Mahalo Michael

For Kitchen Creations, Chef Ronnie Nasuti from Tiki's Grill and Bar featured produce from Kahuku farms. It's a farm that dates back to the early 1900's on Oahu's North Shore. They're known for everything from papaya to bananas to eggplant.

Chef Ronnie created a vegetarian dish which he will feature for an upcoming fundraiser for Leeward Community College this weekend. His recipes are below.

Kahuku Farms Eggplant Roulade, Cheese Soufflé,  Avocado Puree Recipes

Yield=4 servings

Cheese Soufflé

2 Eggs
½ cup Heavy cream
4 tbsps. Pecorino cheese, grated
4 tbsps. Parmesan cheese, grated
4 leafs Fresh basil
2 sprigs, no stems Fresh Italian parsley
pinch Salt & pepper
Blend all ingredients in a blender.
Pour into  2 ounce flex molds, filling to the top.
Bake at 350° for about 20 minutes, until a tooth pick will come out clean.

1 each Japanese eggplant, sliced thin on a mandolin
1ea Egg, beaten
pinch Salt & pepper
As needed. olive oil
4 pieces Fresh Mozzarella
2 Cherry tomatoes, slice in half with the ends cut off
Basil pesto
Cut eggplant slices in half and toss with egg & salt & pepper.
Sear on both sides at medium high heat with a little olive oil.
Roll each slice of tomato with 1 mozzarella cheese and a tomato slice.

Avocado Purée
1ea. Avocado, seeded and scooped
1 tbsps Olive oil
Half a lime Fresh lime juice
To taste Salt & white pepper
Blend in blender on high speed with butter, salt & white pepper until smooth like baby food.

Parmesan Brittle

Shredding Parmesan cheese
¼ cup Sprinkle cheese on a parchment paper or silpat.
Bake at 350° until light golden brown. Don’t over cook, it will get bitter!
*I served this dish with these optional garnishes…
Micro greens
Sweety drop Peruvian peppers

Vegetable demi glace, this is very cool, but pretty involved recipe.  It’s worth the work for a vegetarian gourmet cook!, Just Google it!

Kahuku Farms is a result of two farming families spanning back three generations in Hawaii. Descendants of the Matsuda/Fukuyama families migrated to Hawaii from Japan to work in the sugar plantations back in the 1900's. Shinichi and Torie Matsuda started farming bell peppers, papayas, watermelon and bananas in Kahuku back in the 1940's and were later joined by their son Melvin in the the 1960's. During a similar time Masatsugu and Nora Fukuyama, also of Kahuku, were farming watermelon, eggplant, papaya and cucumbers and were later joined by their son Clyde in 1965. Clyde and Melvin became long time friends and did several farming ventures together, one of which took them to Australia where they both worked for a year growing watermelons. With similar philosophies and goals, they both decided to merge the Matsuda and Fukuyama Farms in 1986 creating Kahuku Brand.

Kahuku Brand is a company dealing primarily with growing and distributing Hawaii wholesale fruits and vegetables. Nora and Masatsugu Fukuyama With the love of agriculture deeply rooted with both Mel and Clyde, they felt compelled to create a way to diversify and share the wonders and bounty of farming with friends and family, to educate, share and offer hands-on experiences that would enhance the quality of life and result in a deeper appreciation of agriculture as their purpose. Thus, Kahuku Farms was created. A place intended for learning, enjoyment, and experience of diversified agriculture at its finest.

Matsuda Fruit Stand - 1977 In 2005, the daughter of Mel and Momi Matsuda, Kylie Matsuda agreed to champion the task of running the operations for Kahuku Farms. "I feel honored and grateful to perpetuate our family's future in farming," says Kylie. "To share our generations of knowledge and history with others, in this amazing place that I've known as home is a dream I'm passionate to live." Kylie is a graduate of Kahuku High School and the Travel Industry Management School at the University of Hawaii