Sonia Tastes Hawaii

GARDEN GREENS ....the 'so-called' Spinaches

Besides the regular greens growing in our garden, such as basils, an assortment of lettuces, arugula and other herbs, we have planted what many people call "spinach" but are not like any spinach you might be familiar with.   The closest to looking like spinach is the first one, the Malabar.

 

 
  

 

Malabar Spinach

Malabar spinach (Basella alba or Basella Rubra) is a perennial tropical fast-growing and soft-stemmed vine in the Basellaceae family and not an actual spinach.  The vines can grow up to 10 feet.  Does well on trellises or twisted around wire tomato cages.

 

The stem has a slight little ‘squarish’ look and can be either green or dark reddish purple as in the variety called Basella Rubra.  the plant has insignificant white blooms and shiny black berry-like seeds.

 

The Malabar spinach loves full sunlight, hot and humid temperatures and does best when grown at altitudes less than 500 foot elevation but has been known to grow at higher elevations.

 

High in vitamins A and C and loaded with calcium, it can be consumed as either a raw salad green or cooked as you would regular spinach.  The leaves and stems have a mucilaginous consistency and in some countries only the new shoots are cooked and eaten.

 

I first became acquainted with this plant while living in Cuba.  My mother made mainly salads with the leaves.

 

The mucilaginous texture is especially useful as a thickener in soups and stews.  We love to mix it in with other greens in salads, but have also used it in stir fries.

 

 

Moluccan (Dawn or Daun Dewa) Spinach 

Moluccan Spinach (Gynura divaricata), said to be originally discovered in Formosa, now known as Taiwan.  There is a variety called Gynura nepalensis said to have originated in Nepal.

 

A hardy, fast growing plant also related to the Okinawan Spinach.

 

This so-called cholesterol lowering plant is also said to be used in some countries as a tea to decrease the blood glucose of diabetic patients and has been used in China for bronchial treatments.

 

The plant throws long ‘shoots’ that will keep on growing if left unchecked.  I try to train them on trellises.  It can be rooted directly into the ground by cuttings.  The leaves have a slightly fuzzy texture that is not disagreeable to the palate.  I have never seen a bloom or seed pod on this plant.

 

Can be eaten raw in salads or mixed in stews and stir fries.  I prefer to cut a wad of them as a chiffonade in salads.

 

I have tried finding what vitamins and other properties this plant contains, but haven’t been too successful.

 

I first became familiar with this plant after moving to Hawai'i when a neighbor gave me a starter plant.

 

 

Okinawan Spinach 

Okinawan spinach (Gynura crepioides) is a sub-tropical perennial vegetable plant that grows as a ground cover and can be rooted directly into the ground by cuttings.  It has beautiful soft teeth edged lance-like shiny leaves that are green on top and purple on the bottom.  The insignificant flowers can be either yellow or orangey-red.

 

The plant can grow in sun or partial shade.  It is best to propagate from cuttings as when planted from seeds it reverts to the original all green plant and loses the beautiful purple underside of the leaves.

 

Like the Moluccan spinach, it is also purported to help lower cholesterol.  When cooking, add the leaves at last or garnish with raw leaves as the heat turns the leaves completely green and the purple disappears.

 

As with all edible vegetation, please take care to wash all leaves carefully before eating raw to avoid any contamination.

 

The cholesterol lowering claims of the Moluccan and the Okinawan spinach have not been substantiated nor made by me.  I have no medical information that supports the claimed properties of these plants.

 

The salad shown below has all three 'spinach' greens, as well as mizuna, parsley and basil.  The berries are poha or Hawaiian gooseberries; goat cheese, chopped and toasted macadamia nuts and liliko'i (passion fruit) vinaigrette gave it the finishing touch.

 

 

A Gathering of Friends

 

A few days ago I was invited to lunch at the home of a dear friend, Chef Olelo pa'a Faith Ogawa, for a celebration of Brazilian friends and food. 

 

The food as usual, was delicious.  We started with caipirinhas, and several pupus, including ‘ahi sashimi, poke, avocado and veggie salsa and locally made guava wood smoked goat cheese pyramids among a few other things I can’t remember now!

 

Lots of wonderful conversation and getting to know new friends while enjoying our caipirinhas, a delicious and refreshing rum, lime and sugar drink served in a glass filled with ice… quite similar to our own Cuban mojitos without the spearmint.

 

 

My friend is noted for her unique approach to fresh foods and the dishes served were a testimony to her creativity and passion.  Her table arrangement was bright and fit the mood of the afternoon.

 

Besides a couple of other salads, there was a delicious mixture of fresh ingredients served in lettuce wedges and drizzled with her Caesar dressing.

 

The main dish was a traditional Portuguese Feijoada, a black bean, beef and pork stew served with Farofa (roasted manioc (cassava) flour mixed with butter to be sprinkled over the feijoada)

 

 
  

As if all this wasn’t enough, the dessert buffet was too tempting; coconut flan topped with fresh fruit, a large bowl of yet more fresh fruit cut into bite size pieces; a bowl of fresh whipped cream to top them all as well as some of the most decadent chocolate cookies I’ve ever eaten and Mauna Kea coconut macaroon drops, named after our snowy capped mountain…these are so light and fluffy they almost melt in your mouth.

 

It was a ‘feel good’ afternoon, filled with wonderful drinks and food, stimulating conversation and several new friendships made.

 

Here are other posts about Chef Olelo pa'a I have shared in the past

 

TROPICAL TASTE - Chef Olelo pa'a Faith Ogawa

 

TROPICAL TASTE - Papaya, Shrimp and Goat Cheese Appetizers

 

E hele mai 'ai (Come eat!)

 

Capirinhas Recipe

 

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

8 lime wedges

2-1/2 ounces of good Brazilian rum (cachaca)

 

Muddle the sugar and lime wedges in a clean mortar using the pestle.  Pour contents of mortar in an old-fashioned size glass, add the rum and mix well.  Add lots of ice, a swizzle stick and continue stirring every once in a while as you drink.

 

Saúde!

 

 

12th Annual Hilo Culinary Classic - HCC School of Culinary Arts

The 12th Annual Hilo Culinary Classic Competition took place on Friday, April 9th at the Hawai'i Community College Hilo Campus.  This year there were more entries than ever before and the place was packed.

For the first time there were entries from The Kapiolani (Oahu) campus and also from the Waiakea Intermediate Students in Hilo. 

The judges, Corporate Chef Ernesto Lincaco of Y Hata & Co. LTD, Executive Chef Casey Halpern of Cafe Pesto and Lead judge Chef Jim O'Keefe weren't quite finished judging when the doors opened to the public and it was interesting to hear judges commentary as they were facing some of the entries. 

The following entries won both the College Division and Overall:

Best of Show and 1st Place - Kelly Yoshida - HCC Hilo - Patisserie Artistic Show Piece - Decorated Celebration Cake - "Aquatic Artistry"

 
2nd place and a Gold Medal - Levon Stevens - HCC Hilo - Buffet Artistic Showpiece - Carved Fruit Flowers - "The Flower Garden" - I could not find Levon for a photo, so here is a collage of some of his exquisitely carved work.  Notice the delicate thinness of the petals.

3rd Place and a Gold Medal - Brandon Domingo - HCC-West HI - 5 Course Meal for One

In the Intermediate/High School Division all the winning teams were from the Waiakea Intermediate School, guided by Pastry Chef John Steward.  I apologize in advance for the order of the photos, since it was so crowded and noisy, it was hard to tell which was which except for the size of the trophies.  I hope I didn't make a mistake in the order of placement!

1^st Place TIE between Teams #2 "Vegas Sweets" and #4 "Alice in Wonderland"

2^nd Place Team #1

3^rd Place Team #3

 

 

Team #1 – Ethan Whitten, Kami-lyn Medeiros, Karlie Austria and Nikki Erece

Team #2 - Bryana  Ebbers. Jasmine Caban, Kryslynn Koyabashi-Agena and Natasia Rose-Fontes

Team #3 – Ariel Cuba, Megan Bolden and Wren Pacheco

Team #4 – Dalyne Shirota, Keith Sumaoang, Maiyah Turner and Noah Wirght

 

 

Professor and Chef Alan Okuda, and  Instructors Chef Sandy Barr Rivera, Shawn Sumiki, Sandy Dubczak, Brian Hirata, Paul Heerlein and Hospitality Division Chair Jim Lightner of the HCC-Hilo Campus were the proud hosts of this wonderful event.  (Photo taken at an earlier event)

Congratulations to all the students from the different campuses who participated, the winners and their Chef Instructors and the judges for a magnificent job well done!

A sampling of some of the other entries! 

Hawaii CC Hilo Student Sheri Lozier received a gold Medal for her intricately decorated, Easter Egg Pastry Showpiece in the upper row of photos.

Notes from the Herbal Garden

Two of my favorite pastimes are cooking and gardening, which seem to go together. When you plant an herb garden, you get double the satisfaction!

Living in Hawai'i , you can plant an herb garden at any time, but this seems to be the perfect time of year to start one. The nights are a little cooler, the sun is still hot in the daytime and we should soon start getting some refreshing rain. If you don’t have the patience to wait for seeds to sprout, get cuttings that you can root in a glass of water or buy plants at your nearest nursery.

If you do go the seed route, my son came up with an ingenious idea so the birds would not get the seeds before they could sprout. We had some old wood framed window screens which he used over the seed plantings and just propped them up with big rocks on each corner. This way, when the first sprouts come up, they still have room to grow without getting mashed down. This system also serves as protection during heavy rains.

Planting herbs in raised beds seem to give them the drainage many herbs need to thrive. It is also an easier way to harvest them. Mints and other invasive type herbs do better in containers where you can control the spreading. Herbs are usually tough and trouble-free, but pests and diseases do sometimes attack. Pinching off affected parts is a quick and effective control measure.

Using fresh herbs in cooking is as old as the first time someone thought that a certain piece of green leaf would go well with a certain other ingredient.  Of course, the amount of herbs used in recipes is a matter of personal taste, but when following a recipe that calls for either dry or fresh herbs and you need to substitute, use this rule of thumb conversion: 1 tablespoon of fresh equals one teaspoon of dry.

When making stews or any recipe that needs to cook for several hours, you can avoid cooking out the fresh or dried herb flavor, by adding it in the last stages of cooking.  On the other hand, when preparing foods that will chill, you should do the opposite and add the herbs several hours in advance to give the flavors time to meld.

When cooking with herbs that are tough (Cuban or Caribbean oregano for one and bay or laurel leaves) or have woody stems and you want to use the whole stem, such as rosemary or even thyme, crush the herbs a bit and place them in a stainless steel mesh tea ball which you can then insert or drop into the cooking pot.  I have several sizes I use for just this purpose.  You can fish out the whole thing and not have to pick the herbs out before serving the dish.  

When harvesting your herbs, they can be preserved for months in the freezer.
You need to wash and dry them first, by laying on double layers of paper towel and then patting dry with more towels.  Place them in freezer bags. 

Some of the best herbs for freezing include tarragon, basil, dill, chives and parsley. Parsley, perhaps the most commonly used of all herbs, is also packed with Vitamins A and C.  When you eat the little piece of fresh parsley that is garnishing your plate, remember that it not only serves as decoration, but it can also be used to freshen your breath after eating.

The best herbs to dry at home are bay leaves, marjoram and oregano.  The microwave is the handiest method to use for herb drying at home.  Wash them well and pat them dry before placing the leaves between layers of paper towels.  At the lowest setting, zap them for about three minutes.

The most popular herbs to plant seem to be basil, rosemary, chives, parsley,
cilantro, mint, oregano, tarragon and thyme.

(c) Sonia R. Martinez

(Parts of this article first appeared in the Hawaii Tribune Herald of Hilo - September 14, 2004)

Garden bounty.....Growing edibles

If you are a long time reader by now you know that I am a strong supporter of planting edible gardens instead of just a ‘pretty garden with a lawn’.  You can plant an edible garden and still have a beautiful yard by planting trees and bushes that bear food instead of just sitting there looking pretty.

Growing edibles in your garden can be not only fun, but in these days of high food cost it can supplement your market purchases and keep a few extra dollars in your pocket.

Look around your yard...you probably already grow a few edibles.
Be it fruits, veggies or herbs, there is deep satisfaction in planting, growing, harvesting and cooking the fruits of our labors.

It doesn’t take a lot of room to plant a kitchen or edible garden. In fact, you can even plant some edibles in pots or any little strip of dirt around your lanai or near the kitchen door. In France, where they are quite popular, these type gardens are called “potagers”; just a place where a few snips of this or a couple of fruits of that can be transformed into a satisfying meal.   

Simple things to grow are cherry tomatoes, basil, rosemary, and little red Hawaiian chili peppers; okra, spinach, wing beans, Japanese eggplants, and even a few nasturtiums for color and taste (yes, you can eat both the bloom and leaves of these beautiful little flowers).

Cherry tomatoes and the nasturtiums can also grow in hanging baskets, which are also convenient to hang from the eaves of your house near the kitchen door, thus saving space in the yard or lanai.

Here in Hawaii, we are blessed with great year round growing conditions for most herbs and vegetables and there are lots of fruit available almost everywhere, so using our gardens to supplement our food shopping is more fun than work.

For many years I’ve been fascinated with the stories about the Victory Gardens that were popular during the World Wars and where we live, we are trying to have something of an edible nature growing at all times. We have a long ways to go for what I envision, but we made a start a few years ago.  Here is a link to see a collection of fascinating Victory Garden posters.

Since a family of wild pigs found a way to come up the gulch and destroyed our earlier garden last year, we had been hesitant to use the same place again and were planting things in the bed behind the cabin that sits in front of our house. This bed was getting pretty full and things didn't have room to grow, so we decided to start planting again in the old garden site, which is larger and the only area in this property that is ‘almost flat’. 

We hope the pigs don’t decide this is an open invitation to come dine at our expense again.  

It will not be as 'pretty' as our earlier garden, but we're still following the 'recycling' rules we set up when we were doing our first one and using things that we just don't want to send to the dump (see earlier blog posts about our original garden below)

We have two metal table frames (wood tops burned when we had the fire almost 10 years ago). The legs on these metal table frames are tall enough that some sun reaches underneath the tables at certain times of the day, even with growing trays set on top.

We also have some shallow (about 5-6 inches deep) metal wire baskets that were part of a display unit in our Inn gift shop that fit inside the top of the smaller table frame. We used some screening to line the wire baskets, filled with dirt and compost and turned them into growing trays. I don't think slugs will be climbing the legs - hope not anyway.

The table frames make fantastic raised beds when you place the metal basket–growing trays on them. 

 
So far we have planted mixed greens and strawberries in the growing baskets and the legs are wonderful as trellises, so we decided to use the larger table frame as trellises for tomatoes and chayote and underneath the smaller table we planted the Okinawan spinach, which can grow in partial shade.

We bought a paper shredder and have been shredding newspapers which we're using as mulch.

So far we've planted some heirloom tomatoes, tomatillo, purple basil, stick oregano and arugula in that area. I will leave the large stick oregano and the Cuban oregano where they are currently as they have really established themselves very well there.

Sage, thyme and Mexican tarragon are planted in pots which we can move around as needed.

We have some dill, pepper plants, Japanese eggplants, fennel and another variety of tomatoes which we will be planting in a day or two and will also redo an old bed with a section of dog fencing on which to grow peas and beans.

We still have 4 rosemary plants in the old garden area left after the pig attack and a small bay leaf (laurel) that doesn't seem to want to do much.

A friend introduced me to a tree that is almost all edible - roots can be used as a substitute for horseradish; leaves, flowers and bean/seed pods are edible and the dried seeds are also used to purify water in countries where the water is not clean.

Many Hawaii residents of Filipino descent know and make use of this tree already. It is called Moringa oleifera. Our friend gave us several branches which we just stuck deeply in the ground as instructed. They will supposedly root.

We shall see if all this survives!

Garden Journal - Intro

Garden Journal - The First Week

Garden Journal - The First Month

The Taming of our Garden

Garden Jounal - Summer Update

The Edible Garden