Food and Menu Ideas

Eat Local Week Food and Menu ideas

Compiled by Vivienne Aronowitz M.P.H., R.D, Nutritionist (aronowitz@gmail.com), with help from Joan Namkoong, Foodie and Cookbook Author extraordinaire

PROTEIN

  • Fish
  • Seafood
  • Mac nuts
  • Milk
  • goat’s milk and
  • cheese
  • eggs
  • homemade ricotta
  • cheese*

FRUITS

  • Bananas
  • Papayas
  • Pineapple
  • Guava
  • Mountain apples
  • Mango
  • Watermelon
  • Melon
  • Oranges
  • Lemons
  • Limes
  • grapefruit
  • Lilikoi
  • Pomelo
  • Coconut
  • Dragon fruit
  • Poha berries

VEGETABLES

  • Onions(green and bulb)
  • Lettuce
  • Salad greens
  • Spinach
  • Chard
  • Kale
  • Collards
  • Purslane
  • Tomatoes
  • Carrots
  • Cucumbers
  • Peppers
  • Kohlrabi
  • Radishes
  • cabbage
  • bok choy
  • gobo
  • avocados
  • Mushrooms
  • Watercress
  • Eggplant
  • Snow peas
  • Green beans
  • chili
  • pipinola
  • fern shoots
  • laulua leaves
  • seaweed (fresh ogo)
  • summer squash
STARCHY VEGETABLES
  • Corn
  • Taro, poi
  • Sweet potato
  • Cassava
  • Cooking bananas
  • Breadfruit
  • Potatoes from Volcano
  • Kabocha squash
  • Pumpkins

OILS, HERBS, AND SWEETENERS

  • Butter from
  • Tropical Dreams
  • Mac nut oil
  • Local honey
  • Local cane sugar
  • Vanilla
  • Chocolate
  • Coconut oil and milk (make your own)
  • Tropical Dreams
  • local fruit sorbets
  • Hawaiian salt (check that it is from Kauai as mainland course salt is also called Hawaiian salt)

BEVERAGES

  • Kona coffee
  • ( 100%)
  • Mauna Kea Tea
  • Ahualoa Tea Farm
  • Herb teas made freshginger,
  • mint, lemon
  • grass
  • Fresh squeezed
  • orange, lemon,
  • grapefruit, lilikoi juice
  • Mountain Apple brand
  • Milk
  • Water

Menu and snack ideas:

BREAKFAST

  • eggs with veggies and herbs, meat, sautéed potatoes or breadfruit
  • Potato or cassava pancakes with onion and egg
  • Fruit salad with macnuts, honey and homemade ricotta or fresh coconut
  • Smoothie with milk and fruit
  • Sautéed banana with honey, nuts and fresh ricotta
  • Baked Custard cup with fruit
  • Poi and fruit

QUICK LUNCH OR DINNER

  • Avocado stuffed with flaked fish, tomatoes and opinion with a squeeze of lemon
  • Potato/sw potato salad with hard cooked egg and veggies
  • Salad with grilled fish or meat, hard cooked eggs, goat cheese
  • Grilled veggies with fish, meat, eggs or goat cheese or homemade ricotta
  • Use a lettuce wrap for chopped meat/fish or veggies
  • Soups- meat and veggies or veggie thickened with any of the starchy veggies listed.

SNACKS

  • Fruit
  • Raw veggies
  • Hard cooked egg
  • Mac nuts
  • Guacamole with veggies
  • Boiled or baked sweet potatoes
  • Salad dressing and seasoning ideas
  • Macnut Oil and lemon, lilikoi or lime, herbs
  • Thinned down guacamole
  • Fresh herbs, onions, ginger, chili
  • Zest of lemon and limes, fruit
  • Harvest fresh tamarind
  • Homemade mayo with egg, lemon juice and macnut oil

SOURCE INFORMATION

Local beef: health food stores usually stock; available also at Kulana Foods in Hilo and Hawaii Beef Producers in Paauilo; some supermarkets. Kahua Ranch phone 882-4646 for beef and lamb, also at Homestead Farmers Market

Bacon: Mai Bacon 896-0334 also at Parker School Farmers Market

Red Veal

  • Waimea Farmers’ Market, 1st Saturdays
  • Waimea Town Market at Parker School, 1st and 3rd Saturdays
  • Keauhou Farmers’ Market
  • Kealia Ranch Store
  • NELHA Seafood Market, last Fridays
  • South Kona Green Market
  • Kamuela Liquor Store
  • Island Naturals Market and Deli, Hilo
  • Hawaii Cattle Producers Office, Mana Rd., Waimea 885-5599
  • Health Food Stores

Eggs: Many of the places listed above

Fish and Seafood: Many of the places listed above as well as Kawaihae Fish Market, Honokahou Fish markets, local supermarkets. Check source labels.

Beverages:

  • Ka‘u Coffee
  • Hamakua Coffee
  • Local coffee farms

Goat’s milk/cheese

  • Cheese: Hawaii Island Goat Dairy, Ahualoa
  • Puna Goat Cheese -Hilo Farmers Market
  • There may be goat’s milk and cheese at Keauhou Market

Fresh edamame – available at KTA, grown in Hilo area

Check KTA for Mountain Apple brand: fresh produce, ogo, meat and fish. eggs ID as Hawaii raised

Costco has some fresh produce- tomatoes, long beans, cucumbers, eggplant, mushrooms, lettuce, papayas, sweet potatoes, coffee

Useful websites www.hawaiihomegrown.net and look for list of Farmers Markets.

www.breadfruit.org for breadfruit recipes

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

  • 1qt local milk ( you want milk that is not ultra pasteurized)
  • 2T fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

Heat milk to 185’F in a heavy bottomed pot, while stirring to prevent the bottom from scorching. Add lemon juice and stir gently for

about 2 min until curds are separated. Use a slotted spoon to remove curds. Drain in cheesecloth or in a sieve lined with plain paper towels. Season with salt, herbs or honey. Good warm or chilled. Use within 2 days.

Some pointers: using a thermometer helps to get it to the right temperature without it scorching or boiling over. If is does not separate easily in to curds and whey( greenish thin liquid), you may need more lemon juice. I made it with whole milk and no cream and it worked well. Makes about 1 cup.

Websites : http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Fresh-Homemade-Ricottahttp://

eggsonsunday.wordpress.com/2008/04/06/fresh-homemade-ricotta-step-by-step-so-simple/

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