Executive Chef Paul Marks shares recipes and cooking tips with members.
In January, my wife Karyn and I went to the island of Kauai for some much-needed relief from the local winter weather. We typically try to go someplace with sun and warmth every year. While we usually gravitate to Central America, we had never been to Hawaii before. We chose the “garden island” because it is supposed to have the most diverse landscape with a junglelike atmosphere. The
topography was simply stunning and the whales were migrating—they would breach while you were sitting on the beach reading a book. From the wet and densely foliaged north shore to the fine golden sand beaches of the west shore, Kauai’s stark contrasts left us in awe. The Na Pali coastline was breathtaking as we cruised the cliffs rising some 4,000 feet straight out of the water, and the Wainiha Canyon lived up to its name as the “Grand Canyon of the Hawaiian Islands.” We had no idea how immense it was until we walked onto the viewing platform. But there was something else on Kauai that I was really looking forward to. Although they’re not on the typical tourist itinerary, I have heard about the legendary Kauai farmers’ markets for years. Every day of the week on Kauai there is a farmers’ market in a different location on the island. They can be anywhere—the parking lot of Kmart, an organic farm or a school—and each market has a distinct atmosphere. We planned our first full day on Kauai around the local farmer’s market. Our plan was to hit the market, and then design our meals around what we could purchase fresh. We started at the market near the town of Koloa on the road to Poipu. Held in a country park, the farmers’ market was to start at 1 p.m. and we were told by the locals not to be late because the first people there got the best produce. There were only about 50 people at 12:30 p.m. However, in a scene straight out of a movie, more than 300 people showed up five minutes before it opened. Held back by a guard and a rope, people were clambering to the front, trying to rush to the tables or sneak around the back. It was produce pandemonium. At precisely 1 p.m., the organizer blew a whistle and it became a mad dash for the bananas. You could easily spot the locals with grocery bags and folded bills stuck between their fingers for easy access. I have never seen so much clambering for produce, which I did not fully understand until I saw the high prices in the grocery store. But the fervor was definitely waranted. There were pineapples, mini bananas, guavas, bread fruit, tangerines, Logan fruit, sweet onions, green onions, strawberries, papayas, basil, fresh ginger, garlic, and the list goes on and on. We bought everything listed above and more, and made some amazing meals throughout the week. In memory of that delicious week in the sun, I’ve included a recipe for tangerine chicken and a green salad inspired by those island farmers’ markets. Before you start, peel the rind off one of the tangerines and squeeze as much juice as you can into a sieve or strainer for the salad dressing.
Travel Tip: Because the knives in condo rentals are usually dull, I carry a folding titanium dive knife for cooking. They are very light and sharp. As a bonus, half the blade is serrated so it’s great for all types of cutting. Just remember to pack it in your checked luggage.
Tangerine Chicken 2 chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise 2 tangerines, juiced, crushed and roughly chopped 1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped 1 (1-inch) piece of ginger, sliced thinly across the grain, then roughly chopped 4 green onions, only the green sections, roughly chopped 6 basil leaves, roughly chopped ¼ cup olive oil 1 teaspoon Hawaiian red salt (available in most grocery stores)
In a 1-gallon Ziploc bag, mix everything except chicken. Seal bag and shake to combine all ingredients. Place chicken in the bag and squeeze out all the air, massage ingredients together through the bag and marinate for at least 2 hours - 6 hours is optimum. Heat the barbecue to medium high, brush or spray grill with oil and grill chicken breast until done.
Tangerine Salad Dressing ¼ cup fresh tangerine juice, about 2 tangerines ½ tangerine rind, finely chopped 5 basil leaves finely chopped 2 green onions finely chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil Hawaiian red sea salt and pepper to taste
Whisk all ingredients together and let sit for 1 hour. Toss with fresh greens from farmers’ market.
