Hi Oahu Fresh family!  It’s the unofficial start to the holiday season–the beginning of November!  This week’s bag has products from 2 farms we’ve not ordered from in a while–Mari’s Garden and Leilehua High School.  We’re very happy to be able to order from them and hope you enjoy their lettuce and pak choy, respectively!  In addition your bag will contain round eggplant from Ho Farm, hot chili peppers, long beans, yellow tomatoes, and okra from Pacific Gateway Farmers,  and mixed organic citrus from Kama`aina Land Plant Rentals and Nursery.

As usual, below we’ll provide a few ideas and recipes for you, and we hope to see your ideas too!  And we have one more wonderful thing to reveal…we’re expanding to Kailua!!  We have been looking for a “good fit” location where we can begin a drop spot in the Kailua area, and we are now partnering with Cactus restaurant to do that!  We’ll begin dropping bags there next week on Thursday, so we hope to see some new Oahu Fresh members on the Windward side.  Sign up on our website and choose Cactus from the delivery options drop down.  Try out Cactus when you’re next in Kailua too, they use a lot of locally grown produce.

Slow Cooker Eggplant Curry

Hot Chili Paste   Use your hot chilis to make your own paste, then add it to whatever you like!

Homemade Chili Garlic Sauce recipes   one cooked, one raw…

Baby Pak Choy with Chili and Black Bean Sauce

Tempura Okra   I recently had fried okra on the Big Island at a potluck and I couldn’t stop eating it…it was light and not at all slimy.  I am determined to find some great recipes for it…I think this is one!

Panko Fried Okra   or this one…;)

Chocolate Dipped Oranges   FUN!

 Aloha everyone!  Here’s what we’ve scared up for you this week.  Instead of filling your bag with candy,    we’ve got sweet treats like mixed citrus and fall faves like beets and butternut squash.  And for the really  adventurous, we have ulu (breadfruit) this week!!

This week’s items include mixed citrus from both Hoalike Farm and Kamaaina Land Plant Rentals and     Nursery, both located on the North Shore.  We have Meyer lemons and Tahitian limes from Hoalike Farm, and Tahitian limes, tangelo, clementine, and lilikoi from Kamaaina Land Plant Rentals and Nursery.  Also we will be including 3/4 lb. organic beets from Kahumana Farm, a swiss chard/kale mix, grape tomatoes, and bush beans from Pacific Gateway Farmers, butternut squash from Ho Farms,  and  Hawaiian Ulu from ‘Ioleka’a valley in  He’eia and Mililani Ag Park.

If you haven’t tried breadfruit (ulu) before, you are in for a treat.  It’s extremely versatile, so no matter what condition its in you can put it to use.  When green and immature, ulu can be used similarly to artichoke heart.  When mature but still green, it can be a substitute for yams or potato, and when very ripe it can be used where you would use sweet potato, yam, banana, pumpkin, and chestnut.  For a really great intro and recipe ideas beyond what we’ve shared here, go to the National Tropical Botanical Garden Breadfruit Institute website.  Ulu is mature when the skin yellows and milky sap seeps through the skin.  When half ripe it is firm on the outside but slightly soft in the center when sliced.  Ulu will ripen in 1-3 days.

 

Mashed Ulu  

1 mature green ulu

2 tablespoon minced yellow onion

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup dairy or soy milk

1/2 stick butter

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Wash, peel, and core ulu.  Cut into 2 inch chunks, boil in water until tender.  Drain ulu in a colander then mash while hot.  Add butter and onion, salt, pepper, and milk.  From Fae Hirayama’s The Breadfruit Cookbook.

Roasted Ulu with Garlic

1 green mature ulu cut into 2 inch chunks

3-4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup water

Wash, core, and peel breadfruit.  Toss with crushed garlic and olive oil.  Place in baking pan with 1 cup water.  Cover pan with foil.  Bake one hour at 325 degrees, removing foil after 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to brown evenly.  Salt to taste before serving.  For onion ulu, add 1 cup chopped onion in place of garlic.  You can also add olives to this at the end, about 1/2 cup of green, black, and or Calamata olives, chopped or sliced.  From Fae Hirayama’s  The Breadfruit Cookbook.

 

Oahu Fresh Ohana-how are you all today?  We are well and stoked on this week’s bag–lots of organically grown goodness is coming this week!  You’ll be receiving slicing tomatoes from Green Growers, lemongrass from Ho Farms, organic bok choy, organic mixed keiki greens, & plantains from Kahumana Farm, a mixed bunch of kale and swiss chard from Pacific Gateway Farmers, and citrus from Kama`aina Land and Plant Rentals Nursery.  WOW!  I’m excited…here’s what I am thinking about making:

Swiss Chard Pesto (For Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos!)   I really want to try this!

Oven Baked Sweet Plantains   These are great to eat with any meal…very good at breakfast!

Mom’s Pork Chops with Crispy Garlic and Lemongrass   From the She Simmers blog, and a great way to use your lemongrass this week.  Serve with rice as suggested or with a kale and swiss chard sauté.

Cuban Chicken and Plantain Stew   If you need more inspiration to use your plantains, this is a good meal to put together on Sunday and eat for the week.  Create a salad with your keiki greens and tomatoes to go along with it.

Baby Bok Choy with Cashews   a really good side dish to tofu, meat, or several other veggie dishes

Happy Local Eating this week!

Aloha Oahu Fresh family!  This week’s bag has us really excited–it’s bursting with color and flavor!  You’ll be receiving fresh organic beets from Kahumana Farm, string beans and japanese cucumbers from Pacific Gateway farmers, organic rosemary, clementines, and avocados from Kama`aina Land Plant Rentals & Nursery, butternut squash from Ho Farms, and beautiful late season slicing tomatoes from Green Growers.

Roasted Beets with Orange and Thyme

Also don’t throw away those beautiful greens on the tops of your beets!  Use them like you would swiss chard or in the following recipe to get an idea:  Beet Greens Recipe

Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Potatoes   Use the fresh rosemary from your bag for this recipe and you’ve got some wonderful potatoes to go with a steak, chicken, or a fresh salad!

From WellnessMama.com:  My favorite natural air-freshener is to put a small handful of  Rosemary Leaf, 1 sliced lemon or orange, and a splash of vanilla into a sauce pot and simmer on low all day (watch the water levels)- It smells amazing and freshens the house for days.

Rosemary Leek Mashed Potatoes

Pasta with Spicy Sausage, Baby Spinach, & Creamy Butternut Sauce

Iced Cucumber Soup with Mint, Watercress, and Feta

Enjoy this week’s fresh locally grown produce, and please let us know what you’re making!  Recipes from other members can be found on our Facebook page…so “Like” us and spread the word!!

 

 

Hello Oahu Fresh members!  It’s a nice, cooler week this week and we’re excited to bring your fresh produce to you.  Here is what we’ll be delivering:  kale from Ho Farms, mixed shelling beans from Jennifer Appel’s farm (see picture!), 3 avocados and 1 lilikoi from Kama`aina Land and Plant Rentals (Uluwehi Farm), mixed organic keiki greens and organic Italian basil  from Kahumana Farm, and tomatoes, swiss chard, and long beans from Pacific Gateway Farmers.  I’m already thinking about many meals I can create with all this yummy produce!  One tip for your basil–don’t put it in the fridge!  Basil leaves will turn brown if you refrigerate them, so try keeping them in a glass with a little bit of water and a plastic bag over the top, like this.  It also works great for cilantro (chinese parsley).

I’ve been thinking about making a frittata using some of the produce from this week’s bag.  Frittatas are pretty easy and so versatile:  they can be eaten any time, are the perfect vehicle for lots of produce–whatever you have leftover, or just a little bit of, can be used in a frittata and it will come out great.  They are also great travel food!

Tips on Frittata cooking

Kale Frittata   This uses sausage, herbs, and cheese.  You can sub in whatever herbs you have on hand, or use your basil shredded on top.

Swiss Chard, Onion, & Cheese Frittata

Shelling Beans   Tips on shelling & using your fresh beans this week!

Fresh Shelling Beans and Greens

Green Bean Fries   A unique way to use your long beans, and fun!

Happy Local Eating everyone!