Taste Buzz

What I learned from a bunch of bananas.

 

This hand of bananas came into my kitchen, bright green but spattered with the black, crumb-like remains of sap soaked branches. I rinsed it well and gave it a green mat to rest on. Overnight, one turned yellow while the next one began to imitate it.

The next morning I said to the bunch of bananas, "I had faith in you, I just knew that you would turn yellow!" (I often have these one-sided conversations with inanimate objects when I'm left alone for a few days).

I wanted and waited for, a soft sweetness to come over them.

 

Then it was time to eat, share or freeze.

Then they were gone. But there's no worry or sadness because I know there will be more. More bananas are growing, waiting to be cut, making their way toward me.

That certainty, that absence of doubt, is the way I want to feel about all that I'd like to be, do, or have in this lifetime. I'd like to get so good at it that I could wish and receive good things for others too! It could be as easy as watching a bunch of bananas ripen.

The greatest gift that you could give to anyone you love is the gift of positive expectation. But you can't give someone positive expectation until you know the Laws and have practiced them yourself enough so that they are very familiar. - Abraham-Hicks

Eat Local Challenge

Thanks to Alexis and Chris Smith of Coastview Aquaponics for letting us know about Kanu Hawaii's Eat Local Challenge set for September 26 to October 2. I've done this several times before with an out-of-state group and I'm so happy that there's a Hawaii and Big Island effort this year.

It fits nicely with the on-going Take It Off Hawaii Challenge that I'm doing. We can earn points for purchasing at least a pound of locally-grown, fresh produce.

Check out Kanu Hawaii's Eat Local Challenge, there are lots of ways to participate.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Two More Points for KTA (guavabee.com)

Meatless Mondays

Bizarro.com

I'm starting a new Ono Bee category today as I join the Meatless Monday campaign. It's apparently a gaining popularity, a movement with legs, although not such a big deal for those of us who chose to go meatless in the days when there were less than six vegetarian cookbooks available. My favorite was a tattered paper book copy of the original Laurel's Kitchen.

Take a look at the Meatless Monday site and find out what all the buzz-iz-about. Maybe you'll join the movement and give it more legs! :D I've collected a lot of cookbooks since my first Laurel's Kitchen so I'll be reviewing cookbooks and recipes on Mondays too.

For starters, you can read up on other Meatless Monday efforts across the country:

Related articles by Zemanta

• Meatless Monday Recipe Roundup: 10 Spring Vegetarian Recipes (blisstree.com)
• Mario Batali's Meatless Monday, Lauren Bacall's Student Aid, and More (geteconow.com)

Drink milk? Then it's better to drink Big Island Fresh milk.

Most of Hawaii's milk today comes from California. It is pasteurized before it leaves the port, and again prior to being bottled in Hawaii. Depending on the weather, it might take more than a week for the California milk to arrive in Hawaii.-Jerry Nelson, Dairy Star

The alternative? KTA's Mountain Apple Brand is made fresh at Meadow Gold Dairies in Hilo from milk produced by Ookala's Island Dairy and Clover Leaf Dairy in Hawi.

"These local herds are not treated with any artificial bovine growth hormones." -KTA Advertisement.

Reference: The Dairy Star, Dairy Farming in Paradise.

Related Articles:

USA Today, Last Dairy Closing on Oahu.

West Hawaii Today, Island Dairy Bucks Trend.

Hawaii Business, Food Fight: Local grocers battle Mainland chains and big-box outlets for survival.

Photo: Hawaii.gov

Eat a Local Salad

 

Ever since I took up the Eat Local Challenge a few years ago, I'm much more conscious of local grown foods, farms, and farmers. A few times a week, I even manage to put together a meal in which all of the main ingredients are grown or produced within a hundred miles of Kailua-Kona.

My salad here began with lettuce greens and watercress from Coastview Aquaponics. I chopped a few tomatoes from Kawamata Farms , tossed some crumbled Natural Pacific Tofu cubes on top, and finally sprinkled chopped local green onions and cilantro for the finish.

The only part of my lunch that came from afar was the Tropics Oriental Dressing from Honolulu.

~~~~~~~~~

Why bother to eat local? Here are 10 Reasons.

For more local recipe ideas, take a look at Eat Local Hawaii's web site and if you have a few favorite foods that you can turn local, please share them with us.

Now here's a valuable lesson in itself: How to never make the same-old, same-old salad again.

There's no such thing as a Styrofoam cup?

Ever since I poured a take-out bowl of Thai Hot & Sour Soup and noticed a distinct meltdown of the styrofoam container up to the soup-line, I haven't ordered any soup-to-go. It's been years! I've often thought of showing up with my own soup pot saying "fill'er up" but have opted to either sit down as an inconspicuous sipper or pass on the idea completely.

Patience has its rewards. Today when I ordered my Banyan Bowl 'to-go' from Basik Acai, it was served in a large Planet cup along with a compostable spoon. I was happy to know that my healthy breakfast wasn't going to add to the plastic heap out in the Pacific and that made the food taste even better.

While looking at all the available Planet products on Stalk Market's site, I made a wish that all our local restaurants would follow Basic Acai's lead (that's also when I snapped the photo) and stop using styrofoam containers and plastic utensils. As I recalled my Hot and Sour dilemma I wondered if there were studies on styrofoam's effects on humans.

I searched "styrofoam+melted" and that's when I discovered that there is no such thing as a styrofoam cup:

Styrofoam is a trademarked material made by the Dow Chemical Company—and they don't make cups, plates, egg trays, or other types of food packaging from it! -The Grinning Planet

Polystyrene. That's what most take-out food containers are made of and styrene is the form of polystyrene that can be sucked out of the container, especially if the food is hot and fatty. Hot and Styrene soup is what I had!! Styrene mimics estrogen, holds the potential to disrupt normal hormone function, and has been found in biopsied human adipose (fat) tissue. Find out more about the health effects by reading The Grinning Planet article. It's not an alarmist's point of view, they're quite fair:

There are worse environmental and health threats out there than polystyrene, but since alternatives exist and it's easy to make the switch, why not do it?

Until all restaurants make the switch, consider taking your own containers and please, support and thank those food establishments that are already using alternative products that are good for our island/planet and safe for human consumption.

Maybe I'll start a list of those eateries: Basik Acai, Island Naturals, Green Flash Coffee, Lotus Cafe... any others?

Holuakoa Gardens & Cafe

I've been here twice within the week so I thought I'd list a few reasons why I like eating at Holuakoa:

• It's cool. Located up in Holualoa in an open air setting, there's no air conditioning and it can even get a bit chilly. 

• They pride themselves on buying and serving local produce. So the food is fresh and each item in their salads retains it's color and taste.

• The pace is unhurried (read Slow Food). It's a great place to sit, eat and be merry with friends.
• There are several soup choices available for lunch.

• Holuakoa Gardens & Cafe is mere 10-minutes from Kuakini Highway, via Lako Street. Map.
• The menu offers vegetarian and vegan alternatives in addition to beef, poultry and seafood dishes.
• If you don't find a parking spot along Mamalahoa, there's a paved lot right behind the restaurant that's off a small one-lane road. Click the first image for a larger view of the map.

Following the Mercury Trail: the health link between humans and the ocean.

During a TED Talks presentation, marine biologist  Stephen Palumbi explains how heavy metals get into our oceans and become concentrated in larger fish. Following the Mercury Trail is a fascinating 15 minute video that illustrates how we are polluting ourselves as  well as our seas.

After viewing the video, if you have any questions about the safety of any seafood, take a look at the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch where you'll find listings, ratings and health alerts (if any). You may also download and print a Pocket Guide for your particular area or even download an iPhone app.

As chef and restaurant owner Greg Higgins said in a recent interview,

"I buy right from the fishermen, so I know where my fish is coming from. It's not a gray area for us, but the consumer is one or two steps removed. The fish moves from the fishermen to the distributor to the store, and its origins can be lost in all those transactions," says Higgins. "People need to ask the right questions and get good information about the product they're buying."[1]

A few months ago, I came up with an easy solution to my dilemma about eating fish. Surrounded as I am by the ocean and raised on a wide variety of fish that I liked, it was hard to discern, and harder to accept, which ones had a high mercury content, could give me ciguatera and which ones were sustainably caught. Farmed fishes weren't sounding any better with added colorants, antibiotics, environmental pollution, etc.  So I gave up all fish. Cold Tilapia! All pau. The only fish I've considered eating was the wild salmon during an Alaska cruise last month.

Apparently, the demand for seafood is increasing (so my consumption won't be missed)  and the U.S. is estimated to import over 80% of its seafood. Don't you think it's a good idea to know where your seafood is coming from and how healthy the creature and its habitat were?

[1] Read more: http://www.slashfood.com/2010/06/30/california-and-oregon-salmon-given-avoid-rating/#ixzz0sTcj3ktV

Related articles by Zemanta

• Toxins Found in Whales Bode Ill for Humans (usnews.com)

Coastview Aquaponics

by Chris and Alexis Smith

We are an organic, sustainable, neighborhood farm in the Kona Coastview subdivision (near Kona Palisades).

We grow our 100% organic produce in an aquaponics system.  Aquaponics is a combination of aquaculture and hydroponics.  The fish provide the fertilizer for the plants and the plants clean the water for the fish. We want to give our community a local alternative to the poor quality, overpriced, imported produce that is sold in the stores.

Our sales for this week are as follows:
Tuesday, June 22 (4-6pm)
Thursday, June 24 (4-6pm)
Friday, June 25 (2-6pm)
    Big Island Fish Farmers Market @ NELHA
Saturday, June 26 (8a-12pm)

We will have the following organically grown produce available...
 live Lettuce $2.00 (green & red varieties)
Cucumbers $1.00
cut herbs: Basil $1.00/bunch
                     Chives $1.00/bunch
                     Cilantro $1.00/bunch
                     Mint $1.00/bunch
                     Rosemary $1.00/bunch
Swiss Chard  $3.00/bunch
Watercress  $2.00/bunch

73-1202 Ahikawa St.*directions below
Kailua-Kona

We invite you to come by and see what we are doing new...Our latest project is the "Micro System" - the perfect size for backyard aquaponics!  The "Micro System" is an exact replica of the 64 square foot aquaponics system designed by Friendly Aquaponics (www.friendlyaquaponics.com) and the basis for our aquaponics classes.  We have become a training affiliate with Friendly Aquaponics and will teach out of their in-depth and well written training manual.  Our first 1-Day Aquaponics Course will be held on Saturday, July 10; additional classes will be offered on most Saturdays after July 10, 2010. Contact us for additional information. These classes are open to the public, however, space is limited so please reserve your spot ahead of time.

Sales Policy:
 
Email             
Each week we will send out an email to inform you what will be ready for harvest during the week.
Reservation/Appointment:  
After our weekly email we will take reservations via email.  We will return your email to confirm your reservation and arrange a time for pickup if you are unable to pick up during our scheduled sales.
Sales:
We invite the neighborhood to come by Tuesday or Thursday 4-6pm or Saturday 8-12am to get the best lettuce and herbs in town!
 
*Need help finding us?
We are located up mauka from Kona Airport. Off the upper highway. Ahikawa St. is one street north of Ka'iminani (Kona Palisades). We are close to the top of Ahikawa.  We put a sign out so you can't miss us once you find Ahikawa St.
- or -
Follow the link below.
http://www.mapquest.com/mq/3-9eC1tlq1

Too Many Cooks?

If you agree with this e-mail message I got this week from Loulies, there can't be too many cooks:

In a recent New York Times Magazine article, Michael Pollan says "It's hard to imagine ever reforming the American way of eating or, for that matter, the American food system unless millions of Americans -- women and men -- are willing to make cooking a part of daily life. The path to a diet of fresher, unprocessed food, not to mention to a revitalized local-food economy, passes straight through the home kitchen."  You may say "But I am not that good of a cook."  Cooking more will make you a better cook.

Ono Bee agrees. When you cook your own meals you know exactly what's going into your dish, where that piece of fish came from and just how long that jar of mayo has been sitting in your refrigerator (or not). Because our time and energy is limited, we tend to fix simple meals that are prepared and cooked in the least amount of time, therefore preserving more nutrients.

Do you agree? Would you say that you eat healthier when you cook for yourself?

Photo: Grogg

Related articles by Zemanta

• Feeding Our Kids: Affordability versus Health (svmoms.com)
• The decline of cooking and the rise of watching people cook (kottke.org)