Taste
Homegrown flavors

• Farmers, chefs show their stuff

By Joan Namkoong
Advertiser Food Editor

What the movement did for Hawai'i was to put a favorite visitor destination on the culinary map, highlighting the diversity of ingredients, flavors and styles of a multicultural island state. The cuisine today can be defined in two ways: by its content, meaning its locally grown products, or by its style, reflecting the culinary skill and technique of a particular chef.

But what about the farmers, fishermen and other producers who supply them, and, to a limited degree, our grocery stores? Here's a brief glimpse of a few of the players:

Adaptations

The Dattas were among the first farmers to work closely with the chefs, having supplied Peter Merriman when he was chef at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows. They opened their seed catalogs to supply the chefs' wish lists and toted their baby daughter to meetings to learn more about what restaurants wanted to buy. But when the chefs formed their group and Merriman opened his own restaurant in Waimea, the Dattas were not prepared: They had not scaled up their operations and had no distribution system in place.

Realizing they couldn't do it alone, the Dattas started to get other growers aboard so they could pool their harvests to supply the hotels. "We looked for people in different climates and crops that matched their interests," said Tane Datta.

Today, Amber is 10 and the Dattas farm their own plot of land, 7.5 acres in Honaunau, and represent 15 to 20 farmers in the Kona area. They grow mixes of greens and continue to work on new products and organic concepts. "I try to help restaurants with their menus," said Tane Datta. "I can cost out the per-plate cost of greens on the plate. We're better at growing today. We have better systems and more knowledge. Ninety per cent of the time, when I put seed in the ground, someone wants it."

Clockwise from top: Hawai'i Regional Cuisine chefs, who formed an alliance to bring more attention to the food of the Islands; Lesley Hill and Michael Crowell of Wailea Agricultural Group specialize in growing the peach palm, which has an edible heart; Bob and Pam Cooper of the Original Great Hawaiian Chocolate Factory grow coffee, macadamias and cacao to be processed as chocolate; an assembly line of salad fixin's using locally grown greens prepared by the Sheraton Waikiki banquet staff; Maureen and Tane Datta, with Amber, one of their two children, on their farm in Honaunau, Big Island; macadamias at various stages of their development. Photo illustration by Stephen Downes The Honolulu Advertiser

Ten years ago, Kurt Hirabara was the president of the Hawaii Herb Association. Pam Hirabara was helping to develop a fledgling fresh-herb industry that was seeing demand from California and points east for lots of fresh basil, especially during the winter. In September 1993, the state put on an Ag Day event at St. Andrew's Priory Courtyard. "All the HRC chefs were there, and we started to think about moving to the Big Island," remembers Pam Hirabara. "I remember Peter Merriman saying, 'I'd rather see my farmer buying a new truck every three years if I'm going to get great product.' He made us decide we could give up our jobs and that we could grow specific products for this market."

In 1993 the Hirabaras founded their less-than half-acre farm in Glenwood, far from the lucrative Kohala Coast market and from O'ahu. They pursued chefs Alan Wong and Philippe Padovani and gained loyal customers for their colorful baby lettuces, labeled Big Island Babies. But volcano dust landing on fragile greens eventually took its toll, and the Hirabaras moved to Waimea. "We operate a tiny farm, three acres with one acre in production," said Kurt Hirabara. "It's allowed people like me to make a fairly good living on a small space."

Though they no longer supply Wong or Padovani, the Hirabaras retain relationships with higher-end restaurants and resorts who seek out their particular blend of greens. "Consumers are getting more educated about food. My goal is to get higher quality food out there," said Hirabara.

Twenty years ago Ruth Rotstein was an employee of Ron Mitchell and Sandy Rossi, who started Lone Palm Sprouts in North Kohala. Five years ago she and her husband, David, bought out the founders of the company that was the first to offer a pre-washed, island-grown organic salad mix to consumers.

They grow sprouts and snow pea shoots in eight indoor drums that produce 400 to 500 pounds of sprouts every three to four days. In addition, the Rotsteins pick up, trim and wash salad greens and spinach from three Waimea farmers, offering pre-washed and bagged "Salading" to major supermarkets on O'ahu as well as to hotels and restaurants. "Our newest product is organic baby romaine," said Ruth Rotstein, who processes about 4,000 pounds of produce a week. "We employ nine people in the plant and seven merchandisers. Sprouts have always had a niche market."

Wailea Agricultural Group

In 1994, Hamakua Sugar on the Big Island closed, and thousands of acres of fertile land were idled. Lesley Hill, who was growing tropical fruits and nursery plants, and Michael Crowell, who was growing cut flowers, signed a lease for 88 acres, deciding to plant the peach palm, which has an edible heart.

Hearts of palm, a gourmet vegetable most often used in salads, are grown primarily in Latin America and used today in many high-end restaurant menus. Their first harvest was in 1996.

"Cafe Pesto in Hilo was our first customer," said Hill. While the peach palm heart was not on the wish list of Hawai'i chefs, they have embraced it. Chefs from the Mainland also have taken to this product that once was only available in cans and brine. Hill and Crowell's Wailea Agricultural Group in Honomu shipped six tons of palm hearts last year. "Our sales are up 40 percent for the first five months of this year," said Hill. "We've worked out the growing bugs. ... We're trying to build an industry."

Other key players in peach palm growing are John and Pat Mood. "There's potential for a minor industry in Hawai'i," said Crowell. "It's not a seasonal product; we harvest all year. No pesticides are required and it's not a fruit-fly host. The product can be shipped out like cut flowers."

The Original Great Hawaiian Chocolate Factory

Bob Cooper was managing a country club in North Carolina 10 years ago, thinking about retiring to Hawai'i with his wife, Pam. They came to Hawai'i in 1997, bought a six-acre Kona farm already planted with coffee, macadamia and cacao trees.

When Cooper found some bags of moldy cacao beans on his property as well as pods ready to pick, he got hooked on the idea of producing a 100 percent Hawai'i-grown and processed chocolate.

In September of last year, he produced his first chocolate bars. It wasn't easy. Cooper knew nothing about growing chocolate and even less about processing it. But with the help of a consultant, he has quickly gotten up to speed. He transformed a 1,152-square-foot shed into a factory with machines to clean, roast, grind, refine and temper cacao beans into the ethereal treat. "The difficult part was setting up a small factory: Most chocolate machinery is made for 15,000-pound runs, not just 1,000 pounds," said Cooper.

The other scary part was not knowing if he had chocolate worthy of marketing until it was actually made. In 1998, Cooper also took over management of 14 acres of cacao trees in Kea'au on land owned by Sheldon Zane. Zane had acquired the land from Jim Walsh, founder of the Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate Co.

Cooper is excited about his chocolate venture, and his $8 dark and milk chocolate bars are selling well at retail. "This could become a major agribusiness," said Cooper. "But the cacao tree needs to be protected from diseases and pests that may be introduced by foreign beans." Cooper has been active in lobbying the Legislature to establish a quarantine protocol for the cacao tree.

Hawai'i Island Goat Cheese

After two previous makers of artisanal cheeses ceased production, Dick and Heather Threlfall have recently taken up the challenge. She had been making goat cheese for her family and friends for 10 years. Last January, the Threlfalls obtained their commercial license and dairy certification for their small facility in Ahualoa.

"This is retirement," said the 67-year old Dick Threlfall, who used to make his living working with horses. Now he milks goats twice a day in Hawai'i's first fully automated in-line milking system exclusively for goats.

Several dairy goat breeds are allowed to roam 10 acres of pasture on the Threlfall's farm. The couple produces 450 to 500 pounds of cheese a week under the Mauna Kea label. Chevre is a mild, crumbly but creamy goat cheese, ready to eat in 24 hours. They also produce a dill and garlic cheese, and a hot pepper chevre. Feta is produced over a two- to four-week period, kept in brine to develop its characteristic sharp, salty flavor. Chefs are just getting acquainted with the Threlfall's cheeses, which are available in stores on the Big Island.

Farmers, chefs show their stuff

Meet the farmers at the Hawaii Regional Cuisine Waikiki Farmer's Market Festival:

• When: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, Waikiki
• Cost: Free

A farmers' marketplace with fresh product sampling and cooking demonstrations:

• 10 a.m.: Chef George Mavrothalassitis, Chef Mavro Restaurant
• 11 a.m.: D. K. Kodama of Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar and Russell Siu of 3660 on the Rise restaurant
• Noon: Alan Wong, Alan Wong's Restaurant
• 1 p.m.: Finals of the 2nd Annual Hawaiian Vanilla Bean Recipe Contest
• 2 p.m.: Sam Choy's "Variations of Poke"

Hawai'i Regional Cuisine: The 10th Reunion Gala Dinner

• What: Twenty-five food stations by the dozen Hawai'i Regional Cuisine chefs and 13 Hawai'i Island Chefs
• When: 6-10 p.m. Aug. 25 at the Sheraton-Waikiki Hotel
• Admission: $125 ($25 off with American Express charge)
• Information: 931-3155