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Wild and Mystical Kauai

February 24, 2014

It is a cold and grey winter’s day in Vancouver. Snow is falling outside the window. A stark contrast to the warm and vibrant images filling my computer screen and my head. This was our second adventure to Kauai and it was equally magical to the first.

This trip had days of solid rain, high tropical winds and a flash flood warning. It also had days of beautiful warm sunshine. I certainly felt a strong connection to the natural environment and the power of Mother Nature on this little island. It was a clear reminder that we are part of a world much bigger than ourselves. At times all we can do is surrender to those greater forces and eat lots of tropical fruit.

We stayed in a lovely guesthouse on a larger property right on Hanalei Bay. Our hosts were very generous and kind. Shoes were certainly optional most days.

The commute to the beach took us through the yard, past the scent of the citrus trees, the beauty of the orchids, all the little lizards scurrying about the yard and along the sand dollar paving stone path.

There were many citrus trees in the yard including a Meyer lemon, a couple types of oranges and a lime that when picked left your hands coated in their richly perfumed oils. The view from the shower was of the neighbour’s orange tree. Little orange gems dancing among the dark green foliage.


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Filed Under: Stories, Travel Tagged With: eating locally, eating seasonally, food travel, Kauai, The Bounty Hunter food blog

Eating Local in Kauai

February 25, 2013

Kaua’i stole my heart and my tummy. 10 days on the Garden Isle in the middle of February was 10 days of utter paradise. Just what the doctor ordered. What is not to love about welcoming and friendly locals, lush landscapes and warm fragrant air. The beauty of the island is breathtaking and wild.

We were greeted at the airport with warm hugs from family and arrived to a house filled local delights. Each day we indulged in loads of tropical fruit, fresh veggies and fish. As much as I love apples and squash, it was such a treat to have this variety of local produce to choose from in the middle of winter and loved ones to share it with.

Our days were filled with sunshine, rain showers followed by rainbows, walks on the beach, stunning hikes, swims in the ocean, farmers markets, ping pong and plenty of laughs.

Most mornings we were awoken by beautiful song birds and a wild chicken laying an egg.

As with all trips I take, food is my number one way to experience the local community and culture. Kaua’i certainly delivered on the food front. For such a small island, there is a strong local food movement and good availability of local produce and products made on Kaua’i. Even the local burger joint uses 100% Kaua’i grassfed beef.

We stayed in Hanalei, a small town on the North side of the island surrounded by breathtaking mountains. It has a limited number of restaurants, lots of surfers, great beaches, local organic produce and a friendly and very relaxed atmosphere. We fell into the lifestyle easily and happily.

Big daily decisions included whether to make lunch, go into town or eat tacos at the taco truck across the street.

The twice weekly farmers market kept us well stocked. Just a sampling of things we found include: arugula, kale, chard, green onions, carrots, beets, radishes, tomatoes, beans, eggplant, lettuce and other salad greens, avocados, basil, cilantro, all varieties of citrus, pineapples, star fruit, young ginger, fresh turmeric, bananas, and papayas.

Beautiful taro fields just outside Hanalei on a misty morning.

Fresh cold coconuts ready for drinking.

We ate many fruits we had never tried before like loquats, mulberries and a bunch of which I can’t remember their names. Some certainly better than others.

A walk into town (or drive to Kapa’a) often involved a stop at local coffee shop Java Kai for a pick me up in the form of an iced coffee or fresh fruit smoothie.

Beautiful citrus. We even had a lime and tangelo tree in the yard where we stayed. Such a novelty for this Canadian gal.

Some edible favourites that really stood out were the avocados, so rich and buttery.  The pineapples for sure, particularly the white pineapples which are unbelievably sweet and juicy.

Oh and the limes. So many different varieties but all incredibly juicy and flavourful. When you touched them the oils would just rub off on your hands they were so fresh and fragrant.

A daily drink creation involved mango or pineapple juice, fresh squeezed lime juice, young ginger and sparkling water. Yum.

And then there were the bananas. These are apple bananas and Cuban reds I believe. I can take or leave a banana most days but not these ones. Just the perfect size, texture and sweetness. Everything tastes better when it is picked and eaten fresh.

This is just a taste of what Kaua’i has to offer. I want to share some of our finds should you find yourself on Kaua’i and in search of good food.

Lots of information on local farms and products at Kauai Grown

A great list of farmers markets and all kinds of info at Edible Hawaiian Islands

Great natural foods stores: Papaya’s Natural Foods and Cafe, Harvest Market, Healthy Nut and Living Foods Market

Places to eat and drink in Hanalei: Java Kai, Pat’s Taqueria (taco truck), Hanalei Taro and Juice Co, Bubba’s Burgers, Tahiti Nui for an afternoon or evening Mai Tai, and The Dolphin for a great meal or to buy fresh fish. We heard lots of good things about Bar Acuda but we didn’t make it there this time.

Granola from Living Foods Market or Anahola Granola. Tasty with yogurt and tropical fruit.

Kunana Dairy has yummy goat cheese and beautiful organic produce.

Gelato from Papalani Gelato.

Raw honey from Shagnasty Honey. Love the name!

You know when you have an idea of what a place will be like and then you arrive and it far exceeds any expection? That was Kaua’i for me.

Words are failing to describe the beauty and joy I experience while on Kaua’i. Hopefully the images help where words have failed.

It was certainly hard to leave this all behind. Vancouver welcomed me back properly with its dark, cold and rainy skies. All I could do to cope after getting home from the airport was to hide under my flannel sheets and dream of warmer days.

But I am left with a heart, soul and belly that are well nourished and a feeling of hope that spring is not too far around the corner.

Mahalo Kaua’i. Until we meet again.

Filed Under: Stories, Travel, Winter

Fall Travels: Toronto, Quebec City and Montreal

September 27, 2012

Happy fall. As much as I love summer, I really love fall. I especially love the transition between the two seasons when the harvest is bountiful, the light is magical and the air is crisp but the sun is still bright and warm. It is a time of reflection and introspection. A time of slow cooked foods, apples, cinnamon, soups and stews.

I just got back from a trip out East. When we left it was summer and it was fall upon our return. We decided that this year our holidays would be dedicated to exploring parts of our own vast nation instead of going abroad. We decided on Toronto, Quebec City and Montreal. A perfect decision it was.

As you would expect, our holiday revolved largely around food. Finding great places to eat, exploring markets, and sharing food and drink with friends took up most of our days.

We rented a car on a sunny Sunday in Quebec and drove to a small island on the St. Lawrence river just outside of Quebec City called L’Ile D’orleans. It is an island of farms, orchards, vineyards, very small towns and picturesque scenery. We had the great fortune of being there for the apple harvest. Hundreds of people flocked to the island to pick apples at the many orchards.

The trees were laden with fruit. Families were picking and picnicking beneath the trees. It reminded me of time spent with my family as a child picking fruit. Such excitement and delight.

Each day started with a hunt for the perfect cup of coffee, afternoons brought about the search for the ultimate hand crafted ice cream and the days ended with full hearts and bellies.

We spent hours walking the streets exploring different neighbourhoods, popping into local shops, always rewarded with a nice spot to rest our weary feet in a park or cafe. I happily bumbled along in French, getting braver as the days went on. We may have even eaten poutine in the late hours of the night with the rest of Montreal.

We reconnected with friends and met new and interesting people. We visited galleries, museums, the World Press photography exhibit, went to a baseball game, took in live music, and traveled by train.

The light and colours were intense and warm with the low fall sun.

The food scene is alive and thriving in all three cities but we most connected with the food culture in Montreal. We visited the Jean Talon and Atwater Markets which were bursting with fresh produce, cheese, meats, breads and other local delicacies.

We were short on days to explore all of the wonderful suggestions made to us by friends and our hosts in Montreal. The eating possibilities seemed endless. I read that outside of New York City, Montreal has the most restaurants per capita in North America. I believe it.

We enjoyed an afternoon southern inspired picnic at the Parc D’Italie from a great spot in little Italie called Dinette Triple Crown.

Or course we had to have bagels. So fun to watch them coming fresh out of the wood fired oven.

I loved the history in the old buildings, streets and peeling paint.

The last day of our holiday in Montreal was one of the best. Perhaps knowing that these were the last few hours together on holidays made them that much more precious.

We walked around the Plateau neighbourhood of Montreal where we were staying. The sun was warm on our backs.

It was an indulgent morning of coffee, fresh beignets, a beautiful brunch at the chef’s table in a patisserie that smelled of butter and hours of walking under changing leaves. We bumped into a beautiful little outdoor organic market where locals and families were buying their produce for the week.

I wasn’t ready to say au revoir.

We really only scratched the surface of places to eat and find great food but here are a few suggestions if you happen to find yourself in Toronto, Quebec City or Montreal.

Toronto: Coffee at Cafe Panemar and a wander in Kensington Market. A great healthy lunch or juice/smoothies at Fresh or a Thai lunch at Khao San Road. Ice cream sandwiches from White Squirrel coffee shop enjoyed in Trinity Bellwoods Park across the street. Dinner at The County General. Lots of great shops, cafes and restaurants in the neighbourhood of West Queen West.

Quebec City: Coffee at La Brulerie. Explore the Quebec countryside and pick up local produce with a trip to Ile D’Orleans, lunch at Panache Mobile located at the Vignoble de Sainte-Pétronille vineyard on the island. Grass fed burgers at Le Chic Shack. Local produce from Le Marche du Vieux-Port or organic groceries and produce at La Carotte Joyeuse. Local beer at La Barberie Microbrasserie.

Montreal: Coffee at Cafe Neve, Le Falco or Cafe Sardine. Bread and pastries from Boulangerie Guillaume. Fresh bagels from St-Viateur or Fairmount. Brunch at Sparrow or Patisserie Rhubarbe. Lunch or tea and a sweet at Olive and Gourmando or Dinette Triple Crown. Ice cream and house made cones at Les Givres. Micro brew at Reservoir. Visit the Marche Jean Talon for fresh fruits and veggies and goodies if you want to cook your own meals. La Drogheria Fine also has lovely hand made pasta sauces and olive oils. While there are many great dinner spots in Montreal we were often too full by dinner time and just had a light snack or salad.

I also got some great suggestions on Montreal from Chantelle at her beautiful blog.

Thank you to Nadia, Karen, Gretchen, Pablo, Lisa, Martin, Daniel and Mélanie and other friendly Canadians we met for all the wonderful suggestions on places to eat and visit and for your warm hospitality- it made for a most memorable and fun trip.

À bientôt, j’espère!

Filed Under: Other, Stories, Travel Tagged With: eating locally, eating seasonally, Montreal, Quebec City, The Bounty Hunter food blog, Toronto

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