The first annual Ka’anapali Fresh food and wine festival has already had us enjoying a progressive dinner along the beach, a luncheon to showcase locally-grown ingredients, and a farmers market by the sea. Yesterday we met Marilyn Jansen Lopes from Maui Country Farm Tours who took us up to the old sugar can plantation which is now the home of MauiGrown Coffee.
Overlooking the farm and the island of Molokai
Maui is making history this very moment with our developing region of Ka`anapali where four varieties of coffee that are perfectly suited to the hot, dry conditions of West Maui are thriving. The Maui Mokka, Red Catuai, Yellow Caturra and Typicas, Progeny 502 and 6661 are thriving because of the efforts of James “Kimo” Falconer bringing the coffee plants back to health since they were abandoned in 2001 and left only on continuous irrigation. [Marilyn’s Blog Post]
Our group’s bus ride up to the red dirt slopes of the farm took just 10 minutes from our pickup location at The Whaler at Ka’anapali Beach. In that time, Marilyn went through a brief history of coffee — from its origins in Ethiopia to how it came to be in Hawaii during the 19th century. The beans grown on Maui are all Arabica in origin, in particular the Mokka variety.
Hawaii has a host of coffee companies such as Kona, Kauai Coffee Company, and Molokai but MauiGrown is the only one on Maui. The fields at MauiGrown are all drip irrigated from fresh sources up in the valley, the coffee trees are grown in rich volcanic soil, and the offer four different varietals.
We stepped out between the rows of the coffee plants on the 500-acre farm and under the instruction of MauiGrown’s founder, James “Kimo” Falconer we picked a few cherries to sample the raw beans.
Plump Mokka cherries with soft green beans, groves of Red Catuai (known as the “Cabernet of Coffee”) and branches weighed down with Yellow Caturra (which has spicy overtones).
The beans are harvested by machine and milled down by the MauiGrown Coffee Company Store — next to the big heritage sugar cane mill tower you’ll see on Maui when you head into Lahaina. Kimo said half of their crop stays on Maui but the rest is sent to Japan, Korea, and every state in America.
They sell to roasters, popular coffee franchises who make their own blends and to the public through their online store. They even had a couple from Beaverton, Oregon come by last week to check out the operation as they were opening up a small coffee shop and wanted to see the source of their beans.
From the farm, the tour bus drove us down to the company store where Dania Katz from Edible Hawaiian Islands magazine had prepared us a lunch of Thai pulled pork buns, dragon fruit slices, fresh pineapple topped with toasted coconut, and of course samples of MauiGrown.
The company store is fully stocked with all varieties of MauiGrown (beans or ground), coffee accessories, flavoured coffees, chocolate-covered coffee beans, and more. There’s also a cafe counter where you can order iced coffees and delectable coconut and chocolate treats.
Driving back along the palm-lined boulevard to Ka’anapali, listening to Marilyn strum her ukulele at the front of our tour bus, I savoured our rare farm-to-cup experience.
Marilyn and her husband Rick host a variety of tours including morning and afternoon “up country” tours or full-day adventures that lead you to destinations like Pineapple Country, Maui’s winery, the lavender farm, and the Surfing Goat Dairy. Follow Maui Country Farm Tours on Facebook and Twitter for more information.
Photos in this post are by John Bollwitt (view his Flickr set) & me (view my Flickr set). Read all posts tagged Maui.
Aloha! John and I are currently on Maui for the very first annual Ka’anapali Fresh festival, which celebrates cooking with local, island-grown ingredients at this popular Hawaiian vacation and getaway destination.
The festival consists of over half a dozen events at hotels (and by at hotels I mean at their poolside/oceanside luncheon spaces and lawns) on the beach in Ka’anapali, Maui. Our first event with other Canadian and local media, before the festival began with a Progressive Dinner last night, was a beer pairing lunch with Maui Brewing Co. at the Ka’anapali Ali’i beach resort condos.
The luncheon was prepared by Executive Chef Greg Grohowski of the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa and pairings were introduced by Garrett Marrero, owner of Maui Brewing Co. (whom I had been following on Instagram for a few months already).
1st course: Kula Greens with warm macadamia nut crusted brie, Kula Country Farms strawberries, mandarin oranges, Ka’anapali Golden Ale shiso vinaigrette. Beer pairing: Ka’anapali Golden Ale.
“When we say we use spices, fruits, vegetables, it’s the actual items and not just flavouring,” said Marrero about Maui Brewing’s ingredients. The company started out as a brew pub years ago and has grown to become one of Maui’s largest craft breweries. From what goes into the beer to how it’s packaged, it’s a 100% Hawaiian operation.
2nd course: Lavender-roasted Maui Cattle tenderloin with Maui onion rub, sweet potato hash, edamame, bacon, Hamakua Mushrooms, Olowalu tomatoes. Beer Pairing: Hawaii 90 Wee Heavy Scotch Ale.
Chef Grohowski said that some might Maui Cattle meats a little tough but his trick is to marinate it overnight in papaya to soften it up. His processed did indeed make it very tender and succulent.
3rd course: Kula strawberry shortcake with Ali’i lavender scone, whipped sour cream with citrus, mascerated strawberries. Beer pairing: Coconut Porter.
Marrero said they became known as the ‘coconut beer guys’ but that’s a title they won’t fight, they’ve even embraced it with other offerings like a coconut chocolate porter or a macadamia coconut brew.
Back home in BC, farm-to-table cooking has become a staple with Pemberton, Okanagan, and Fraser Valley meats, fruits, and produce taking on starring roles in home cooking and restaurant dishes. It’s been fascinating to learn more about this concept in an entirely different place — and discover how you can eat well and local while on vacation.
This morning we’re heading out to the “Grown on Maui Farmers Market”, the next Ka’anapali Fresh event, to try more delicious bites and get a few ingredients to take back to our room and enjoy later on. Follow the tag #KFreshMaui on Twitter for updates from all participants.
Photos in this post are by John Bollwitt (view his Flickr set) & me (view my Flickr set). Read all posts tagged Maui.
Tickets for the the 3rd annual BC Beer Awards go on sale tomorrow, Saturday, September 1, 2012. Last year over 400 entries were submitted from 35 breweries across BC and this year, the event is paired with another celebration of local beer.
The BC Beer Awards coincide with CAMRA’s Harvest Cask Festival, a seasonal festival of brews hosted by the Campaign for Real Ale chapter in Vancouver and BC. Pumpkins, imperials, sours, fresh hops, earthy seasonals and full flavoured ales.
When Saturday, October 13, 2012 from 1:00pm to 7:00pm
Where Chapel Arts (304 Dunlevy Avenue, Vancouver)
Tickets $35 and on sale exclusively online starting at 7:00pm on September 1st. Tickets include 4 drink tokens and a 4oz taster glass to keep.
Last year’s BC Beer Awards gold winners include (but are not limited to)…
- Lager/Pilsner: Conrad Gmoser of Steamworks Brewing Company: Pilsner
- Pale: Gary Lohan of Red Racer Brewing: Pale Ale
- Scottish/Irish: Brent Mills of R&B Brewing: Auld Nick Winter Ale
- IPA: Stefan Buhl of Tree Brewing: Hophead Double India Pale Ale
- Sour/Fruit: Stefan Buhl of Tree Brewing: Raspberry Porter
- Best Specialty: Paul Wilson & Franco Corno of Howe Sound Brewing: MegaDestroyer.
With great beer you also need to have great food so two of Vancouver’s hottest food trucks will be on-site for the evening.
Follow the BC Beer Awards on Twitter and Facebook for more information. This event is for those 19+. Please enjoy responsibly and plan a safe ride home.
In July of 2008, Vancouver got its very first Crumpler store, which had laptop and camera users rejoicing. The coveted Crumpler messenger bags, backpacks, camera bags, satchels, straps, wallets and other accessories for your tech on-the-go were available to peruse in Gastown. At the time, my friend John Biehler stated that “This is the next best thing to an Apple Store opening in Vancouver…and just as dangerous.”
In a ever fluxing retail landscape, the store on Richards and Cordova has stood the test of time, as do the sturdy Crumpler bags themselves. My husband’s 5 Million Dollar Home is still almost like new, and he purchased it when the Vancouver store opened.
As the school year ramps up and seasons change, Crumpler has some great suggestions for toting your gear in style. Such as: The Herbas (L) Laptop Bag ($74.99), the King Single Backpack ($179.99), and the Moderate Embarrassment Messenger Bag ($99.99).
The Crumpler store in Vancouver has offered up two $100 gift cards for two lucky Miss604 readers. Here’s how you can enter to win the opportunity to shop for your own Crumpler products:
- Leave a comment naming a Crumpler product (all listed here) (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw two winners at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Thursday, September 6, 2012. The Crumpler store in Vancouver is located at 508 West Cordova and you can find them on Facebook.
Update The winners are JP and @craftybun!
Kitsilano Beach is formerly known as Greer Beach, named after settler Sam Greer. Samuel Greer (aka “Gritty”) was born in Ireland in 1843 and moved to the States where he fought in the Civil War. After returning to Ireland, the Gold Rush brought him to BC where he was successful with a few claims.
1904 – Greer Beach, before being renamed to Kitsilano Beach. VPL Accession Number: 7202
He settled in Chilliwack with his family, where he was the area’s first constable and customs officer, before moving to Kitsilano where he preempted 160 acres of land, bounded by lst Avenue, Trafalgar and the beach. [sources: Mountain View Cemetery, Kitsilano History]
Back in the day, preempting was a method of acquiring provincial Crown land by claiming it for settlement and agricultural purposes. In 1884 however, the province gave 6,000 acres to the CPR to build a terminus in Kitsilano and Gritty’s land was a part of the bundle. He and his family were forcibly removed in 1887 the scene that ensued sounds like something from the old wild west.
New Westminster sheriff Thomas Armstrong tried to remove Gritty, his wife and six children. Gritty shot several times, hitting the sheriff and his deputy. After a second posse arrived, he gave himself up and his farm was razed. In 1891, convicted by Judge Begbie of wounding a sheriff, he served a term in the New Westminster jail where he often ate lunch on the beach. [source: Vancouver History]
The land ended up in the CPR’s hands in the 1890s and they then opened it up for settlement. Greer’s Beach became a popular seaside hang out for swimmers, sunbathers, and campers.
As Greer was considered a squatter, officials wanted to find a more suitable name for the beach. Postmaster Jonathan Miller was asked to rename the site and he referred the request to Professor Chas. Hill-Tout who recommended Kitsilano, in honor of the First Nations in the area. Greer Beach was then assigned the name of Kitsilano Beach.
Gritty passed away in 1925. Greer Ave in Kitsilano is named for this famous early resident.
