MY HAWAIIAN KITCHEN
Delectable memoirs of living on the slopes of Mt. Hualalai high above the famed Kona Coast on the beguiling Big Island of Hawaii.
Dear Journal - Most times I don't want my hula practice to wind up for the night. I just want to stay and absorb all that Hawaiianness. Be a part of it. Sometimes when I'm there barefoot on the grounds of the Hulihe'e Palace with the sea splashing up behind me, the palms playful in the evening breeze, the shadows of a tropical dusk dancing close by, surrounded by gracious ladies swaying to the beat of the ipu (gourd drum) and the chant of the kumu (hula teacher) I feel like I'm living a fairy tale. My heart swells, squeezing me. It just doesn't get any better than this. On a night just like this, after bidding my hula sistahs good night, I headed home filled to the brim with wonderful. Sitting on our lanai that night I munched on my latest favorite salad and tried with all my might to absord every glorious detail of this moment in time......of outrageous blessings. Now, whenever I make my Hula ula ula Salad I can almost hear my old kumu hula beating the ipu.... For once upon a time, in the palm fringed fishing village known as Kailua-Kona, there was a girl who.......
The slightly soft, slightly chewy, gloriously shoyu-laden noodles are hiding under the fresh greens and garden goodies. Now it's time to cover them all up with more greens......
Dressing: ½ cup canola oil ¼ cup balsamic vinegar 2-3 inch piece of fresh gingerroot peeled, minced or finely grated 1 plump garlic clove, minced 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons shoyu (soy sauce) 1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon sesame oil ½ teaspoon chile paste (sambal oelek or Vietnamese chile garlic paste) Salad: 3 cups cooked and cooled Asian style egg noodles 7 cups assorted lettuce and greens (iceberg, romaine, baby spinach, endive, radicchio, arugula)
4 tablespoons shoyu (soy sauce)
1 cup fresh carrot, shredded
½ Japanese or long English cucumber cut, quartered, sliced
1 ½ cups fresh ripe pineapple, cut into small cubes or chunks
½ cup roasted, salted macadamia nuts, chopped (or honey roasted and salted mixed nuts)
For dressing put all ingredients into blender container and buzz on medium for about 20 seconds until completely combined. Or use hand held blender, putting all ingredients into plastic beaker container and buzzing 20 seconds. Cover and chill.
On a large chilled serving platter place cooked and cooled egg noodles in centre. Toss with 3 tablespoons shoyu. Drizzle a little dressing over the noodles. Arrange greens all around platter and over the egg noodles. Scatter with shredded carrot. Sprinkle with pineapple cubes, cucumber and chopped nuts. Drizzle generously with dressing and serve.