Hot Lava, Hilo, and Chickens

We went to Hilo last weekend to get some chickens. My sister lives there now so it was a chance to soak up some East side fun as well expand our animal family times four. It's nice to have a reason to get out of Kona and even nicer that we now have a place to stay in Hilo.

So we drove away from the dusty traffic and endless vog of Kona, up and over Saddle Road to my sister's cozy rental house near the university. Somehow, her house feels like our childhood home in Portland, Oregon. I don't know if it's the familiarity of her routines, the way she makes coffee at all hours of the day or the perpetual muted TV glow, but staying with her brings me back to my childhood and I wouldn't mind curling up on her couch with a cup of coffee and never leaving.

Being new to Hilo town, my sister and her fiance have been spending a lot of time getting to know the surrounding areas. They had an agenda planned for our weekend before we arrived, which as a planner-type person, made me very happy. First stop, Kilauea Lodge.

Located in Volcano Village, this restaurant and inn has rave reviews just about everywhere. My sister gushed about it as did some other foodie friends. I really want to like this place. And to some degree, I did but one can only conclude that we must have landed there on an off night. The ambience was darling, a fireplace adorned with German beer steins, painted wooden place mats, and stained-glass windows create a cozy space. The wine list was great and even our not-so-good food was definitely made from scratch, noodles and all. Maybe the chef that night was rushed, but everything was under-seasoned and well, just kind of sloppy.

Glowing lava doom in background. Cool, my face looks shiny even in the dark.

A mediocre meal is not the end of the world, in fact we were on our way to see how the world begins. Minutes away from Volcano Village is Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, open 24 hours. Lava is most visible at night, think red-glowing fire, so we stopped by the active crater for a peak. I've now lived on Hawaii island for 7 years and have never seen lava, tried many times, but was never lucky enough to catch it. So seeing the glow, deep inside the crater, was special indeed. It felt like Halloween with all the people milling around in the dark, the background a spooky, glowing, steaming crater. Our dog, forever scared of everything, cowered at my knee tripping me every third step.

It wasn't until the next morning, when a 4.6 magnitude quake got me out of bed, rattling the fragile wooden frame of my sister's house, that I realized just how epic watching lava come out of the earth really is.

We drank many mugs of coffee and watched silent episodes of "Roseanne" while waiting for the boys to come home from surfing. Around mid-morning we set off for Kalapana to buy some chickens advertised on Craigslist and ended up in a remote-as-it-gets housing development along the wild Puna coastline. For every cute, well-built home in this neighborhood there was a less-cute, shanty-type home built from plywood, tarps, and screens. Alas, our chickens lived at a screen shanty with a man, probably our own age, who appeared to have never worn shoes. He lovingly gave us tips on caring for the chickens and sent us on our way with two plastics tubs of four full-grown egg laying chickens. Don't worry, there were air holes for them to breathe.

Pahoa Farmer's Market

On our way back to Hilo and eventually back home, we stopped at the Pahoa farmer's market. Pahoa is known for it's abundance of produce and hippies. This market did not disappoint in either area. What surprised me was the amazing number of prepared food choices. It being close to lunch time by then, I dove right in getting Russian potato pancakes with beets, sour cream, and a pickled egg for me and a smoked meat plate with rice and mac salad for Dustin. We shared a refreshing hibiscus tea, which I really ought to try making at home.

By the time I sauntered back to the car, the chickens were panting. This immediately broke my heart and I started to panic. I totally thought the chickens were going to over-heat and die right on the spot. So as much as I wanted to stay and admire the hippies it was back over Saddle Road for us, windows down and back gate up.

Thankfully, the temperatures really drop as you head up the Saddle because the road goes right in between two mountains and makes a hell of an elevation climb. Just as my panic began to subside, probably about half way home, we heard the fluttering wings of an escaped chicken. I caught the dog as he tried to leap for the back seat and Dustin squealed over in the emergency lane. We dove in the back, trying at once to restrain the yelping dog and grab the brave chicken. In seconds it was over, the chicken safely back in the box, and my nerves at code red.

We managed to make it home without further incident and the chickens now happily reside in their coop, made from old pallets. In a week they have already given us eight eggs. I'd say it was a successful trip.

Hawaiian Asparagus

Zesty ho'i'o salad with a side of poi

Some call it fiddlehead fern, some call it ho'i'o, Maui folks call it pohole, and still more call it warabi. Whatever you call it, this very special foraged green is similar in taste and texture to asparagus.

I recently snagged some at the Hilo farmer's market and promptly made a zesty salad. I hope you can find some near you, buy stalks that are firm and green, avoid the wilted ones with tops that have opened considerably. Prepare it like you would asparagus, but be sure rinse well and blanch no matter how you decide to eat them, this helps to remove the little hairs that cover the stalks. My recipe is below and there is another version here: Fern Shoot Salad. If you like green papaya salad, you'll love this recipe.

Zesty Ho'i'o Salad
serves 4-6

1 bunch ho'i'o ferns, about 3 lbs (can also be called pohole, warabi, fiddlehead fern, or pako)
2 green onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
sesame seeds, for garnish

For the dressing:
4 TBL fish sauce
4 TBL lime juice
2 TBL agave or honey
1 tsp chili garlic paste, if desired

Chop ferns into two inch pieces, discarding about 2 inches of the ends as you would asparagus. Rinch ferns well in cold water. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Blanch the ferns in the boiling water for no more than 3 minutes, or until they turn bring green. Strain into a colander and immediately run cold water over them to stop the cooking process until cool to the touch.

In a large bowl mix together dressing ingredients with a fork. Add cooled ferns, chopped green onion, and chopped tomato to the bowl and toss well. It's best if you can allow it to sit for 15 minutes or so, but is also good kept in the fridge for up to 5 days. Top with sesame seeds for garnish. Enjoy!

Award Winning Shrimp & 'Ulu Cakes at the 'Ulu Festival

We celebrated the starch of the islands (breadfruit) this weekend at the Puna 'Ulu Festival, an event to support Kua O Ka La Public Charter School. The event was held on the school grounds, which happen to be next to the enchanting 'Ahalanui Hot Ponds.

The event included music, cultural crafts, cooking demonstations, 'ulu and poi pounding, kapa making, games, and a cooking contest.

The cooking contest participants were challenged to incorporate niu (coconut) into their dishes with 'ulu as the main ingredient. I chose to enter an appetizer recipe, although there were entries for entrees and desserts. I'm happy to report that my Shrimp & 'Ulu Cakes won first place in the appetizer division! Recipe is below.

Unfortunately, I got a little caught up in the excitement of the festival and failed to snap a photo. The photo above is of the cakes pre-fried.

If you are an island resident, please consider incorporating more breadfruit into your diet. It is not only a nutrient-rich starch that can easily take the place of potatoes in any dish, but being locally sourced, is an environmental superstar, too. Here are some other recipe ideas using breadfruit: 'Ulu Gnocchi with Hamakua Mushroom Ragout, Mashed Breadfruit with Roasted Garlic & Goat Cheese, or any number of recipes on Sonia Tastes Hawaii (Sonia was one of the judges for the cooking contest and a champion of culinary food sustainability).


Shrimp and 'Ulu Cakes with Coconut Cream
serves 8-10

1 pound shrimp
1 small green ‘ulu 
2 TBL fresh Big Island lime juice
2 TBL mayo
2 chopped Big Island green onions

1/3 cup chopped Big Island cilantro

salt & pepper to taste

1/3 cup flour

1 beaten Big Island egg

1 cup panko

Vegetable oil

For topping:

1 can coconut milk

lime zest & cilantro for garnish

Peel, chop and steam ‘ulu until soft. Mash well with a little salt.

Sautee shrimp in a pan with a little oil and some salt & pepper until just pink, 3-5 minutes. Remove shells when they have cooled and chop.

In a large mixing bowl, gently combine mashed ‘ulu, shrimp, chopped green onion, lime juice, mayo, & salt and pepper to taste. Chill in fridge for about 30 minutes. 

Using your hands, make patties with the mixture, a little larger than a golf ball, pressing to flatten. 

Set up a dipping station with a separate dish for the flour, egg, and panko. Bring a skillet over medium high heat and add oil. Dip each cake first in flour, then egg, then panko and cook in hot pan until browned on both sides.

For topping you will need to place your can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight. Place a mixing bowl and beater in the freezer for a few minutes. After milk has chilled for at least several hours, flip can over and open the bottom. Drain clearish liquid and place hardened coconut milk in the cold mixing bowl. Beat in medium-high for 3-5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Use the coconut whipped milk to top each cake. Garnish with some lime zest and cilantro if desired. Enjoy!

Exotic Fruit 101: Mountain Apple

Hilo Mountain Apple

The mountain apple is known for being a "canoe plant." The Polynesians who first came to settle the Hawaiian islands, coming from afar in their canoes, brought a few precious plants with them, not knowing what they would find when arriving in the new lands. Among these plants was the sturdy mountain apple tree.

We don't see the mountain apple as much on the Kona (dry side) of the Big Island so I happily gathered a healthy share at the Hilo (wet side) farmer's market. This small fruit, no bigger than a baseball, is shaped like a pear, with a similar consistency. It tastes of pear, apple, and plum with a noticeable hit of rose petals.

We harvest them in the summer months, so if you see them at the farmer's market, a local fruit stand, or auntie's tree, give them a try.