entertainment and observing cultural traditions as well as attending luaus, an outrigger canoe race and commemorative ceremonies honoring Kuhio and his efforts to foster Hawaiian values. Proud to be a part of the Prince Kuhio Celebration. For more information, visit the Prince Kuhio website.

Foodie Highlights:

White, red and pink Hanapepe Sea Salt. Daniel Lane photo

Dining on the lanai at Plantation Gardens. Daniel Lane photo

Entrepreneurial Apiary Workshop

Kauai Community College

•  March 16, 23
• April 6,13,26,27
• May 3

Jimmy Trujillo offers four comprehensive classes beginning with an Introduction to Honey Harvest. Each class is $25. Register for all four classes at once and get the whole package for $75. Call 808-245-8318 for details.

Growing aquaponic lettuce at the Kauai Community College. Daniel Lane photo

Introduction to Aquaponics

Kauai Community College, $25
Learn the basics of aquaponics, which is a combination of two technologies. It’s aquaculture, or fish farming, and hydro-ponics, a technology that enables people to grow plants without soil. The class is taught by Bernie Tsao. He launched the Aquaculture Technology Training program at the University of Nations, Kona, where he was the director for 11 years. Today, he is the Aquaculture and Aquaponics instructor at KCC, and provides consultation services to the community, including the Hyatt, which is considering implementing its own aqua-culture system.
 
The workshop is three sessions for a total of 21 hours.
Dates and times:

• Saturday, March 16th, 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
• Saturday, March 23rd, 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
• Saturday, March 30th, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Registration & Payments:
Deadline: Wednesday, March 20th, 2013 – payments must be in by deadline.
If you are interested, please contact Melanie P. Marshall UH Kauai Community College – Office of Continuing Education And Training. 3-1901 Kaumualii Hwy., Lihue, HI 96766.
808-245-8318

RumFire’s Big Eye Tuna with Kauai Kunana Dairy feta. Daniel Lane photo

RumFire

After raising over $18,000 in four months with its “You Dine, We Donate” charity program, RumFire Poipu Beach announces it will continue raising funds for local charities in March. All food and beverage proceeds at RumFire Poipu Beach’s Table #53 will be donated to the The Kauai Independent Food Bank for the March fundraiser.
RumFire Poipu Beach, located within Sheraton Kauai Resort, features Hawaiian-rooted cuisine with a global. Guests dining at RumFire enjoy 180-degree oceanfront views from all 240 seats. Facing the beautifully landscaped Ocean Courtyard and inviting fire pits, Table #53 is prime seating for viewing Kauai’s lovely sunsets. A new menu features enticing dinner additions and exciting new cocktails – including a flaming Mai Tai – and is further reason to enjoy a night out to support a great cause.
The Kauai Independent Food Bank is a non-profit, tax-exempt charitable organization that has served the Kauai community since 1994, distributing over 12.5 million pounds of food, equating to over 16.6 million meals.
“We are thrilled to assist a local charity that does so much good for our island,” says Sheraton Kauai Resort General Manager Chip Bahouth. “As a member of this community, we are proud to offer Table 53 as a fun and delicious way to raise money for worthy causes.”
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 will be available on a first come, first serve basis. All food and beverage proceeds at Table #53 during dinner service will be donated to The Kauai Independent Food Bank, gratuity will be paid to the server and taxes will be remitted to the State of Hawaii.
For more information visit the RumFire Poipu Beach website or call 808-742-1661.