NEWS:

The Market

Koloa Sunset made with Koloa Dark Rum. Daniel Lane photo

The Market at Common Ground in Kilauea has made some changes. Everything in The Market is eco-friendly and with that goes education. “Our goal is to share why we choose these amazing eco companies,” says market manager Stephanie Montanez. “We share what is different about each company’s products and what sets them apart from conventional products. Everything in our Market enhances life, preserves the Earth, supports local (97 percent of our vendors are local), and changes the paradigm of how people relate to shopping. Ultimately, we want to expand the awareness of why it is important to shop from this new perspective.”

2013 tours and workshops include chef Rodman teaching children in a school setting about eating healthy. “We are expanding our offering of knowledge by becoming a community hub and a resource for information, classes, workshops, tours,” says Montanez. “All to be centered around conscious eating, healthy lifestyles, agricultural knowledge, and Hawaiian herbal medicine.

Montanez owns the skin care company Palaau – The Healing Touch of Plants. Palaau has acquired land at Common Ground, as well as manufacturing space. “My goal with my land will be to create a endemic, indigenous (as well as other botanicals) native hawaiian herb garden that supplies botanicals for Palaau,” says Montanez.  “My dream is to preserve this lost art and the profound wisdom and ways of Laau lapaau (healing with Hawaiian medicinal herbs), the mana o, the seeds, and the experience of the intangible.”

If this sounds like a dream to you, Palaau is looking for apprentices. For more information call Stephanie at 808- 828-2192.

Lotus Fudge

“We now have organic macadamia nut butters for sale at Papaya’s,” says Lotus Fudge owner Katie Ranke. “In original raw, toasted, and chocolate. Our truffles and fudge mix are gaining popularity. Not a bad way to celebrate our 1 year anniversary!” Happy Anny Lotus Fudge!

St. Regis

I took a picture of Dan taking pictures at the St. Regis. This is the view from Makana Terrace,

We were at the St. Regis Princeville the other day and learned that Makana Terrace has released their Thanksgiving brunch menu. If you click on the link, you can see the yummy T-Day line up. Poolside, Nalu Kai also has a new menu, but you have to wait for the Nov. 28 issue of MidWeek Kauai to learn about the new menu Nalu Kai, and boy is it good!

On Monday, Dan and I were at Kauai Community College. HFM Foodservice asked us to do a story for the Foodservice in Paradise Magazine. HFM sponsors a series of workshops on all the islands, and invites industry professionals to share their wisdom with culinary students.

Leanne Kamekona and I sneak in a little girl time. Daniel Lane photo

The all star line up included Vikram Garg, executive chef of Oahu’s Halekulani Hotel; George Mavrothalssitis, chef and proprietor of restaurant Chef Mavro in Honolulu, and a founder of Hawaii Regional Cuisine, Jacqueline Lau, corporate chef for Roy’s; Melanie Nowels, the new executive chef of Roy’s Poipu; Leanne Kamekona, the new executive chef for St. Regis, and Mark Arriola, executive chef for Merriman’s Poipu.

After the lecture, the chefs ate lunch a prepared by Arriola and toured Common Ground. Then we took a 90 minute ATV ride through the 4,300 acre Kauai Ranch who sells calfs to Hawaii Ranchers Natural Beef. The day ended with dinner at Red Salt, prepared by executive chef Adam Watten. As I sat across from Vikram Garg, sharing food, wine and stories, I kept thinking, “I can’t believe this is my life!”

Kumu Aina

A note from Sun and Lisa

Lisa and Sun at their farm Kumu Aina which means “land as teacher”. Daniel Lane photo

“We’re slowly re-establishing our produce offerings and have begun selling at the Namahana Farmer’s Market next to the Kauai Mini Golf in Kilauea on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. This Saturday we will be bringing green cabbage, kale, white multiplying onions, malabar spinach, Phillipino opu squash, kai choi mustard cabbage and maybe some green beans.

“For those not familiar with the Phillipino opu squash, I consider it a combination of qualities of cucumber and zucchini. All edible, skin and inside, excellent raw or cooked, seeds are softer in the younger ones, great in salads, soups, stews, stir frys and as a side for all kinds of meals.

“And the kai choi mustard cabbage is a winner as well with flavors reminiscent of wasabi in a green. We use it as our main green in kim chee, chopped up in a stir fry, sauteed and added to a simple chicken broth-based soup with garlic, and more. Excellent flavor, the stems are milder in the mustard oils than the leaf, great crunchy texture – YUM!

“On the farming side, we’ve just received a long-awaited shipment of Hawaiian islands-sourced chicken manure we are selling for $10/1 cubic foot. We’re packing it in reused feed bags or you can bring your own container. It’s pure chicken manure, no bedding or fillers, ready to give back to the garden. We’ve been using the product for the past 1.5 years and the plants respond well to it. It has much more to offer nutrition-wise than the chicken pellets usually available. We’re working on getting it into a few outlets and will be bringing a few bags to market each time. This week the manure will also be available at Crop Circles in Kapaa.

“Thanks for the support. See you at the market!”

EVENTS:

Saturday, November 10

The Hawaiian name for breadfruit is ulu. Daniel Lane photo

Breadfruit Workshop

Kauai Nursery & Landscaping, 9 a.m., free

Join the experts at Kauai Nursery & Landscaping (KNL) for a free breadfruit workshop. There will be a discussion about how to care for the fruit, as well as recipes and a sampling of immature and mature breadfruit cooked into scrumptious dishes. You’ll probably learn some tips as well. “To keep breadfruit from ripening quickly, store it in a bowl of cool water,” says Sandy Nishek, daughter of KNL owner Lelan Nishek. Who knew?

Sunday, November 11

Seed Saving Workshop

Children of the Land Center for Polynesian Culture, 3 to 6 p.m., $5 to $10 suggested donation

The Kauai Community Seed Bank will teach you how to successfully grow, harvest and save your own seed. You also learn why we should save our seeds, choosing they right type of seed for Kauai, culture and growing conditions, improving seed through roguing and selection, seed purity and isolation, genetic diversity, cleaning, drying and storing. For more information call 808-652-1431.

Friday, November 16

Breezy and beautiful gourmet lunch and cooking demonstration at the Kauai Marriott Resort. Daniel Lane photo

Kauai Culinary Tour

Our next Kauai Culinary Tour is scheduled for November 16, where our final stop will be at The Feral Pig. The Koloa Rum Company will teach us about their award-winning, small batch rum, and Dave Power, co-owner and bartender at The Feral Pig will show us how to make two cocktails with Koloa Rum—which we get to drink! We will tour a 26- acre sustainable fruit farm, and enjoy a four-course lunch and cooking demonstration at the Kauai Marriott Resort. For details, check out our Kauai Culinary Tour page, and check out our 2013 calendar listing.

The gourmet four-course lunch menu for this tour is:

• Chef’s Garden Salad and Lilikoi Vinaigrette
• Kaneshiro Farms Crispy Pork Belly Plantation Style
• Kauai Shrimp, Wailua Herb Butter and Fresh Pasta
• Kauai Coffee Expresso Cheesecake with Poha Berry Sauce

We still have some space available, so call 808-635-0257 to book your culinary romp through paradise!

Sunday, November 18

Garden Island Range & Food Festival

As far as food festivals on Kauai go, it doesn’t get any more local than this. In its fourth season, the 2012 Garden Island Range & Food Festival (GIRFF) is a completely “in the moment” type of event because chefs receive their ingredients three days before the event. As the 2012 Farm Chairperson and Treasurer, we have the inside scoop which we’ll share in the Tastes of Kauai column in the November 14 issue of MidWeek Kauai. I will tell you that 15 of the island’s best chefs will cook protein from five Kauai-based ranches and includes grass-fed Aakukui Ranch beef, grass-fed lamb from Akuamakanalani Farm, and for the first time, grass-fed lamb from the Kauai Kunana Dairy! Kaneshiro Farms pork will be cooked up again, as well as Kauai Shrimp. We also have 18 local farmers to provide the produce.

On the Wednesday before the event, we, at Tasting Kauai, will pick up the produce and deliver it to Ben Takahashi, the executive chef at the Club at Kukuiula, GIRFF Chef Chairperson, and one of the founders of the event. Chef Takahashi, along with rancher Duane Shimogawa will deliver the ingredients on Thursday, and the chefs will create their dish!

We made a video and blog post about Duane Shimogawa, owner of Aakukui Ranch called Fighting Superbugs with Antibiotic Free Beef. Check it out if you’d like to learn more.

Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 22

Nanea Thanksgiving Dinner

Westin Princeville, $60 ($20 for wine paring) Children are $30

Nanea will celebrate Thanksgiving with a three-course dinner that will make the mouths of men, women and vegetarians water.

First Course

Choice of:

• Phil’s Greens with candied macadamia nuts, roasted beets, craisins, heart of palm and raspberry vinaigrette
• Rainbow Chard Risotto with crab cake, truffle oil and shaved Parmesan
• Kalua Duck with chop chop salad and hoisin vinaigrette

Second Course

• Gingered butternut squash soup, creme fraiche and chives

Third Course

Choice of:

• Slow Roasted Prime Rib with Yukon mash, asparagus, thyme jus and horseradish cream
• Sage Roasted Kalua Turkey Breast with sweet potato mash, macadamia nut stuffing, braised greens, orange cranberry sauce and giblet gravy
• Sesame Garlic Seared Fresh Catch with shiiitake fried rice, baby bok choy, amasu shoga, lime ginger butter and oyster sauce
• Roasted Vegetable Tower with seared tofu, ginger soy reduction and chive oil

Dessert

Choice of:

• Pumpkin Crunch with pumpkin crunch ice cream and whipped cream
• Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding with Lappert’s vanilla ice cream
• Lappert’s Sorbet with seasonal berries

To make reservations call 808-827-8808

Sheraton Kauai

RumFire Thanksgiving Dinner Buffet, 4 to 9 p.m., $49, $25 (children 6-12), Early Bird Special, $39 per person

RumFire Thanksgiving buffet includes: Assorted gourmet sushi rolls, ahi poke, take poke, Kailani Greens, papaya seed dressing, balsamic dressing, orange honey dressing, roasted fingerling potato salad, roasted beets salad, local arugula, Kunana Dairy feta cheese, cucumber namasu, somen salad, tropical fruit, Hawaiian sweet rolls, roasted turkey, slow-roasted prime rib, roasted ham, ginger pineapple sauce, giblet gravy, cranberry orange relish, cornbread stuffing, island fresh catch, Yukon gold mashed potatoes, sauteed green beans with toasted almonds, steamed white rice, mini pumpkin pie, mini apple pie, fruit tartlets, mini double-fudge cookies, chocolate covered macaroons, coffee cake and apple crumb cake.

For reservations call 808-742-8200

Saturday, December 1

Winning plants at 2011 Kalo Festival in Waipa. Photos by Daniel Lane

Waipa Kalo Festival

Waipa, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., $3 adults, $1 children

Join the Waipa Foundation for a community hoolaulea at Waipa’s beautiful Halulu Fishpond, alongside Hanalei Bay. It’s a fun and informative day celebrating kalo (taro) with activities for the whole family including local music, educational displays, demonstrations, hands-on children activities, unique Kauai artisans, and, of course, amazing food showcasing kalo. There will also be community contests for best kalo recipe, biggest kalo and keiki art. For more information visit the Waipa Foundation website.

ONGOING:

RumFire

RumFire’s “You Dine We Donate” raised over $4,000 for Kauai United Way in the month of October. As it was such a great success, they’re going to continue the program in November to benefit the Kauai Branch of the Hawaii Foodbank.

For the month of November, RumFire will donate all food and beverage proceeds from RumFire’s sunset view Table #53.

Basic Orientation to Aquaponics and Worm Composting

$35, October 6 through December 1, Saturdays, 8 a.m. to noon, Kauai Community College

The Kauai Community College is offering a Basic Orientation to Aquaponics and Worm Composting workshops. Nine, 3-hour sessions will be held on Saturdays. The course introduces ecosystem methods in sustainable agriculture, the practice of farming using principals of ecology, and the relationships between organisms and their environment. Crops that require high levels of soil nutrients can be cultivated in a more sustainable manner with the use of environmentally friendly fertilizer and management practices.

Learn:

• How to build and operate a worm composting farm
• Seedling propagation
• Aquaponics infrastructure, system building and operational care
• Aquaponics water quality and management
• Direct and indirect benefits of aquaponics and worm composting from the economic, social and environmental perspectives

To enroll, call 808-245-8318

Check out this interview with Bobby Burns, KCC instructor and Worm Warrior.

Kauai Culinary Market

The Wednesday Kauai Culinary Market in the outdoor courtyard of The Shops at Kukuiula is one of my favorite farmers markets. The property is gorgeous, there are restaurants and shops lining the walkway, and lush landscaping with colorful flowers and towering palm trees. The market not only features Kauai farmers, but food artisans as well. There’s also live music, a beer and wine garden, and cooking demonstrations. The demonstrations feature local chefs, and farm fresh ingredients from the market. There is seating, and not only do guests get to ask questions, but they get to eat what’s made.