From Seed

North Shore Kauai: Food As Medicine Tour   Traditional Diet Traditional Hawaiian diets are considered to be some of the healthiest in the world. Living on a protein, vitamin and mineral rich diet that consisted mainly of poi (pounded taro root), fresh fish along with fruits and vegetables such as banana, coconut, breadfruit and sweet potato made for a clean and nourishing foundation. Even Hawaiian sea salt that was harvested in large amounts held minerals and rich health benefits. We aim to teach you about a variety of the beautiful canoe crops that the Polynesians brought to the Hawaiian islands over 1,000 years ago and how they are still being used today.  Modern Food Practices Fast forward to modern day Hawaii – you do not see this traditional health based diet by any means. Yes, you can still find fresh…

The Market Our foodie staff at Tasting Kauai loves to check out new restaurants and stay up to date on new chef innovations & creations  here on island, and while there are few things that excite us more than the search for a heavenly meal, they do exist! I recently had the pleasure of visiting Hale Puna in the town of Waimea. Hale Puna, or the historic Gulick Rowell Mission House, is a burgeoning small scale food forest. This community focused farm is a project we can really get behind. Every Thursday afternoon from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at Hale Puna, 9567 Huakai Road you can stop by and visit their farm market and purchase your produce for a good cause. (If this time doesn’t work for you, you can also reach out to set up pickup time for a CSA basket)…

The Spot We here at Tasting Kauai are always delighted when a new spot opens up for us to explore and taste test. This is especially true when it is a breathtaking oceanfront dining location with fabulous food. I have been hearing from friends all over the island for weeks, that we must go and…

Jessica and Rosa Stares and Cody Meyer stand in a field of garlic. Daniel Lane photo Our tires crunch on gravel as we pull into Steelgrass Farm. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, the lot is full, but there are no chocolate tours today, so parking is easy. Dan and I are here to meet Cody…

Sugarloaf pineapple almost ready for harvest. Image © Daniel Lane Everyone wants a fresh Hawaii pineapple and now is the time to get one, because it’s the height of pineapple season. I was reminded of this during our sunrise beach walk as hubby and I walked past two young girls who were standing with their faces absorbed in their smart phones….

        Sauteed Kauai Shrimp with Mango Sauce. Mango sauce that’s sweet, tangy and spicy, and goes well with tofu, fish, chicken or seared Kauai Shrimp. It’s so good, you can use leftovers on morning yogurt! Makes about one cup. 1 mango 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar 1 lime 1/4 cup cilantro 1 garlic…

Right now, scent of mangoes cling to the thick air at Kauai farmers markets. Typically, mango season in Hawaii varies on climate conditions, but they usually begin ripening in April and are available throughout October. Flowering begins in early spring when showy clusters, which grow up to 16-inches long, cascade down trees that grow up…

Lisa and Sun work the land by hand. Daniel Lane photo Lisa Fuller and her husband Sun operate a bio-intensive farm called Kimu Aina and market organic produce under the name One Song Farm. The couple share 35-years of experience when it comes to growing organic food in the Islands. I will always remember my…

This KN&L Fairy Garden contains a path, a mailbox, a twig fence with a cardinal bird and succulent plants. Daniel Lane photo. Fairy Gardens are popular ways to incorporate plants into every day life while evoking the mystery and magic of fairies. These miniature gardens are typically in pots, although you can create a Fairy…

Kauai honey bees getting drunk on honey. Daniel Lane photo September is National Honey Month, so it’s the perfect time to celebrate one of nature’s simplest pleasures. It’s hard to imagine anything more pure and natural than one-ingredient honey. Produced by bees from the nectar of plants and flowers, honey essentially flows from hive to…