When you work over eighty dinners, visit that many farms and work with so many talented chefs, you frequently encounter new and unfamiliar ingredients.  I had my first taste of finger limes in chef Rachel Main’s spot prawn salad last May; I savored the taste of sea-beans in a memorable squid dish prepared by San Francisco chef Thomas McNaughton in June; and I was exposed to creamer peas when chef Rene Ortiz of Austin’s La Condesa incorporated them into his fall salad of turnips, butternut squash, and goat cheese in October.  We are constantly learning, constantly seeing, and of course, constantly eating.  That is, without a doubt, one of the best things about what we do.

When it was announced that we would make our inaugural trip to Hawaii to host four dinners in January, I was elated.  The idea of escaping winter for three weeks was more than a little appealing.  It took less than a day, however, to come to the realization that in addition to its sunshine and beaches, Hawaii has something so incredible to offer to the culinary world: a seemingly-endless variety of unfamiliar, exciting flavors.

Photo Credit: Jim Denevan

The food that reaches the mainland is but a fraction of what this enchanting paradise has to offer.  Living in northern California, I have come to think that I have access to it all, that virtually anything I could dream up would be readily available at my local farmer’s market.  Well, California has a lot, but it does not have all of this.  Yes, I may occasionally eat pineapples (Hawaii produces 500,000 tons a year), mangoes, coconuts, and bananas, but the taste of guava, passion fruit, star fruit or taro?  I honestly cannot recall if and when I have tasted them.

It seems unreasonable, illogical even, that the very place that imports 85% of all of its ingredients was the site of some of the most delicious local food I have had in months.  Thankfully, however, a growing number of hard-working farmers and passionate chefs are working to turn that proportion on its head.  They are proving that Hawaii is home to beautiful produce, to coffee, meat, and even cheese.

Photo Credit: Jim Denevan

For our January 14th dinner at Kauai’s Olana Farm, chef Aaron Leikam used the farm’s eclectic mix of produce to prepare an unforgettable meal.  When guests arrived, they were welcomed with taro hummus and truffled radish and deviled eggs with chicken liver mousse and Hawaiian chili sea salt.

Photo Credit: Tanya Temme

The seated portion of the meal featured a beet and tangelo salad with a lilikoi (passionfruit) vinaigrette and local Kumana dairy goat cheese that had been cooked in ti leaves and served with macadamia nuts and starfruit.  The meal concluded wth platters of ahi and local shrimp and A’akukui Ranch beef with roasted vegetables.

Photo Credit: Tanya Temme

Photo Credit: Jim Denevan

When chef Justin Pardo of Maui’s Market Fresh Bistro cooked our January 17th dinner at Kupa’a farm, he showed once again that Hawaii is home to an amazing array of local produce.  The farm’s arugula, pumba onions, and sweet potatoes were featured in his beef carpaccio dish, and farmer Gerry Ross grew purple cauliflower specifically for Justin to use at our event.  The vibrant, paprika-flavored cauliflower was served alongside slow roasted mahi mahi with braised leeks and a tomato compote.

Chef Justin Pardo prepares the purple cauliflower

Photo Credit: Jim Denevan

And later that evening, the farm’s coffee was enjoyed with a dessert of vanilla bean panna cotta with lilikoi coulis and pineapple.  Guests simply could not get enough of the coffee.  Perhaps is was because they were seated among the farm’s beans, or because the sticks of fresh sugarcane gave the coffee just the perfect amount of sweetness; but as the night drew to a close, first glasses turned into seconds, and in some cases, seconds became thirds.

A coffee tree grows at Kupa’a Farm

Photo Credit:Jim Denevan

Photo Credit: Jim Denevan

I left Hawaii a little differently than when I arrived.  Sure, my skin had a slightly golden hue; I was considerably more relaxed thanks to the blissful, “aloha” lifestyle; but most importantly, I left knowing that this would not be my last time on these wonderful islands.  Next time, I would not come for the sunshine, the beaches, or even the mai tais (although I would without a doubt partake in all three).  Rather, I will come for the food, for the opportunity to sample a cuisine infused with flavors and ingredients unlike those that I see on a daily basis.