Wednesday, September 29, 2010

KCC Farmer's Market

Most folks like to visit the beach, the mall or a fancy restaurant when they go out of town. Me, i like to check out the local farmer's market. Don't get me wrong, i go to those other places too, but a visit that doesn't include a trip to the market is just not as memorable. KCC farmer's market is just a stone's throw from the famous Waikiki Beach and i finally got a chance to check it out during a recent visit.


Waikiki Beach
Now i should tell you that i had an agenda. I've been hearing about a luscious little treat that is rumoured to be on offer there. It's a heartbreakingly fresh strawberry swaddled in mochi and dipped in chocolate. Sounds wonderful, doesn't it? I was determined to try one.

So we skipped breakfast Saturday morning and jumped on the number 23 bus for a short, nose to armpit crowded ride to the KCC Farmer's Market. The crowd was heavy with hip, young Japanese visitors which made these two old country mice feel very trendy.


It feeds a village
The decison to skip breakfast turned out to be a good one. Check out these groaning plate lunches! We made the tough call to pass these by, hoping for more treats ahead.


The market focus is on fresh, locally produced food but no market is complete without fresh flowers. There were lots of tropicals for sale, including fragrant gingers.  Orchids were on offer at great prices. No strawberries here...



We saw chocolate from the Big Island along with  local dairy products, freshly baked whole wheat fig bread and, of course, baskets and baskets of fresh produce. But where are the strawberries?


Colorful heirloom tomatoes on display
These tomatoes were gorgeous but they are not strawberries!



 






It was hard to resist taking one of everything but we were traveling light and had to answer to TSA so i limited myself to buying some Kona coffee, some chocolate, and all the prepared food we could eat.


Preparing beignets
We stuffed ourselves with grilled abalone farmed on the Big Island, grilled Kahuku corn slathered with shoyu/wasabi butter, and caprese salad skewers. For dessert we gobbled down hot beignets with lilikoi butter and washed it all down with steaming cups of Kona coffee. 

Still no strawberries! If the strawberries were there that day we didn't find them. But we sure enjoyed looking for them ; )

Have you been to the Farmer's Market lately?


5 comments:

Jane said...

Wow Julie that farmers market is awesome! The food and produce look so ono! Mahalo for sharing this!

Linda said...

I'm sorry you didn't find the strawberries. The ones I ate from KCC farmers market was strawberries covered in azuki bean and then covered with mochi. They have it at the Made in Hawaii tent. Hope you find it next time your in town.

Julie said...

Jane, deadline for county fair entries is today!

Linda~ azuki bean sounds good, too! There's always next time, right?

tom | tall clover farm said...

I visited the farmers market in Honolulu at the base of Diamond Head--Amazing! The variety and extend of homemade products blew me away, from ginger ale, to poi, to sausages, fruits and veggies.

I missed prepared foods at farmers markets in Seattle--lots and lots of health codes have put the kibosh on things like that, unfortunately.

Julie said...

You've been there too! It's a real gem, isn't it? But don't get me started on government and food, Tom, i might not be able to stop ; )

I've enjoyed visiting your blog, thanks for stopping by today.