January 16, 2011

Hawaii - The Saturday Farmers' Market


I love visiting Farmers' Markets. When I am lucky enough to travel I always try to find out where the local farmer's market is and add it to our plans.  It tells you so much about the neighborhood.  There is just something special about all of the incredibly hard workers who make up the market.  Besides the goods they are selling they all have a story to share.



My local Farmers' Market is The Saturday Farmers' Market at the Kapiolani Community College, just a few minutes drive from Waikiki.  It is co-sponsored by the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation and the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Kapiolani Community College. It is the largest Farmers' Market in Hawaii and the only one featuring all Hawaii grown and produced foods and flowers.  Vendors selling their goods at this market have extremely strict guidelines to follow regarding the origin of their goods. Some of the guidelines include:
  • Fruits, vegetables, and flowers must be grown in Hawaii. 
  • All ready to eat, processed and value added food products must be made in Hawaii in a certified commercial kitchen and Hawaii grown ingredients should be incorporated into the product whenever possible (the greater the percentage of Hawaii grown ingredients used in ready to eat food products may determine a vendor’s participation in the markets).
  • All beverages sold  need to be bottled or produced in Hawaii.  This applies to soft drinks, bottled water, tea, coffee and other items sold in the market. 
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      There are some wonderful vendors at this market.  Most of them are there every week, although sometimes a new one comes in to fill in a spot for someone who is sick.  Each week there is a Tip Sheet produced so that you can check out exactly who will be at the market on Saturday.  You can also follow the market on Twitter @HNLFarmers for market updates, specials & pictures.



      I saw so many things that I wanted to buy.  Dean Okimoto's Nalo Farms has some of the best greens.  Nalo Farms supplies approximately 130 restaurants with over 3,000 pounds of their tasty greens each and every week, including Roy's.  I always stop by the Hawaiian Fudge Sauce stand. Seriously, you will think that you died and went to heaven after tasting the samples.  It is very hard to walk away with just one jar of fudge sauce.  I recommend you buy a few because this stuff is good right off the spoon, so you might need another jar for your ice cream. I tried some samples from Honomu Jams and Jellies - Passionfruit Butter, Passionfruit Ginger Jam, Tahitian Lime Ginger Jelly, Sugar Free Waimea Strawberry (made with blue agave).  They were all excellent and the taste of the fruit really shines through. I found it hard to choose, so I picked two, and will go back in a few weeks to try a few more.




      After visiting the market I drove down the road to Diamond Head Market Grill.  Their blueberry scones are legendary and on the weekends they also have banana scones (Fri-Sun).  These scones are different from your average scone.  They are so moist and cake-like, and have a very light vanilla glaze on top.  They also have a wide range of prepared foods that make this the perfect place to stop before you head out for a day at the beach, or you can enjoy one their breakfast or lunch plates.  They may not have a view but their food more than makes up for it.  And if you do need a view the beaches of Waikiki are a few minutes down the road, and so is the beautiful Kapiolani Park.


      27 comments:

      1. mmm it all looks delicious - those huge pineapples look amazing!!

        I really must get to my farmer's market soon!

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      2. Love to hear all of this! When we were last there (on Maui)we did not have much luck finding local produce. It's great that focusing on local fare is becoming popular (funny how we all have coveted what is NOT from our regions for so long!). Passing this to a friend in Kaneohe. Thanks!

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      3. my mouth started to water when I saw that pineapple. It has been years since I've been to Hawaii, I ate so many pineapples my tongue was raw!

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      4. Just the sight of folks in straps and short sleeves is making me wish for summertime here in the snowy Northeast! Your Farmer's Market looks like such a bonanza of good things! So pleased with the number of FM's opening and doing well!

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      5. Can't wait to go back to Hawaii....love Farmers market...I can smell wonderful fresh fruits and produce in the air...thanks for the post:)

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      6. What an amazing farmer's market! I can't wait for ours to open again, but have to wait for the summer...

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      7. I love farmers markets and yours looks fantastic!

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      8. This has got me even more excited for my trip to Hawaii this December!!! I will definitely look into this!!

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      9. What a great farmer's market. I'd be so full after a visit because I'd taste everything. :-)

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      10. I do the same thing--love to check out whatever is growing in the area I am visiting. Hawaii is but a dream...

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      11. Those pineapples are bigger than my head! YUM! :)
        I spend hours at the farmer's market. We finally have one around here that's open year round!

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      12. Look at those pineapple! They call for summer so badly! I love visiting farmer's market too but boy I would love to see one in Hawaii!

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      13. Haha, I just went last weekend! I love going there! Great post!

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      14. I love visiting markets too! Every time I travel I try to visit a market! These pictures were great!

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      15. Going to farmers markets is so much fun...just look at those gorgeous, fresh pineapples!

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      16. I love a great farmer's market and you are lucky to have one at your fingertips. Fresh is best!

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      17. I'm missing our farmer's market. which won't fire back up until Spring, However we will be in Hawaii one of these days. Any foodie suggestions for Maui?

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      18. My I' really such a sucker of freshness, its the basic principle of cooking my mother taught me. ming you they are really worth the bother.

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      19. This market sounds amazing! Just the names of those jams and jellies makes my mouth water... passionfruit ginger, Tahitian lime ginger...mmmmmmm!!! Thanks for a great post :-)

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      20. The temps here in Chicago will be in single digits by tonight, so seeing a sunny, warm farmer's market in HAWAII, warms my heart. Also brings back memories of my trip to Maui several years ago. Wish I was there now:) Spring will be here somdeay.

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      21. Great post, love your blog! Thanks for sharing.

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      22. Can I just tell you how absolutely over the top jealous I am!!??!! I love that place! I have some of the fudge, actually, I forgot about it since I was there as I hid it because I didn't want anyone sneaking it. Looks like I need to make some Vanilla Ice cream!!
        We have some of the chocolate too. I was a bit stingy, but on the other hand extraordinarily generous by sharing one of my bars and giving it as a Christmas present. I have two bars left. I think we have one of the coffee infused ones, simply wonderful!
        What a good day Felice! I'm so glad you posted this!!

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      23. Wow. What a great event. It must have been so much fun.

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      24. Oh how I miss that market even though it has changed slightly since I was there last.I wished some mainland markets would have such guidelines. Great post!

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      25. This is so fantastic! I love our farmer's markets in NYC and, like you, I love finding them when I visit new places. I always end up walking away with a jar or two of nut butter, no matter where I'm at.

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      26. Great post! We will have to join up at the market someday. Diamond Head Grill does have amazing scones--the blueberry ones are a favorite of mine.
        ;-)

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