Sonia Tastes Hawaii

Our newest edible garden project

I have written several posts in the past about our edible garden... how we started it, how it changed through the years and the challenges of getting it back into shape after wild pigs decided to turn it into their own private buffet.

 

It has been very discouraging, to say the least, starting over several times, almost from scratch....but we love to garden...we love to grow edibles...and we love to cook and eat them...so....we're back to growing edibles!

 

An edible garden takes care and time.  You can decide what to plant, but the location and conditions will decide what will grow.  Through the years we've been finding out what will grow best for us, and mostly sticking to that, but we also try to experiment from time to time to see what else will grow.

 

Since the original garden has been raided by wild pigs several times we decided to start our new edible garden in the areas right in front of our cottage and at the end of the driveway which is on the opposite side of the house from the original garden, and closer to the kitchen.  All these areas were mostly originally landscaped with ornamentals.  We now call them Areas 1, 2, 3 and 4 - original, eh? 

If you click on the photos, they will appear large...

 

Area 1 - The pig trough and concrete block bed

Last year we bought a 10 x 2 foot long pig trough with the idea of starting an aquaponic garden. After my son became ill that plan was scrapped. 

 

Instead, this year, we put a thick layer of volcanic cinders in bottom of the trough, filled it with very rich planting soil and chicken poop fertilizer then planted with an assortment of stuff; some from seed and some from seedlings and small plants.  The kale, bok choy, spinach, mezclum and mizuna were grown from seed; the two tomatoes, several varieties of chives, lemon balm, variegated sage, marigolds and 'spicy' oregano from small plants.

 

Through the years we've tried different varieties of tomatoes but due to the amount of rain in our area, we seem to be able to grow only the cocktail, grape, cherry and currant tomato varieties. Sometimes we manage to get some Romas going, but haven't planted any this time.

After a small harvest, we ended up having to pull the kale, bok choy, mesclum and mizuna as they were covered with the worst infestation of aphids we have ever seen..we treated the soil with an organic spray. 

 

The spinach in the trough is doing fantastic - we've been harvesting enough leaves from our tiny little "plot" to make either a salad or to sauté some for the two of us every 3 to 5 days.

 

Right by the trough we added a concrete block  enclosed raised bed.  I deliverately bought the larger blocks with the larger holes and we planted inside the holes also.  In the holes we planted nasturtiums, flat leaf parsley and are experimenting with bok choy to see what happens.  Inside the 'bed' which is covered in black gardening plastic to discourage weeds, we have several large planter tubs with 2 varieties of currant tomatoes (Hawaiian and Gold Rush), a yellow pear tomato plant and another given to us which I'm not sure of the variety.  We will be adding more tubs with other plants in here.

 

I moved some of the stuff in the trough to other areas of the garden to make room for more spinach. The larger tomato in the cage is growing like gangbusters..we call it our 'monster tomato' and has produced several nice sized ones..first time we've had that size tomatoes that haven't split! So I will leave it where it is as it seems to love it there.

 

We found a volunteer geranium coming up in that trough - no idea where it came from as the other geranium we have has different leaves.   It was moved to the new Area 4.

Area 2 - In front of our front lanai aka 'the lower 40'

A couple of months ago we started digging some of the ornamentals out and moving them to other areas of the property, and little by little, started filling in with edibles.  So far 4 banana plants (3 varieties of dwarf bananas) and 2 varieties of papayas, a few corn plants with beans climbing on the stalks and yellow squash as ground cover plus a few other things have been planted in the former 'ornamental bed' right in front of our lanai.

We planted the corn in the old Indian custom of the "trinity' or 'three sisters'...corn, squash and beans.  The corn is about 5 feet tall now, has tasseled and we have about 10 ears that are plumping up nicely and the squash planted below are doing great...if this is successful, it will be the first time we've been able to grow squash...we will not let them get very big as we like it young and tender - these are the yellow crooked neck. The beans seem to be alive but after giving us a little handful of beans it has stopped producing, although I see blooms starting again..

 

We planted a few leaf lettuce plants and a Malabar lettuce that are doing great in a basin in this area...and where we removed all the ornamental plants, we've planted some Thai basil given to us by a friend, which will grow fairly large and serve as a backdrop and hopefully bring lots of bees to the garden.  We've also put our old park bench in here and transplanted a few volunteer stick oregano plants, some variegated Cuban oregano which will creep all over underneath the bench and several bush beans are coming up now.  A pineapple sage I planted here apparently was eaten by something.  Will try again, as I love to use the little red blossoms in salads and love the smell of the leaves.

 

You can really see the difference in the collage above - the jungle before and after clearing...the seedlings you see coming up in the middle of the bed above are the radishes.

Area 3- end of the driveway/kitchen side of cottage

This area was way overgrown with a riot of  ornamental gingers and ferns which were hard to keep clean; all of that was cleared out.  In here we also have a Meyer lemon and a Mexican lime tree we planted several years ago.  The Meyer has been consistently providing huge and juicy lemons.  The Mexican lime bloomed for the first time this year, but we don't see any fruit developing. 

 

We also have a cacao tree at the far back of this area and a huge stick oregano bush at the front.  Unfortunately, one of our yard helpers in the past decided to trim the cacao and cut all of the lower branches and left just a tall trunk with a topknot of leaves.  We ended up cutting it lower and now have several keiki (baby) plants shooting up from the original root base.  We also had a teak tree which we had to cut down as it was too close to the house.  This has given us a lot more room for planting.

 

My son just planted 12 more corn seeds and some Kabocha squash seeds a few days ago in the back part of this area, closer to the cacao. Today when checking, we found more than half have sprouted and the Kabochas are already about 2 inches high.  Between the cacao tree and the corn we built another concrete block raised bed.

 

In this bed we planted beets, French Breakfast radishes and snow peas.  I also relocated two variegated sage plants and several different chives which were all planted into the concrete block holes.  Today we planted bunching onions in some of the other block holes.  Still have 4 more holes in which I think I will plant creeping marjoram.

In two of the above shots you can see the front of our cottage faces the back of the cabin that sits nearby.  We added about two feet of space all around to the existing bed - and roughly 2 1/2 in front of the pole in the middle.

 

Area 4 - Behind the cabin

Yesterday we cleared out some plants and widened by about 2 feet an area that sits between our cottage and the back of the cabin that faces it in front of us.  There were many ti plants, both green and red, plus several gingers, varieties of croton and a few other things in there.  We now have 4 dwarf banana plants there and I moved several things from the trough into this new bed, plus some Cuban oregano stems given to me by our friend Cathy (from an original plant that was in our Inn, way back when!) and which I had rooted in water.   While pulling weeds in this area - which we call Area 4 - I found some volunteer bitter melon vines and one little citrus plant coming up, so we left them. 

 

Today we planted a few more corn seeds, some okra and several different kinds of sunflowers in this bed.  I also transplanted a sweet basil I had growing in a pot and a marigold that was completely hidden by the 'monster tomato' plant in the trough.  We will be planting some peppers and eggplants in there by the end of the week. 

 

 

Original garden site - no photo yet

In the area where we had the original garden, we still have some Cuban reds bananas and a couple of dwarf banana trees and lots of pineapple plants plus two Surinam cherry trees  We also have a huge pigeon pea "tree".  In the rest of this space, we will be relocating some citrus trees we've had in pots and possibly the fig tree, which is also still in a pot. 

 

Instead of a lot in one area at one time, we will be rotating some of the "crops", since our space is small.  We don't expect to feed the village, but mostly just to supplement our weekly market runs.  Some things will still be less expensive and easier to buy at the farmers market, but it is fun to grow some of your own food. 

 

To read about our past gardening adventures:

 

Garden Journal - Intro

Garden Journal - The First Week

Garden Journal - The First Month

The Taming of our Garden

Garden Journal - Summer Update

The Edible Garden

Garden Bounty - Growing Edibles

Notes from the Herbal Garden

Garden Greens - the so-called spinaches

How Does my Garden Grow - update

Yes, we have no bananas

How Does my Garden Grow - Latest update

Making your own vanilla extract

 

(Photo) My latest batch of homemade vanilla is in a bottle almost 11 inches tall and has about 16 vanilla beans in it.  I used a full bottle of dark Jamaican rum in it.  There is a combination of Madagascar and Hawaiian vanilla beans in this batch.

 

Homemade vanilla extract is one of the easiest things to make and guarantees that you have pure vanilla and not imitation vanilla that might be 'laced' with coumarin (*) or vanillin (**). 

Most recipes for homemade vanilla call for using vodka or bourbon.

Basic recipe for homemade vanilla extract:

8 ounces - 750ml of vodka or any other 85% proof (drinkable) alcohol (bourbon, rum, brandy)

3 to 5 vanilla beans - split lengthwise and chop (optional)

Using very clean glass bottles, insert beans all the way to the bottom and pour the vodka to cover completely, allowing about 3" headroom at the top. Seal tops, shake a time or two and leave in a cool dark place for at least 8 weeks.  Some instructions tell you to shake periodically.  I don't.

I prefer to use dark Jamaican Myers or Appleton Rum instead of vodka when I make mine (I would use dark Cuban rum if I could ;-)  - to me, dark rum gives it more depth and richness than vodka and imparts a hint of 'natural sweetness' and smoothness I find lacking with the harsh taste of vodka. 

You can double and triple the amounts above when making larger batches for gifts.  I use a full bottle of dark Jamaican rum when I make a batch.

Some instructions ask you to chop the vanilla bean; I don't.  I use at least 5 beans per cup and split them open, but leave whole otherwise.  I leave the beans in the extract when done and do NOT filter it, though is ok to do so. 

I start a new batch when my bottle shows only about 1/2 to 1/4 inch of vanilla left (depending on how much vanilla I feel I will be using in the next couple of months) so I always have a good strong batch on hand.

You can reuse the beans in the next batch (add some fresh ones too) or if you remove them and use fresh each time, you can use them to make vanilla sugar.

Making vanilla sugar:

If you are using vanilla beans that have been previously used for making vanilla extract, make sure the bean(s) are thoroughly dried before you put it/them into the sugar or it/they will develop mold.  The way I dry my used vanilla beans is to leave them out on the counter on kitchen or tea towels and let them air dry completely.  Turn them over a couple of times to make sure all sides are dry.

For every 2 pounds of sugar you pour into a plastic or glass container that seals tightly, add at least one or more (I add a few to mine, since I like a strong vanilla flavor) by sticking them into the sugar. 

Seal and leave for about a month.

That's it!

To give as gifts, put a cup of sugar into a clear glass jar or container with a sealable lid - I like to use the canning jars with clamp lids and gaskets - Insert a bean, seal and decorate jar with a ribbon or a decorative holiday theme fabric cap.  Be sure to label it attractively.

Can be used when baking cookies, dusting on cakes and pastries or even to just add a teaspoonful in your coffee or tea.....or use your imagination!

(Photo) Vanilla orchid  (V. planifolia) vine with bloom and buds growing up the trunk of a cacao tree in Papaikou, Hawai'i

Real vanilla extract is made using the pods/beans of the vanilla orchid and not chemically derived.

~~~~~

(*) Coumarin is a toxin found in plants that is used to make Coumadin/warfarin and can be found in the 'cheap vanilla' brought in from other countries http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coumarin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warfarin

(**) "Artificial Vanilla Flavoring: U.S. manufactured artificial vanilla is produced from synthetic "vanillin"; Lignin Vanillin is a mde from a by-product of the paper producing industry.  this by-product is chemically treated to mimic the flavor of vanilla.  The product helped take care of an e-cological problem with paper producers and created an 'affordable' vanilla flavoring for the public.  The other synthetic common in Mexican artificial flavorings is Ethyl Vanillin derived from coal tar.

Our newest edible garden project

 

In the past we've had a nice garden on one side of our house, but pigs have destroyed it three times.  We hope they don't venture into this side of the yard this time!

We bought a pig trough last year when we had planned to do an aquaponics system, but due to several reasons, it never happened, so we decided to turn it into a raised planter instead.

A couple of weeks ago we bought cinders, enriched soil and chicken manure and with the help of the young man that helps us in the yard, the trough was filled with cinders in bottom for good drainage - the trough has small holes in the bottom - then several bags of soil and one of the manure mixed in - I planted a few things we had in little pots; ruffled red kale, bunching onions, chives and garlic chives, also a couple of tomato plants (one bush and one vining) and then scattered mizuna, mesclum and spinach seeds. 

At the time, we placed black plastic in an area underneath and in front of the trough to kill the grass and weeds underneath.  We anchored it with large rocks.

The brown and yellow building seen in the background is the studio/cabin that sits in front of our yard.  Our 'front' yard extends just to the back wall of the cabin.

Kale, chives, garlic chives, scallions, mesclun mix, bush tomato growing on one half of the trough.  On the side you can't see there is a vine tomato which is being trained to go up a tomato cage, mizuna, some very thin fine chives, more meclun and baby spinach.

Two weeks later, almost everything in the trough is looking pretty good although not everything came up, but we can now see where we have space to plant something else.

We decided that instead of the rocks framing and anchoring the black plastic, we would get some concrete blocks with the larger holes for a neater edge and also so we could use them as 'planters'.  To be able to do this, we had to move two small banana trees that were planted where the blocks form a corner.  They were planted in another area of the yard.

Today we moved the rocks, placed the blocks and filled them with the enriched planting soil and planted a few things we also had in small pots.  We will be moving the small clump of papayas that is now growing in the middle of the plastic covered area and placing them closer to our front lanai, area not viewable to the left of the photo. Where the blocks end on the right of the photo, we will be doing a small rock garden and plant a few spreading herbs.

Nasturtiums planted in the short section of the block L, a curry plant in the near corner and 8 holes planted with Italian parsley.  In the ones where you can't see any green, Anthony planted some bok choy and more spinach.

Across the area from where the trough and block area is located, which is just in front of our own front lanai, we're slowly cleaning out most of the ornamentals and we have planted a few baby bananas.  Today Anthony cleared a small area, about 3 square feet, and planted some corn we had coming up as seedlings.  By the corn he planted some vine beans and in the center a few yellow squash seeds.  The beans will go up the corn stalks and the squash will cover the ground area, providing moisture.  

This is called "the three sisters" and it is an ancient method used by Native Americans

To do this he cut empty tubes of toilet tissue in half, placed them partway into the ground in the garden bed, filled almost halfway with soil that has been already mixed with a small amount of fert; planted 2-3 seeds in eachm added a sprinkling of soil and watered. This trick makes it harder for birds to dig out the seeds and for slimy slugs to climb into it...the cardboard will eventually decompose and become part of the soil in the garden bed.

The tomato bush in the trough is not even a foot tall and it already has three little tomatoes.  I'm not sure what variety as this was given to me sometime ago.

In the next few days we will start planting inside the blocked area and place a few stepping stones inside to make it easier to access everything.

....and that is how our garden grows...we hope!

 

 

Living 'the life'... a year in review

 

Ke Ola in Hawaiian means 'The Life'... 

Ke Ola Magazine is a magazine for those who love the life we lead on the Big Island of Hawaii sharing stories about the land, culture, people and living a sustainable life. 

Ke Ola's first issue appeared in December of 2008 and in these few years the magazine has grown deep roots in our island community hosting a diverse cast of writers sharing stories about the land, the people and the Hawaiian way of life.

Anyone who knows me knows about my love of learning about our plants, produce and fruit, so I was thrilled when asked to be a contributor to this beautiful and prestigious magazine with feature articles about the exotic tropical produce and fruits available in our farmers markets.

The magazine is published every two months and to date seven of my features have been "spotlighted" on the page opposite the Hawai'i Island Farmers Markets listings page.

I am sharing the six features from 2012.

For some reason, the blog post does not show the photos in the actual size in which I post them.  To be able to read the pages, please click on each picture to make it larger.

January/February 2012 - Breadfruit and the recipe 'Breadfruit Fritters'

  March/April 2012 - Purple Sweet Potatoes and the recipe 'Purple Sweet Potato, Yacón & Watercress Salad'

 

 

May/June 2012 - Taro and the recipe 'Taro Cream Soup' 

 

July/August 2012 - Mamey and the recipes 'Mamey Cheesecake & Mamey Smoothie'

 

 

September/October  2012 - 'Ulu (Breadfruit) and the recipes 'Breadfruit Goes Bananas Custard and Breadfruit & Warabi Curry Salad'

 

November/December 2012 - Tropical Fruit Ambrosia and the recipe 'Ambrosia...Food of the Gods' Salad/Dessert

 

 

NOTES: Breadfruit and taro can be sometimes found in Asian or West Indian markets on the mainland. You can now find purple sweet potatoes being grown in North Carolina.  Yacón is a crunchy root similar to jicama but juicier and sweeter. Mamey is a beloved fruit by all Cubans and can be found in most South Florida markets and also in some Asian and West Indian markets elsewhere.

If you're not familiar with any of the produce mentioned and are interested in finding more about them, I suggest you do a search or just make a comment and ask me.  I will try to reply as best I can.

As you can see, there is a full year of features and recipes from last year and I've already started on this year's contributions...to be shared later.

 

You can order back issues of Ke Ola Magazine HERE or subscribe HERE

Follow Ke Ola on Facebook

 

Farmer Appreciation Day at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai

 

 

Remember back in the day when any recipe featured in a magazine or cookbook was called “Hawaiian Something or Other” if it had pineapple in it? 

We sure have a come a long way, baby… 

A bit over 21 years ago a group of 12 innovative chefs from all around the Hawaiian Islands started a food revolution when they went directly to the farmers and asked them to grow certain things for them.  

The farmers enthusiastically responded, knowing they would have a guaranteed buyer for their crops and the chefs enthusiastically started developing recipes using these locally grown ingredients…and that, in a (macadamia) nut shell, is how the Hawai’i Regional Cuisine movement got started.

Hawai’i Regional Cuisine celebrates not only the foods the farmers or local fishermen can provide, but also incorporate the cuisines of the varied ethnic groups of people who have made these islands home. 

More and more island chefs work hard at developing a close relationship with the farmers and other purveyors of the ingredients they need to develop the dishes that will eventually be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike in what is also being called a “Farm to Table” movement.  

One of the leaders in this movement is Executive Chef James Babian of the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on the Kona Coast.  His approach is to embrace what he calls the ‘seasonal, regional and artisanal’ concepts of food and cooking by using as much as possible island sourced; from locally harvested sea salt to several whole carcasses of grass-fed beef each month. 

Chef Jim and his staff purchases from 160 different farmers, fishermen and other purveyors of locally grown or sourced ingredients…and for the last three years, to show their appreciation to their suppliers, they have hosted a Mahalo Farmers & Chefs Symposium and Lunch on the second Wednesday of November.

This was the first year that I didn’t have any conflicting events happening on ‘the day’ and was able to attend.  

The ballroom tables were beautiful decorated with centerpieces made from assorted vegetables, mushrooms and orchids and one wall held bins of colorful produce provided by the farmers.  Below the bins, there was a veritable Smörgåsbord of salad ingredients which I failed to photograph.

The food was displayed on stations around the ballroom where lunch was served and outside the ballroom where chefs had set up an outdoor kitchen and several entrées and side dishes where being prepared.

The food was simply but spectacularly presented with each dish’s ingredient able to capture the highlights.  Lots of ‘little dishes’ with just enough to make you want more…but then you had to taste the next little dish…and the next…and the next!

 

Three different appetizers; roasted multicolored beets and goat cheese, thinly sliced kampachi sprinkled with kiawe smoked sea salt and ‘ahi with perfectly sweet grape tomatoes. 

Several platters of cut or sliced fruit; passion fruit, star fruit, pineapple, dragon fruit and longans.

Perfectly cooked slices of grass-fed beef, ravioli, rice and braised bok choy, mahi mahi with citrus, and a delicious ‘stratta’ of sweet potatoes…I'm sure I forgot to name a few more!

 

Although there were several wonderful looking desserts, I managed to limit myself to one…the delicious Hawaiian chocolate drink served in a shot glass and plated with two mini round malasadas ‘floating’ on a slightly sweet purée of passion fruit.

During the lunch, Chef Jim presented his “Wish List” of produce and other ingredients he would love to have for next year.  To read more about the event and to see the “Wish List”, please read my feature article for the Hawai’i HomeGrown Food Network.

Farmer Mahalo Day at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai. 

Chef Jim, the hotel and his staff do it right! 

Showing appreciation to their suppliers keeps everyone happy and satisfied but also makes everyone realize that there might be just a little bit more we all can do to help our island become more sustainable.

 

DIY "green" citrus kitchen cleaner

My friend Rose H posted a link at Gather today that spurred me to action...See it HERE ... she had found it on Pinterest (a site I have been avoiding as much as possible even though I have had several friends bombard me with "you need to join" messages and links to interesting-not-to-be-missed pins)...

 

When I saw the pin about the Orange Vinegar cleaner I realized I had both plenty of white vinegar and about 8 tangerines I needed to do something with, so instead of orange peels I used tangerine peels and I added some cloves to the mix.

 

Here is the basic recipe as shared - the original blog link is below.

 

 

Orange Vinegar - A 'green' kitchen cleaner

 

1 16 ounce canning jar

2 oranges - peel only (eat the insides!)

Vinegar to cover

 

Fill jar with the peels and then the vinegar.  Let it sit 2 weeks, decant into spray bottle and you have a green solution for your kitchen cleaning chores.

 

http://fountainavenuekitchen.com/orange-vinegar-a-green-cleaner/

 

 

As I mentioned above I followed my own thing and made

 

Tangerine Vinegar - A 'green' kitchen cleaner

 

1 half gallon canning jar

8 tangerines - peel only (see below what I did with the slices!)

1 level Tablespoon cloves

White vinegar to cover

 

Fill the jar with the peels and add the cloves; add the vinegar and let it sit 2 weeks.  Decant into spray bottles and use for kitchen cleaning chores.

 

Tangerine Slices in Allspice Syrup

 

1 half gallon canning jar

8 tangerines - peeled

4 cups water

3 cups white sugar

4-5 allspice leaves

 

We have an allspice tree in our yard and I like to use the leaves for flavoring as they're just as potent or more so than the berries.

 

Separate the tangerine slices and take off all the little white 'hairy sticky fuzz'.  Place slices in large saucepan or Dutch oven.  Add the water, sugar and washed leaves.  Bring to a boil; turn down heat and cook for about 10 minutes.  Take out the tangerine slices with slotted spoon and let the syrup cook a bit longer with the leaves still in it.

 

When the syrup reaches the desired consistency, turn off, fish out the leaves and funnel the syrup into the canning jar - tangerines will float if there is space.

 

Cool and refrigerate.  Use as topping for ice cream, cakes, puddings, custards, etc...  The syrup left over after you finish eating the tangerine slices can be used for making vinaigrette.

2012 Breadfruit Festival Goes Bananas - 'Ulu Banana Crepes w/'Ulu Chunky Monkey Ice Cream

 

For a different twist, this year another dimension was added to the Breadfruit Fest... It was called 'The Breadfruit Fest Goes Bananas' and bananas of all types were brought in to introduce to the attendees.  Some were familiar and some were completely new to me.

 

Photo: a huge rack of Cuban Red bananas

 

Photo: to show the size of this rack in its proper perspective I had my son Anthony stand behind it!  

They are smaller in size than the common Cavendish banana and have a creamy white to pink flesh, with a slight raspberry flavor. They can be sliced and dried or eaten raw in salads, but are usually eaten fresh out of hand.  The redder the fruit, the more carotene it contains. They also have more vitamin C than the yellow variety. A good source of fiber, potassium and vitamin C. Eat one a day, it contains 8 amino-acids your body cannot produce by itself (*)

Photo: Cuban Red banana rack hanging from a bamboo pole teepee frame

In one area of the Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Gardens, the location where the festival is held, several bamboo pole teepee frames were built and banana racks were hung from them for display during the event and later for sale.

 

First Place winner in the "Going Bananas" Category was a delicious dessert by Dana Shapiro of Honoka’a

‘Ulu Banana Crepes with ‘Ulu Chunky Monkey  Ice Cream 

 

Ice cream:

1-1/4 cup 'ulu, boiled and mashed

1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoons white honey

2 eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1-1/2 cups cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 apple banana, sliced

1/2 cup dark chocolate pieces, chopped roughly

2 Tablespoons natural peanut butter

 

Crepes:

2/3 cup mashed 'ulu (or use leftover pulp from making ice cream!)

1-1/2 cups flour

2-1/2 cups milk

4 eggs

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

Butter or oil for frying

Sliced apple bananas for filling

 

Ice cream:

Using an electric mixer, beat 'ulu with 1/4 cup cream until well combined and set aside.

Beat eggs and honey until thick and pale yellow.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, bring milk and 1/2 cup cream to a simmer, and add to the egg mixture keeping the mixer on low speed.

Return milk-egg mixture to saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until custard forms.

Beat custard into 'ulu mixture, and sieve through a fine strainer to remove lumps. Retain pulp for making ice cream – you should have about 2/3 cup.

Stir remaining 3/4 cup cream and vanilla into 'ulu custard and refrigerate until cold.

Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. When ice cream begins to thicken, add sliced bananas, chocolate chunks, and peanut butter. Continue freezing until ice cream reaches desired consistency.

Crepes:

Combine all ingredients ina a blender and refrigerate batter for at least 30 minutes.

Heat pan over medium-high heat and brush with a little butter or oil.

Pour 2-3 tablespoons of batter into the pan, remove pan from heat and swirl until batter boats the bottom.

Return pan to burner and cook until edges turn golden brown.

Flip crepe and cook on second side for 15 seconds.

Repeat the procedure, buttering pan as necessary, until all batter is used up.  Store crepes between layers of wax paper until ready to serve.

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To serve, place layer of sliced apple bananas over half the crepe, fold once (creating a semi-circle) and fold in half again to form a triangular shape.

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Notes:

Serve the 'ulu banana crepes with 'ulu chucky monkey ice cream for a fabulous, impressive dessert, or try them with fresh yogurt for a healthy and delicious breakfast!

(*) From Melissa's Produce pages

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For more of my posts and recipes from the 2012 Breadfruit Festival, click on the following links:

.

2012 Breadfruit Festival Goes Bananas - 'Ulu Banana Fruit Tarts w/ Mango & Ohelo Berries

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2012 Breadfruit Festival Goes Bananas - 'Ulu (Breadfruit) Gnocchi with Hamakua Mushroom Ragout

 

 

 

 

    

 

2012 Breadfruit Festival Goes Bananas - 'Ulu (Breadfruit) Gnocchi with Hamakua Mushroom Ragout

 

The 2nd Annual Breadfruit Fest held on Saturday, September 29th at the Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Gardens in Captain Cook on the Big Island of Hawai'i showed that breadfruit can be a versatile source of food.

Photo:  Assorted varieties of breadfruit in different stages of ripeness.

Breadfruit has been feeding Pacific Islanders for milennia and although at one time it was found growing in prolific forests in Hawai'i and can be boiled, steamed, fried, mashed and made into flour, through the years it lost popularity to the introduced potatoes and yams. 

The resurgence of this valued crop can be the answer to food scarcity in the future. Although our islands can grow almost anything that grows anywhere else in the world, our dependence on imports runs at between 80 to 95% depending on the sources checked. 

Breadfruit is so versatile that it could fill a major gap in our islands' food supplies.  At each the three different festival we have held to date (*) hundreds of little breadfruit trees have been sold, giving hope that eventually the trees will be again found throughout the areas where it grows to best advantage.

Who says breadfruit can't go "international" or "gourmet"?  Look at one of the winning recipes below.

 

Second Place Winner in the Entrée Category garnered enough judge points in healthy ingredients to also win the Healthiest Choice Award.

Entry by Gwen Edwards of Kailua-Kona

'Ulu (Breadfruit) Gnocchi with Hamakua Mushroom Ragout

For gnocchi:

1 green breadfruit

1 to 1 1/2 cups flour

2 egg yolks

For ragout:

2 cups alii mushrooms, chopped

½ Maui onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

4-5 sage leaves, chopped

salt & pepper to taste

For garnish:

A sprig of fresh sage

A few Pioppini mushrooms from Hamakua Mushrooms Heritage Farm

Sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan cheese

Peel, core, and chop breadfruit into bite sized pieces. Steam in a steamer basket for 20-30 minutes or until soft. Place in a large bowl and mash.

When breadfruit has cooled some, but is still warm, add flour and beaten egg yolks. Use your hands to mix and knead until it becomes a ball of dough. Do not over work the dough. Take a small handful of dough and roll into a tube about ¾ inch in diameter on a floured surface using the tips of your fingers. Cut the tube into 1 inch pieces and press each with your thumb to make a small indentation. Place gnocchi on a wax paper covered cookie sheet and continue with the rest of the dough.

Begin making the ragout by sautéing onion, garlic, and mushrooms in the olive oil over medium heat until soft, adding salt and pepper to taste as you go. Add the balsamic vinegar and sage, cover and turn off heat. 

Yield: 4-6 portions

(*) So far two fall festivals in the Captain Cook location and one spring festival in the Pū'āla'a, (by Kapoho) Puna area.  The next spring festival at Pū'āla'a, Puna will be held on March 2nd.  Mark your calendars!

To read a previous post about this event click on the link below

2012 Breadfruit Festival Goes Bananas - 'Ulu Banana Fruit Tarts w/ Mango & Ohelo Berries

2012 Breadfruit Festival Goes Bananas - 'Ulu Banana Fruit Tarts w/ Mango & Ohelo Berries

 

The 2nd Annual Breadfruit contest was held this past Saturday, September 29th at the Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Gardens in Captain Cook on the Big Island of Hawai'i.

The Breadfruit Cooking Contest at Breadfruit Festival Goes Bananas called for original recipes that feature breadfruit as the main ingredient, adding a new twist this year was to challenge entrants to combine breadfruit and banana into one unique dish.

We had some wonderful recipes in several categories; Appetizers, Entrées/Main Dishes, Desserts, Going Bananas and Youth (ages 12-18)

Six judges tasted and scored each entry.  Each entry was judged using the following criteria; Best use of Breadfruit, Taste, Appearance/Presentation, Originality and the Use of Healthy Ingredients

The First Place Winner in the Dessert Category, also won the First Place in the Youth Category and took the Best of Show Award.  

Entry by the Culinary Arts Class Students of the Kua O Ka La Public Charter School in Pū‘āla‘a, Puna - with the guidance of their Culinary Kumu, Mariposa Blanco.

'Ulu Banana Tarts with Mango and Ohelo Berries

 For the Tart:

1 1/2 cups 'ulu flour

1/2 cup unsalted butter (Naked Cow Dairy butter is the best)

1/4 cup white Maui sugar ('ulu flour is sweet so you can use less sugar than you would normally.  If you have sugar issues, coconut sugar works as well)

1 large egg

The white of one egg beaten

For the Filling:

2 cups steamed 'ulu cut into small pieces

2 cups bananas cut in small chunks (ripe and sweet as this is your sweetener for the filling)

1 cup cream

1 vanilla bean seeds - scraped from bean 

a pinch of nutmeg

a pinch of Hawaiian salt finely ground

For the Topping:

1 cup thinly sliced mango marinated in honey

1 cup Ohelo berries reduced in a 1/4 cup sugar and 1/8 water

Juice of liliko'i  - Brazilian style witn seeds

 

Preheat oven to 400 F

Lightly oil your tart pans with coconut oil and place them on a cookie sheets.

Beat egg, sugar and butter.  Add to your flour and mix well.  Roll into balls, wrapped in wax paper and place in freezer for 15 - 20 minutes.

Divide the dough ball and with your hands, pat it firmly all around the tart molds.  Bake at 400 F for 5 minutes.  Lower the oven temperature to 350 F and watch closely while continuing to bake for 9 - 12 minutes more.    Each batch was different so be sure to keep an eye on it while baking.

Turn oven off then brush the baked pastry shells with the beaten egg white and put back for about 2 more minutes.  Take them out and let them cool completely.  They will be delicate and tend to fall apart if you try to unmold them before they cool.

Blend the 'ulu, banana and cream in a food processor till very smooth. Add the vanilla seeds and a grate of nutmeg.

Fill your tarts, then add the honey marinated mango slices on one side and the reduced ohelo berries on the other.  Sprinkle top with liliko'i juice.  Chill in refrigerator and serve right away.

Yield: 10 individual tarts

Notes: This is like a classic fruit tart recipe.  It took a lot of playing with the 'ulu flour, just have faith it will turn out...It does.  

All ingredients were 100% locally sourced, grown or produced.

About Kua O Ka La Public Charter School 

GLOSSARY:

'ulu - Hawaiian word for breadfruit

kumu - teacher, instructor

Naked Cow Dairy - local dairy

Ohelo berries *

liliko'i - Hawaiian word for passion fruit

 

Vanilla beans and nutmeg are being grown in Hawai'i.  * Ohelo berries are usually found growing wild above the 1000 foot elevations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hawai'i Tropical Fruit Growers - A recent tour to a tropical fruit orchard

 

Almost ready to harvest rambutan

 

As part of the recently held 22nd Annual Hawaii International Tropical Fruit Conference on several of the Hawaiian Islands, the Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers- East Hawai'i Island chapter conducted a tour of the Onomea Orchards, owned by Richard and Jenny Johnson.

Ken Love, the HTFG president, came over to our side of the island and brought Dr. Roberto Coronel of the RC Fruit Conservation Farm in the Philippines and Chef Ernest Miller, who holds the title of Lead Instructor Master Food Preserver with the University of California Cooperative Extention in LA.

Obviously, a couple of us taking pics were missing from this group photo.

 

A group of about 18 to 20 people met in Hilo on a beautiful sunny morning for the drive to the orchard, where we met Richard Johnson, who then proceeded to take us on a tour. 

Richard Johnson, owner of Onomea Orchards, conducting the tour

 

After the tour we went back to our vehicles and we all broke for lunch...later meeting at the Komohana Agricultural Research Station where Dr. Coronel and Chef Ernie shared their presentations.

Starfruit trees were covered in blooms.

 

Dave Longacre the HTFG - East President summed it up quite nicely and with his permission I share his comments:

"What a great day we had on the Hilo Farm Tour and the post-annual conference presentations in the afternoon.  HUGE Mahalo to Richard and Jenny Johnson of Onomea Orchards for hosting a big bunch of us at their gorgeous house and orchards"

"The immense productivity of Onomea Orchards' carambolas, longans, mangosteens, and myriad other fruits is testament to their hard work to maintain a spectacular orchard.  Add to that a beautiful house and outbuildings and a mesmerizing pond filled with lotus blossoms - well, it is inspiring to say the least"

Inside of a mangosteen.

 

"More big thanks to YOU, the attendees, for the thought-provoking questions and commentary that everyone offered;  I know it stimulated a lot of thinking about our own orchards, whether commercial or in our backyards"

Little gems:  Georgie Fong's coconut water (deelightful on a very warm day), Shirley "Charley" Black wearing two right-foot boots (and one of them was her husbands' boot.  I am not making this up.);  Bob Ernst's magnificent mustache and vigorous support of "orga**ic" (I know he meant organic) farming;  Sonia Martinez and I discovering we have been living in practically the same places for years and never knew it,  plus plenty more!

Dr. Roberto Coronel and Chef Ernie Miller in front of a very prolific longan tree.

Finally, wonderful presentations from Dr. Roberto Coronel, who opened our eyes to some fantastic Philippine fruits that really need to be considered here, and Chef Ernie Miller, whose energetic (I want what he eats for breakfast!) talk on the history of food preservation was a reminder of just how recently our American society lost touch with the value of food preservation such as canning and jars, and what opportunities there are for us to tap back into this skill with our multiple exotic fruits.  

Rambutan starting to ripen.

None of the day's events would have occurred without HTFG President Ken Love's tireless effort to bring the post-Conference "roadshow" to those of us on the neighbor islands who missed the main conference, and also our very own Cooperative Extension Agent Mark Nickum's thorough logistical coverage for the afternoon presentations. THANKS Ken and Mark!"

Ripe abiu.

I am definitely looking forward to the next HTFG - East event!

Hawaii Tropical Fruits Growers is a statewide association of fruit growers, packers, distributors and hobbyists dedicated to tropical fruit research, education, marketing and promotion and was incorporated in 1989 to promote the tropical fruit grown in the state.

For more information click HTFG