Quite a few recipes for 'ulu call for coconut milk or cream.
They seem to go very well together.
At the fest during one of the cooking demonstrations,
Chef Sam Choy's assistants were grating coconuts to make fresh coconut milk on
site. I had never seen this gadget before, but it sure beats my method of
loosening the hard coconut meat from the shell with an ice pick and then
'grating' in my food processor!
The grated coconut meat is mixed with the coconut water
or 'juice' and placed in layers of cheesecloth to lomi into releasing the
'milk'.
Many dishes using breadfruit
were entered in the Cooking Contest during the recently held Breadfruit Fest on
Saturday, September 29th at the Amy B. H. Greenwell Garden in Captain Cook on
the Island of Hawai'i (the Big Island).
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Third Place Winner in the Appetizer Category -
Heirloom Rose Petal Breadfruit Salad by Vivian Ontai of Kailua-Kona was a real
surprise. This last minute entry was simple to prepare and simply presented; I
found it full of unexpected flavor.
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Heirloom Rose Petal Breadfruit
Salad
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1 medium sized 'ulu, baked
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup grated coconut meat
Sprinkle of pa'akai
Petals of 3 heirloom Missionary Roses(*)
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Bake the 'ulu in coconut milk until desired consistency. Cut in bite sized
pieces and add a bit of butter; add grated coconut meat, mix carefully and place
on a plate or bowl lined with a ti leaf; sprinkle with pa'akai, cover and
refrigerate.
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Just before serving, sprinkle with clean, non-sprayed rose petals and
serve.
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(*) Vivian explains that her roses are descendants of some brought by the
New England missionaries that settled in the islands in the mid 1800's
and planted many years ago at the Sheep Station on Saddle Road. No chemicals
have ever been used on these plants. Vivian told me that roses are flowers with
the most healing powers.
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Glossary:
'ulu - Hawaiian word for breadfruit
lomi - to massage, rub or knead
pa'akai - to solidify the sea; Hawaiian name for
salt pond harvested sea salt
ti leaf - Cordyline fruticosa - a plant used
extensively throught Hawai'i; considered to have spiritual healing powers and
much mana. In ancient Hawai'i, the plant was thought to have great
spiritual power and only kahuna or high priests and the ali'i
or chiefs were able to wear leaves around their necks during certain
rituals. Ti leaves are also used to make lei and to make skirts for
dancing hula. Although the leaf itself is not edible there are
foods traditionally wrapped in ti leaves and steamed, such as the lau
lau, which acquires a hint of taste from the leaves. In Hawai'i, ti
rhizomes are fermented and distilled to make okolehao, a potent and
delightful liquor that reminds me of a fine Amontillado Sherry.
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Breadfruit
Festival Goes Bananas is a project of Ho'oulu ka 'Ulu and is presented by
Hawai'i Homegrown Food Network, the Breadfruit Institute of the National
Tropical Botanical Garden and Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden. The
Breadfruit Festival Goes Bananas is sponsored by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority’s
Kūkulu Ola—Living Hawaiian Culture Program administered by the Council for
Native Hawaiian Advancement, Kamehameha Schools, Office of Hawaiian Affairs,
Hawai'i Community Foundation—Doc Buyers Fund, Kamehameha Investment Corporation,
Ke Ola Magazine, Ho‘oulu Lāhui, Kua O Ka Lā Public Charter School, West Hawai‘i
Community College Culinary Arts Program, and Big Island Resource Conservation
and Development.
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To learn
more about Ho'oulu ka 'Ulu (Revitalizing the Breadfruit) project please go to www.breadfruit.info
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'Ulu
Fest video
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To read previous articles and recipes posted,
please click on the following links:
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