Coconut Boy!

We have several very large coconut trees on our property, as well as some king palms and royal palms. As beautiful as palms are, they need to be trimmed to maintain their attractiveness. And of course... there is a harvest of many big coconuts just lustily hanging from the tops of the trees. While I see this as a culinary opportunity, Wes sees them as a liability. He is worried that they may fall and knock out our gardener some day. So, along comes Coconut Boy! He has been trimming these very trees for several years. He knocked on the door today just when I was about to call someone to come out and trim the trees. Hawaiian Kismet!

He spent the better part of the day climbing and trimming and harvesting coconuts from just one of our trees. He will be back tomorrow to do the other five. And... while I let him take a lot of the coconuts to sell, we are keeping some too. So, expect some fresh coconut ideas coming out of my kitchen on the pacific!

Wordless Wednesday Roasted Eggplant-Parmesan Custard Timbale

Best thing I ate all week!

Oven Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Sometimes it is the simplest of things that are the most delicious. Not every meal at our house is gourmet style. This morning's brunch is a perfect example. My husband loves eggs and breakfast... I am not a fan of breakfast, mostly because I do not like eggs, even though I buy really wonderful fresh eggs from my friends Liz and Janet. Janet calls her chickens, the Six Sassy Sisters. And so this morning I made Wes his Six Sassy Sister eggs along with some roasted fingerling potatoes with garlic, onions, rosemary and olive oil. I made some bacon which he ate on the side and I used for a bacon, garden fresh tomato and arugula sandwich on home made sprouted wheat bread.

We ate our brunch on the lanai watching some paddle boarders paddle by our house and listening to the waves lap along our shore.

To make the potatoes just use uniformly sized potatoes or cut them into uniform sizes. With the fingerlings I simply sliced them in half. Toss the potatoes with olive oil, salt, freshly cracked pepper, fresh rosemary pulled from the twig, garlic cloves, coarsely chopped red onion and bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes, then stir and bake for another 15-20 minutes till the potatoes are fork tender and have developed a bit of caramelization. I love roasted potatoes with chicken, but of course they go with most any protein or stand alone if you are a vegetarian. I like a bit of Belizian hot sauce on my potatoes, even at breakfast.

Wordless Wednesday Voggy Sunrise

Birth of a Farmer's Market

On Thursday, January 21st, Hawai'i island got a new Farmer's Market! This is a good thing for the community and the island. The small village of Pepeekeo on the Hamakua Coast opened their new market with a blessing by Reverend Baron Kimura of the Tenrikyo Kaka'ako Church. About 80 people from the community attended the opening.

Matthew Pritchard-Tage (above) is the owner of the 1.6 acres on Highway 19 where the market is being held on Thursdays from noon till dusk and Sundays from dawn till 2 pm.

Tom Lackey's Huli Huli Chicken was the star of the day and there were long lines waiting for the chicken to finish cooking. We took one home and it was succulent and delicious. Also at the oepning was Bob Ferazzi's  Make'a Nursery  selling young healthy vegetable and herb plants 3 for $2. We bought some purple tomatillos and hot peppers from them and I plan on going back again to get some more starts.

There was shave ice of course, what Hawaiian event does not have shave ice and huli huli chicken? A fruit and vegetable vendor had her hands full keeping up with her orders, there is certainly a need for more vendors to meet the demand.

The mayor sent an emissary to speak to the crowd on his behalf. Public Information Specialist Desiree Cruz thanked the vendors and customers for supporting the market and talked about the importance of community support and fresh local foods.

County Councilman & local grocer Dominc Yagong spoke at length with enthusiasm about how important farmer's markets are to the people of Hawaii and how we are so fortunate to have so many things growing locally. He emphasized that it is not just the marketing that is important, but also a chance to talk story with friends and neighbors in a way that builds community.

It will be great to see this market grow and to see how it provides a service to the people of the Hamakua Coast. If you are interested in a spot at the market, each 10' X 10' space rents for $15. Produce vendors, food vendors and artists are needed to grow this market.  See you in Pepeekeo!

Senate Bean Soup My Way

My husband LOVES beans any way you can make them and so I do use them frequently to make him smile. He loves Portuguese Bean Soup and one of his favorites is Senate Bean Soup, like his mother used to make.  After Christmas we got a big ham which I smoked and then used in a variety of ways, but as with any ham... there is always that bone calling to be put into a pot to make one more dish and usually that includes legumes of some sort.

Senate Bean Soup is really just a very simple way of making Navy Bean Soup. It is served every day in the US Senate Dining Room. There are two stories of how this came to be, on is that early in the 20th century, Senator Fred Thomas Dubois of Iowa (who was interestingly both a Republican and a Democrat) requested that it be served and henceforth it has been. However, his version of the soup has mashed potatoes in it and the recipe that has been served in the Senate Dining Room does not. There is a second story that Senator Knute Nelson of Minnesota requested the soup be served in 1903 and it became an instant hit with the senators. His version did not have mashed potatoes and is much like what is served in the Dining Room today. Regardless, the soup is a mainstay in the Senate Dining Room to this day.

I tend to put my own mark on even the most simple of recipes, and so my recipe is slightly different, but adds only a few nuances to the pot. The result is a hearty and delicious soup which is great served with cornbread on a winter afternoon. It is equally nutritious and economical. My husband, for whatever reason adds ketchup to it, where I add some sliced Hawaiian Peppers and lots of crushed black pepper. Here is my take on Senate Bean Soup:

Ingredients
1 large ham bone or three smoked ham hocks
5 quarts of stock or broth (water can be used if you don't have stock)
1/2 cup dry white wine (or stock can be used)
1 Pound of Navy Beans (soaked over night and rinsed)
3 carrots chopped coarsely
2 Large shallots and 1 onion chopped finely
3 stalks of celery chopped finely
9 cloves of garlic chopped finely
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped coarsely (same size as the carrots)
1 bunch of parsley chopped finely
Salt and pepper to taste ( about a teaspoon of each)

Method
In a large stock pot, add oil and the onions, carrots and celery. Sauté till the onions are slightly  transparent. Make a hot spot in the bottom of the pan, add garlic and allow to simmer for just a moment, then stir all together. When the onions start to turn golden, add the potatoes and stir again. De-glaze the pan with the wine or stock. Then add the beans, & ham bone/hocks. Generously salt and pepper. Turn heat on medium low and simmer for an hour. Taste. The beans should be soft, but not mushy and the carrots and potato should also be cooked through.  Remove ham bone, add any ham meat leftover (more is always better when it comes to ham.) Stir in 1/2 of the parsley. Dish into bowls and sprinkle remaining parsley over all.

*Note, "Senator" Wes says this should be served with cornbread and maple syrup.