From Soil to Soul - Cooking with Aloha!

A couple of weeks ago tomorrow, we visited the North Kohala area of the Big Island as part of a series I'm working on about Farmers Markets all around the island for the Hawai'i HomeGrown Food Network

When I learned that on that same afternoon, Chef Donna Maltz was offering a cooking class using as much locally grown food as possible, we jumped on it to sign up for her Cooking With Aloha from Soil to the Soul class.

 
The location for the class was the beautiful octagonal shaped open kitchen at the Starseed Ranch.  There were 15 of us in that kitchen working at the same time, with each pair working on a different dish.  Chaotic you say? Not really!  Donna is such a pro that she could stop what she was doing while helping one team and look at your dish and know exactly where you were and what you needed to do!

 
We were assigned to make a Carrot Ginger Dill Slaw and it was delicious.

The menu was quite ambitious and the group made everything!

Beverage

Turmeric Ginger Lime Tonic

BYOL

 

Appetizer

Kale Chips

Savory Pie (recipe shared in link at the bottom)

 

Dinner

Cilantro Hamakua Beef Fillet w/Black Pepper & Fresh Horseradish

Crispy Coconut Cassava/Tapioca - was served with the Tri Tip fillet above

Pumpkin Taro - both mashed together

Spring Ratatouille w/Eggplant, zucchini & Waimai Tomatoes

Carrot Ginger Dill Slaw

Marinated Cherry Tomato Salad

Roasted Beet Papaya Salad

 
 

 

Dessert

Fresh Hawaiian Strawberries, Banana, Pineapple, Papaya and Nispero

Accompanied by Hawaiian Honey Vanilla Glaze or AH!LASKA Organic Chocolate Syrup

Homemade Fresh Hawaiian Honey Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Macadamia Nut toasted Fresh Coconut Biscotti

 

Enjoying the food!

 

 

Chef Donna and her Sous Chef Rebecca Shipley shared a memorable evening with the group

 

 

Gallivanting in North Kohala

Savory Pie - Recipe from Saturday's Class

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Sonia]

Aloha Jacque
I don't know how to reach Rebecca directly so will contact chef Donna and ask her to have Rebecca to get in touch with you.
I have your e-mail so they can contact you.

[Jacque Roberts]

Hi Rebecca,
I am wondering if you were originally from Homer Alaska? If so,I would like to speak with you about a traveler I met in 1978. He was Yarlslov Eugene Igor Eglevsky ("Blueberry Gene"). He imprinted me on a culture that he sampled in Homer. Now I am reviewing via a book about a gentleman named Brother Assiaha. Gene did not tell me much about Brother Assiaha, but he sure wanted to marry the lovely Rebecca. He would be 72 now if he is still alive. Just curious.
Regards, Jacque Roberts

[Sonia]

Claudia
Click on the link in Chef Donna's name and contact her about future classes

[Claudia]

I'd be interested to know of any future cooking classes. Sounded fun.