Ka'u Beef and the Volcano Market

Morning coffee+ Strolling around a farmers market= this is what great Sundays are made of.

We headed out of Hilo Sunday morning to the Volcano Farmers Market. At first we didn't know what to make of it, our breath visible in the cold Volcano morning air. We walked over to the large arena area and chatted with Olivia from Mountain View Growers. Her strawberries looked fantastic! Then we went over to Forrest and Maria where they had overflowing tables of corn, potatoes, carrots and rainbow chard. Regulars at the Hilo Wednesday market, Forrest and Maria had even more eye catching produce than I usually get to see. We purchased some of their pink and yellow skinned potatoes before moving on to the next building.

The very first thing I saw in this building was the meat lady! I had seen online that the Ka'u based  Kuahiwi Ranch sold meat at Volcano Market but I didn't get my hopes up. I stood next to a man who was in the midst of deciding what cut he wanted and the meat lady was happy to display some very nice sized New York Strips and a few hefty rib-eyes. I had my sights set on a boneless rib-eye that was marbled to perfection and glad to see he passed it up for 3 New York Strips.  The Kuahiwi Ranch Natural Beef is family raised on 10,000 acres (yes the number is correct) between Wood Valley and Waiohinu in Ka'u. Three generations of the Galimba family work the farm and are active with local 4-H activities. They raise their cattle free-range on that massive acreage with no antibiotics or artificial hormones. Is your mouth watering yet? It should be. We purchased two Spencer cut ( aka rib-eye steak, market steak, beauty steak, noted here as the best cut of beef you could possibly have!) steaks, each about 1.5 inches thick and 1.6 lbs of free-range, pastured, marbled goodness. It was a splurge for sure!

Next, we saw Papa'a Palaoa Bakery making breakfast sandwiches- and it was all made with local ingredients! I wish they could make them at the Hilo market, because I'd have one every market day! A grill toasted english muffin shmeared with Puna goat cheese, loaded with fresh basil, slice of homegrown tomato (usually a Mountain View Grower tomato) and an egg! Oh and the eggs- eye catching array of different colors! We had to buy a dozen when we saw that there are several different varieties of egg hens that they use. Some eggs are dark brown, olive green, light taupe, freckled and more! I've never been excited over eggs this much before. It isn't a bad drive from Hilo to Volcano and now that we know what to expect, we may go more often.


Ka'u Steak- it's what's for dinner!

For dinner I quartered the potatoes and then sliced the quarters into 1/2 inch pieces. I placed them in a glass baking dish with a tablespoon of chicken fat skimmed from the top of the chicken broth I just made. I tossed the potatoes in the chicken fat and sprinkled rosemary and thyme (from my garden) and placed it in the oven at 420 degrees F for 1 hour. These are perfect for putting in the oven and forgetting about them, because the outside gets nice and crispy while the inside is soft and fluffy.(Also, when friends unexpectedly show up while you are prepping dinner-like, I dunno, Julie and Marco- you don't have to worry about babysitting the stove.)

Meanwhile, I ground a hand full of Ka'u coffee and a few roasted cocoa nibs until it was a powder. I sprinkled the steaks generously with the coffee cocoa rub and a pinch of sea salt then let them sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. (Or until those friends that suddenly showed up leave, like, I dunno, Julie and Marco.)

I trimmed some large Alii Oyster mushrooms from Hamakua mushrooms and started to heat my pans. I thinly sliced a halved (lengthwise) zucchini and broadly sliced fresh basil (from Julie's garden!). Once the pans were hot I put a teaspoon of chicken fat in the mushroom pan and tossed the mushrooms in. I did the same for the zucchini but turned the burner low after putting the zucchini in the pan and placed a lid on it. We like the zucchini almost steamed but not mush.

I continued to toss the mushrooms gently so they cooked evenly. Then, I threw the steaks on the griddle. I love the hiss of steaks searing. Stir the zucchini, toss the mushrooms, flip the steaks, turn the oven off and let the potatoes cool a bit- all done at the same time! Remember to always take the steaks off first so they can rest.

Our steaks came out with a nice crust all around it while still being rare - Gordon Ramsey would have been proud. The rub gave an earthy depth to the steak that matched the meat taste without being overpowering. The potatoes were crispy, mushrooms cooked to perfection (is it just me or do they actually kind of taste like an oyster) and the zucchini with Julie's basil rounded off the meal. Oh, can't forget the Mehana Hawaiian Crow Porter I washed it all down with!

I couldn't finish my steak so I've got that lined up for lunch today. YUM! Speaking of which, it is about that time already.

Forever Seeking Aloha,
Britt

Too many lemons and too much lemonade

I love when friends come over. I love it even more when they come bearing gifts of vegetables from their garden- it makes me feel like the Barefoot Contessa. My good friends James and Joe brought me an overstuffed bag of their eggplants because quite frankly they are overrun with it. They have a lovely garden that produces eggplant like crazy and they simply can't cook as much as they grow.
Lucky for them I am happy to take whatever it is they can't use, but what about the rest of you? Have you recently become burdened with too many avocados and you are looking to pawn them off on anyone who crosses your path? Well, I have a great resource for you- as long as you live in Hawaii, that is.

Share the Harvest is a new group that has been organized for swapping your excess for something you can't grow or make yourself. Click this link to register and become a member- it is a free service where you can see what other people have that you might want, and you can post what overstock you have. I should be listing my bananas soon because we have 4 bunches starting all at the same time, and my freezer only holds so much.

The concept is based on a barter system. Once my bananas are ready to be harvested I will post them on Share the Harvest and see what other people are willing to trade for them. Trades on this site should only be products grown on the island, homemade items such as jellies or jams, or food providing plants like coconut or coffee starts. I think it is a great idea to help share your bounty! Check it out and please feel free to share your success stories with me- I'd love to hear about it!

Hope to see you trading!
Forever Seeking Aloha,
Britt

Navigating the Market

I love market days!!! For me, working at the Hilo Farmers Market has been a great way to meet people, learn about local places and most of all find all the freshest fruits and veggies in the area. But do not be fooled! Not all fruits and vegetable vendors are created equal! Some vendors ship produce in, repackage it and try to pass it off as their own. Even worse, some people will tell you their produce is organic when in reality it is not.
If you want to make sure that you are purchasing farm fresh produce from the grower all you have to do is follow my 4 easy steps!
Step 1 Ask Around- Ask a vendor who doesn't sell what you are looking for. We know who actually grows their produce, who is actually organic, and if they have good prices. Because we depend on your business we won't steer you in the wrong direction. If you ask someone selling tomatoes, " who has the best tomatoes" you aren't going to get an honest answer. But, if you ask the strawberry lady (if she's out of tomatoes that is) she'll tell you where to go.
Step 2 Ask the Vendor- If you ask pointed questions like, "Where is your farm?" or "How are you related to the farmer?" you'll be able to weed out the growers from the non growers. Other questions like, "When was this picked?" and "What else do you grow" are also great questions in determining if your produce is actually farm fresh and from your area. Specific answers like, " In Mountain View; my dad is the farmer; I picked this yesterday;  we also grow carrots I just don't have any today," are great indications that you are purchasing straight from the grower.
Step 3 Look at the Produce- I know this sounds bad but if the produce looks too good to be true it is probably imported. Organic fruits and vegetables especially hold true to this statement. Organic produce at a farmers market should have a blemish or two and if they don't you should ask what they do with their seconds. I listened in on a conversation happening at the booth next to me and it went something like this; Customer: "Last week I had 6 berries out of the bunch that had worms in them!" Farmer: "Well, at least you know we aren't lying when we say we're organic." We are so accustomed to having bug free imported produce that we forget that if we purchase organic fruits or veggies there is a chance that something got there before we did! Expect a bruise or a blemish and don't let that turn you away from the produce, unless of course it is beyond eating around it or cutting it out.
Step 4 Form a Relationship- that's right, make the person behind the table your best friend. We will save the best for you if we know what you like and the frequency in which you shop. We like having regulars and actually enjoy talking with you! I have my favorite customers and if I know they are coming in I will save an item I am about to sell out of. Let's face it, you always have to eat so why not establish a great relationship with a person that can and will make sure you eat well.

I hope these simple steps help guide you along your own farmers market journey as well as help you form some great relationships with farmers in your area.

Forever Seeking Aloha,
Britt

Ohia Fields Farm

Today I set out with my friend Julie to explore Ohia Fields Farm. It was a gorgeous day for a drive to Ookala with the sun shining down on us and the deep blue ocean to our right. We made our way through a bamboo forest, passed a few happy horses, and finally came to where the road ends. After backing up we saw Jeff  coming to greet us. Jeff and Miliana Johnson, owners of Ohia Fields Farm, left their hectic life on the mainland to get back to the Earth and as Jeff put it- do something that meant something. I'd say they are succeeding.

The field is planted in a circle with small rounded sections radiating from the central greenhouse structure. The Johnson's live above Honaka'a with their animal husbandry portion. Eventually, as Jeff explained, everything will be located at the 22 acre Ookala site where we were.  Jeff walked us literally around pointing out tender butter lettuce sprouts, lacy fennel greens and richly colored tomatoes. Jeff broke us off a sampling of the tomatoes and we relished in their sweetness. I marveled at the bountiful heads of lettuce; each leaf looked crisp and completely blemish free. Jeff explained that they place a covering over the younger lettuces to prevent grasshopper and other insect bites.  The white fabric is removed once the lettuce becomes bigger and voila! Perfect leaves.

keeping the bugs at bay

While not certified organic, Ohia Fields Farm utilizes both organic and sustainable methods of farming. Crops are rotated to decrease the need for fertilizers (though when used they are organic), and even the chickens play a vital role. Chickens are housed in a chicken tractor (think a coup in wheels) that is moved every 3 days. Moving the chicken tractor allows the chickens to forage for food mimicking a natural free range style diet. In the end, what you get is a healthier chicken and a healthier field.

Ohia Fields Farm offers a subscription or a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) to its customers. First, you have to sign up for a season of weekly boxes of uber fresh vegetables, herbs and whatever else is oozing with ripeness. Miliana and Jeff pick the items at the farm, package it up, add some farm fresh eggs and a cut of meat a month (if you are on the Deluxe box) and you've got me for dinner! I mean the makings of a great local food connection. For the consumer it is a no-brainer. All you have to do is show up and get farm fresh veggies! Not only that but you also know exactly where your vegetables, eggs, chicken and lamb (LAMB!? Did I mention the LAMB?!) are grown. You will even know the farmers behind all the great things you are eating. If you are a commitment-phobe like some people I know, you can get cuts of lamb, chicken and eggs only after the CSA members have had their orders filled. The Hilo CSA pick up is in town every Friday by the library which is very convenient. There is even a newsletter that provides recipes for the items you receive so they've taken out even more of the guesswork!


I don't think I mentioned the lamb.  Jeff had our mouths watering after telling us that his lamb is probably the best lamb we'll ever taste and I could even sneak it into my non-lamb eating husband's mouth. He went on to explain that the gaminess that can turn people off to lamb isn't present in his lamb. When available, they offer stew pieces, chops, legs, shanks, sausages!, riblets and the list goes on! Sausages are on my order form tonight, that's for sure.

If you'd like to partake in the CSA you can befriend Ohia Fields Farm on Facebook and/or email Miliana at ohiafieldsfarm@gmail.com

You could receive: radishes, carrots, fennel, string beans, kale, lettuce, basil, parsley, cabbage, kabocha squash, zucchini, tomatoes, sage, eggplant, tomatillos, bok choy, cucumber, swiss chard, chives, and much more. All from memory and in no particular order!

Special Mahalo's to Jeff who took time out of his planting to talk with us and to Slow Food Hawaii for providing the resources to find Ohia Fields Farm.

Fresh Watermelon and Ahi Ceviche!

Some days I just don't want to cook. Oh, the horror! I said it. Turning on the oven and making the kitchen hotter is sometimes so much a deterrent to cook that I hurry to busy myself with some other task so I don't have to think about what to cook for dinner. Such was the case when I made this fresh Ahi Ceviche. I had just come back from the market with a small sweet local watermelon and the Ahi purchased from the random guy at the market. My oranges were ripening one at a time so I didn't have enough to make a serving of juice with, and I had a basket of my Meyer lemons begging to be used. This set the perfect stage for CEVICHE! I love ceviche and it was on my list of things I wanted to make once living in Hawaii. The answer to your question right now is YES! Yes I plan almost everything around food.
The recipe is simple and just about fool-proof. Ceviche uses the citric acid in fruits to "cook" raw fish. You can use any fish or even scallops or shrimp. I wouldn't recommend this for someone that isn't comfortable eating sushi or sashimi because the Ahi retains the "raw" texture. You can substitute the fresh oranges with purchased OJ but try to use as much fresh local produce as possible. You could use grapefruit, limes, tangerines; virtually any citrus fruit. The recipe below made for an excellent summer meal for 2.

Meyer Lemon Orange Watermelon Ahi Ceviche

3-4 ripe Meyer lemons
1-2 oranges
2 cups cubed watermelon- remove seeds if necessary
fresh chopped cilantro to taste
2 tbs minced sweet onion
1 finely chopped Hawaiian hot pepper
1 pound freshly caught Ahi
Small and Medium sized non-reactive dish (glass is best)

Slice lemons and oranges around the middle and juice; Discard the rind. You should have roughly 1 cup of citrus juice to work with.  Finely chop one Hawaiian hot pepper and add to the juice. Reserve 1/4 cup of this juice and hot pepper mixture in a small non reactive dish and put in the refrigerator.
Mince onion and add to juice. Cut the Ahi into bite sized pieces and place in a Medium non reactive dish. Pour the hot pepper and juice mixture over the fish. The juice should cover the Ahi, you may have to juice one or two more citrus fruits to obtain this depending on your dish. Cover and place in refrigerator for no less than 1 hour and no more than 3 hours. The Ahi will become opaque from the acid.

Drain the fish mixture and transfer to a large bowl. Cube the watermelon, and add to the large bowl. Gently toss in the chopped cilantro and reserve juice. Serve immediately.

We liked the tenderness of the Ahi and the crunch of the watermelon. This would also make a great appetizer for a dinner party!

Forever Seeking Aloha,
Britt

Eating 100% local

It was a rainy morning in Hilo, and things were going slowly at the market. I did some of my own shopping instead of standing behind my table and I noticed that 80% of what I consume is farm fresh, local produce. But what about the other 20%? Why was I stopping short when it came to things like chicken, pork, beef and fish? Last week I purchased 4 Ahi fillets out of a man's trunk- they were the freshest fish I've had in a long time. So, why wasn't I purchasing fish from the fisherman on a regular basis? "Forget the fishmonger! Go straight to the fisherman!" I thought to myself. I brought this idea home to my husband- I want to eat completely local for 60 days to see if it is a feasible option for us and look at how accessible farm fresh produce is on the Big Island.  " Can you wait until you have a steady job?" my husband asked. But why does eating farm fresh have to be exclusive to a higher class of people? Everyone should have access to local  fresh produce including meat, poultry and fish.

Good Bye, Safeway
Despite what my husband thinks, I am going to set out on this journey.  Hopefully, I will have a few opportunities to work for food trade and meet a lot of inspiring people along the way.  We're going to finish up what's in the fridge now, but after that it is 100% local foods for this household. I already have great friends that are farmers so vegetables and fruits aren't a problem. Plus, my backyard supplies me with figs, oranges, lemons and herbs on a regular basis. Mostly, the worry is meat.  A quick fix for that would be to become a vegetarian but that just isn't going to happen. Chicken is a staple in the house and for that I've contacted Ohia Fields Farm.  Located in Honakaa, Ohia Fields Farm integrates their animals into the sustainability of their farm by using the manure and crop rotations. Their technique yields healthy veggies as well as happy healthy animals.

Fish is another go to item and I'm looking to Suisan  for just-off-the boat fillets. The Suisan building has a dock where boats frequently pull up to and unload the catch of the day. It is possible to purchase fish from fisherman down at the docks or at the market, however I've noticed that the fillets (or sometimes the entire fish) are very small which threatens the sustainability of our waters. Without the small fish, there will be no big fish. Besides, if I wanted a sheebee I'd go out and catch one myself. Suisan has an interesting history in Hilo much like that of HPM. Suisan was started by Japanese entrepreneurs, hit hard by 2 tsunamis and was virtually taken over by the US Navy during WWII. Many of the Japanese sugar cane workers turned to fishing as a profession instead of working the fields (mainly because they were given the lowest wages out of all the ethnic groups brought over to work) and they were given market price for their fish at Suisan. I like supporting local businesses that have a lot of history with the town.

Pork chops are on the menu about once a week. I am still trying to locate a small piggery on the island. We do not have a large freezer, nor do I really want one so I am not in the market for half or a whole pig. I just want some chops every now and again. If we still had the free standing butcher shop, instead of the meat counter at Safeway, I may be able to more easily locate some farm fresh pork. I may have to stop by George's Meat Market on Hoku to see what it is all about. From what I understand it is mostly frozen or marinated meats- the yelp reviews talk about the jerky as being heavenly- but maybe they can give me a local hook up for some chops!

Beef it's not usually what's for dinner.  I'll do burgers or a steak every once in a while but it isn't something I purchase regularly. This may change soon however, because the Big Island is a great place to raise cattle. There is an abundance of pasture land and with virtually no snow, steer can graze 24/7. Farmers on the Big Island seem to be behind the times in a good way when it comes to their cattle- not using hormones and allowing the cattle to graze uninhibited with frequent pasture rotation.  Grass fed beef has higher levels of Omega 3's, lower in fat, has more beta-carotene, and is loaded with Vitamin E. If you are going to eat beef it might as well be the healthy kind, right? Since I don't want to buy in bulk I am having difficulty finding the beef out side of the grocery store. Taste of Hawaiian Range has been a great resource for me and there is a list of stores that sell fresh Hawaiian beef. Maybe I can make an exception?

My mouth is watering right now! I've only touched on a few of the ways I am going to switch to buying completely local. Next blog will be dairy related with mouth watering goat cheese combinations and Big Island milk!

Forever Seeking Aloha,
Britt

kealakekua bay and white spotted sea cucumbers

Yesterday we packed up the PB & J's, a few brewskies and a bag of jalapeno chips and headed to kealakekua bay to see the house that washed into the bay. It was pretty packed with tourists when we got there- all of them trying in vain to kayak for the first time. (really they should make ones with motors) And we even came across people trying to snorkel the entire way across which is not only dangerous and stupid, its DANGEROUS and STUPID! We went over and sat on some rocks along the shoreline away and noticed that there were people (most obviously locals) kayaking with drawers and debris on their kayak. We saw over on the back end of the bay a roof and more debris.  After finishing our sandwiches we (well me first) hiked in our bathing suits and slippas as close as we could. Bodhi came across a hard wood floor, subflooring and all washed up along the shoreline. These people are picking up whatever is left of their home one kayak full at a time. It became incredibly sad to know that not only did their house wash away, they had to pick up whatever they could via a kayak. And these weren't very big kayaks either.
Yes, Japan is in way worse condition, but we have to remember that there are businesses in Kona that are completely devastated and a family had their house picked up and sunk in the bay. They aren't getting any help, they are picking up the pieces all by themselves. The retaining wall was damaged in Kona and the entire down town was shut down to traffic. We haven't seen a cruise ship in a while which also means that people aren't making much money either. It just kind of hit home for us yesterday.

This morning I played in some tide pools while Bodhi was at his lecture. I love tide pools!

I found a pretty good reference tool for tidal pool life. I even found several types of sea anemone. Ok Well Bodhi is done talking on the phone so we are going to make some PB&J's and head out!

Forever Seeking Aloha,
Britt