Eat Like A Local

It's no secret. Food in Hawaii is pitiful. We have pithy tomatoes, $10 Kraft cheese, mediocre bread and no Burrata. Everything that isn't grown locally has to be shipped. And everything that is shipped is low quality and overpriced.

The best way to avoid having a disappointing meal while in Hawaii is to eat local foods. For breakfast enjoy a bowl of fresh tropical fruit with Island granola and coconut flakes instead of a bagel with cream cheese. Skip the caprese salad and try the taro fritters. Last but not least stock up on your seafood. But first, check out this seafood chart to find the best sustainable seafood options in Hawaii.

One restaurant on Kauai that prides themselves with their field to table philosophy is Common Ground. They use fresh, local and wholesome ingredients sourced from local farmers and even have a small garden in the back. Their food is healthy without compromising taste and they have some of the meanest fish taco's on the Island.

(Grilled Island Fish Taco's Served with Organic White Corn Tortilla, Asian Slaw, Cilantro and Garlicky Yogurt Sauce, Served with Beans and Quinoa)

(Okinawan Purple Sweet Potato Fries)

(these fries are THE BEST!)

(sheep located on the grounds)

A Tropical Taste of my Travels- A Hawaiian Farmer's Market

Hello fellow Spooners and Happy Monday! A lot has happened in the past few weeks since I've written. Allow me to update you.

1. I traveled home to Kauai along with 30 family members to celebrate my Granddad's 90th Birthday. Can you believe that? He worked out every single morning. Simply astonishing...
2. While I was there I had my first taste of Spam Musubi (A little like spam sushi). Although this is a popular snack in Hawaii, and I should have eaten it hundreds of times during my childhood, I was never one to accept Spam, even it if was fried and wrapped in seaweed and rice. Surprisingly it was not bad. If you don't mind the taste of cat food ;)
3. I witnessed a toe molestation! As my cousins and I were happily enjoying a lunch at Tropical Taco with our feet dangling from the patio, an 80 year old man with his wife walking by extended his index finger to stroke my cousins middle toe that was painted a bright blue. He gave the toe 2 quick strokes as he casually passed. Not a word was said and no eye contact was made, but the deed had been done. "That's what you get for being a toe slut" I explained to my cousin.
4. I learned a new joke: Knock knock. Whose there? Smell Mop. Smell mop who? Haha Get it?
5. I discovered my love for almond butter. Just try it and you will know what I mean.
6. I over-ate everyday. How can you not when your surrounded by ripe mangoes, sweet coconuts, fresh fish and creamy smoothies and purple sweet potatoes. Oooh and lots of POKE!!!
7. I was introduced to Uncrustables- pre-made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! This is obviously the creation of Smuckers and pharmaceutical companies in a conspiracy theory to increase obesity and unhealthiness in children. I plan on getting to the bottom of this immediately!
8. I got a job! Starting in August I'll be working full time for a Special Events Company. Yay for me!
9. I remembered just how much I love my family.

That being said, I wanted to devote this blog post to the Hanalei Farmers Market which I visited twice during my stay. I thought it would be fun for you to see how a tropical farmers market differs from a "mainland" one. Both times I went it rained on and off which made for a beautiful foggy effect in the mountains with lots of waterfalls. The feeling of this Market was so different compared to the ones I go to in LA.

The market was held in an empty grass lot behind a soccer field right next to family owned taro fields. Instead of walking on concrete you meandered through dirt roads and onto grassy patches where you could sit and enjoy a bag of lychees while looking up at the beautiful view of mountains and waterfalls. Live Hawaiian music played in the background and people strolled aimlessly eyeing the produce and sipping on a smoothie or fresh coconut. The farms had hippy names like "One Song" and I noticed many people snacking on freshly purchased arugula or watercress as they shopped. Although there were many locals that had come for their weeks supply of produce, I noticed an equal amount of tourists that had made the drive just to browse, buy a fresh mango, or buy something from one of the shell jewelry stands.

Everyone was so friendly and so calm. No one was in a hurry and no one was dressed up. Bathing suits, slippers, shorts and a t-shirt were the standard attire. There was no sound of traffic or car horns and the air smelled fresh and sweet after the rain. My sister and I went with my Grandparents to show them around. Everyone was so nice and helpful which made the experience enjoyable, especially my Grandmother who likes to ask lots of questions. :)

If you are ever in Hawaii I would highly recommend checking out a farmers market. It is honestly a wonderfully relaxing and positive experience.

There was live Hawaiian music under the green roof to the left

Hawaiian Farmers Market Shopping Attire

Fresh tangy pineapples- YUM!

Strolling the market with my Gramcrackers. Isn't she cute?

Sunrise Shells and niihau shell necklaces. The big sunrise shells are extremely difficult to find and must be searched for during the early morning. Hence the name SUNRISE shell. I have still never found one :(

I watched this woman knock out 15 coconuts in 5 minutes. That takes some serious skill and muscle.

I'm not sure what the orange part of the fruit is but the tops are raw cashew nuts!

Home baked goods

Hawaiian Ginger and Birds of Paradise are the local flowers sold at the market

Lei making while selling your produce is quite typical

Just enjoying a freshly opened coconut's tender meat with breathtaking views of the mountains behind. No big deal...

My sister and I with our Grandparents.

Our family attempt at a goodbye Hula

Summer Starter- Hawaiian Ahi Poke

Photo courtesy of peace1374

Happy Summer! Today is the first official day of Summer so I would like to kick it off by wishing everyone warm months of barbecuing, sun tanning, and sweating. In honor of this special day, I wanted to post a recipe that holds the essence of Summer in it's fresh and flaky flesh. This is one of my favorite dishes that has the ability to make me homesick every time I try it. But since I get to visit my home in Hawaii in just a mere 3 days, I've decided this is a great time for sharing.

Growing up in Hawaii, it is pretty much mandatory that you love fish, especially raw. Poke (pronounced poke-ee) is a very popular raw fish salad that is eaten as an appetizer or meal for lunch and dinner. It consists of raw sashimi grade fish cut into cubes and seasoned with ingredients such as soy sauce, onions, garlic, chili pepper, seaweed, tomatoes or sesame seeds. There are many types of poke which has become increasingly popular in fine dining restaurant over the past 10 years. I'm sure you've seen those martini glasses filled with itsy bits of perfectly cubed tuna lightly marinated in a sauce and topped with crispy won tons and sesame seeds. Sure that's good, but let me tell you, it gets WAY better. Poke is not meant to be a fancy gourmet dish. If it doesn't come in a plastic container with a side of shoyu and long toothpick to help you poke da buggahs, it's not legit. Try the Hawaiian versions found in local fish markets and grocery stores and you will know what I mean. Here you can find not only several types of fresh Ahi poke filled with flavor, but octopus and salmon poke too. However, my favorite is still ahi poke either with red Maui onions or sesame seeds.

This recipe is a version of poke that I've tried and made several times. I can promise you it is delicious. It may not be the most authentic or traditional but I love this recipe because it works as whole meal. By adding soba noodles and shredded cabbage to the dish, you don't have to worry about making anything else for dinner. Plus it is better to make ahead of time and chill so you don't have to worry about last minute preparations. It may not be as good as the ones found in Hawaii, but it's definitely legit enough to make at home. So next time you are feeling the Aloha spirit, don a mumu, light a tiki, and play some Iz while you make this ono recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/4 pound fresh ahi tuna
• 4 Tbs sesame oil
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 4tsp mirin (rice wine)
• 1 tbs red pepper flakes
• 3/4 cup scallions
• 1/2 maui onion, sliced or any sweet onion
• 3 tbs toasted sesame seeds
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbs sugar
• 3 tbs ginger minced
• soba noodles
• cabbage, shredded
  
  
  

PREPARATION:

1. Cube ahi into 1 inch pieces and place in bowl.
2. Add all ingredients other than soba noodles and cabbage to another bowl and mix until combined.
3. Pour into Ahi bowl and marinate for 2 - 4 hours. Serve as is or serve over cooked and chilled soba noodles

Recipe Courtesy of Trisha Flynn

Poke Bins- Yum!

Octopus (Tako) Poke

Ahi Poke with Limu