A Food Festival For Locavores

Sunday (Nov. 17) is the fifth annual Garden Island Range & Food Festival. It’s the second year I am serving as farm chairwoman, so I can share the latest about the party that celebrates local food. The fundraiser, which promotes Kauai’s ranchers and farmers, will award a $1,000 scholarship to a student in the Culinary Arts program at Kauai Community College.

Keep your ticket, because eight door prizes will be given away at the end of the festival. You’ll have a chance to win a one-night stay at Westin Princeville, Kauai Beach Resort or Kauai Marriott Resort, as well as two tickets to Hawaii Alive Luau Show, a gift certificate to Gaylord’s at Kilohana Plantation and two tickets to one of Tasting Kauai’s culinary tours.

Zero Waste will set up recycling stations and, for the first time, craft beer from Kauai Beer Company will be served. Kauai Coffee and The Right Slice will offer coffee and pie, and Dickie Chang will be master of ceremonies. Live entertainment includes Marty Leonard, Kasibulan Filipino Dance Company and Halau Hula O Haliileo.

Another first is a farmers market table that will be loaded with local products, with 10 percent of sales applied toward the abovementioned scholarship. Products include taro hummus and poi from Hanalei Taro & Juice Co.; rambutan and white sugarloaf pineapple from Hole in the Mountain Farm; longan from Jerry’s Farm; apple bananas from Yoshii Farm; Honi Honi Honey; hot sauces and mustards from Black Dog Farm; Salty Wahine Gourmet Hawaiian Sea Salts; organic vegetable starts from Heaven on Earth Starts; as well as copies of my book, Tasting Kauai: Restaurants – From Food Trucks to Fine Dining, A Guide to Eating Well on the Garden Island.

Kauai Grown will have an exhibit next to the farmers market table. Stop by to learn about members participating this year. They also will be giving out free reusable bags to use at the farmers market table.

Ranches and farms generously have provided fresh ingredients for chefs to cook with. Our sincere thanks goes to W.T. Haraguchi Farm, Waipa Foundation, Hole in the Mountain Farm, Olana Organic Farm, Kauai Glory Farm, Kauai Nursery & Landscaping, Yoshii Farm, Rainbow Garden Sprouts, North Country Farm, Growing Strong Farm, Moloaa Organicaa, Wootens Produce of Kauai, George Mukai, Mariano Aranda Farm, Shamma Farm, Kikala Farms, Kauai Roots Co-op, Kailani Farm, Kolo Kai Organic Farm and McPhee’s Bees Honey. Monkeypod Jam donated Tomato Jam, Star Fruit Marmalade and Jabuticaba Jelly.

Every year, whole animals and lesser-used cuts are paired randomly with a restaurant. A whole M&H Kaneshiro Farms hog went to Roy’s Poipu. Tiki Tacos drew a whole goat from Kauai Kunana Dairy, and Tortilla Republic will prepare Kauai Shrimp. RumFire will use AkuaMakanalani Ranch grass-fed and antibiotic-free lamb for braised crispy tacos with kale slaw, spicy Monkeypod Tomato Jam, guacamole and charred white pineapple lomi lomi.

This year, Aakukui Ranch and William Sanchez are providing grass-fed and antibiotic-free beef. The Garden Cafe was assigned cross rib and Contemporary Flavors Catering got chuck. Oasis on the Beach also drew chuck and is making Shredded Island Beef Ragout. Duke’s is preparing beef tenders. The Feral Pig and Kukuiula Club House drew beef baron (leg). Gaylord’s has skirt steak, there’s beef cheeks for Kauai Marriott Resort and brisket for Merriman’s Fish House. Beef heart went to Tiki Iniki, and the Westin will prepare Beef Neck Ravioli with breadfruit au gratin, heart of palm puree and roasted tomato and garlic chutney. Hukilau Lanai is preparing beef tongue pastrami on homemade taro bread, with green papaya slaw and lilikoi tarts for dessert.

“Every year, I look forward to the Garden Island Range & Food Festival,” says Ron Miller, owner and executive chef at Hukilau Lanai. “It brings the farmers and chefs together, so it’s the perfect collaboration! It’s so cool that the community can come to an event that is the epitome of being a locavore. We see how strong the movement is here on Kauai in our daily lives and it’s awesome to be involved.”

Tickets cost $40. For more information, visit KauaiFoodFestival.com.

Marta Lane is a Kauai-based food writer. For more information, visit TastingKauai.com.