Read the Slow Food Oʻahu article by Tom Sheeran
“Kalihi’s Roots Café has sold affordable farm-fresh lunches and produce for years. Now, it’s bringing that freshness to the valley’s kūpuna.”
Read the Honolulu Magazine article by Kawehi Haug to learn more.
https://www.honolulumagazine.com/hale-aina-innovative-farm-counter-roots-cafe/
Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino
Congratulations Roots was named the Best Farm-to-Table Café!
Read the Honolulu Magazine article to learn more.
https://www.honolulumagazine.com/best-of-honolulu-2024-food-drinks/
Photo: Martha Cheng
Ipu O Lono is community workdays at Hoʻoulu ʻĀina. During these sessions, volunteers can assist in caring for the land, which includes tasks like nourishing the soil, creating garden beds, and removing weeds. Each workday may vary depending on the planned activities, especially when Mahi ʻĀina Staff are absent. Additionally, volunteers prepare and harvest produce for distribution to the community, including washing, cleaning, and packaging tasks.
You can watch a video of an Ipu O Lono workday at:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3yhl6IvM1T/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==.
If you're interested in volunteering, sign up and contact us at: https://hoouluaina.org/get-started
Hauʻoli Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi!
He aha nā mea ma loko o ka Laulau?
Ma Roots Cafe hoʻomākaukau mākou i nā Laulau me nā mea mai ke kaiāulu.
Eia kekahi ʻano e hana i ka laulau:
https://youtu.be/QrupBLO0g1c?si=ttpF92BBapXM7Nys
Pehea ʻoe e hana i ka Laualau
Nā lako ʻai:
Lau Lāʻī
Lau Kalo
Hā Kalo
ʻIʻo / Iʻa
Momona
ʻUala
Paʻakai
Different Names
Avocado (English)
Avoka (Samoan)
Afakado (Chuukese)
Abokado (Ilokano)
Pea (Hawaiian)
Abukado (Tagalog)
It typically takes 5 to 13 years for a tree grown from a source to produce its first fruit. Avocados are a type of berry with a single large seed rather than multiple small ones. A historical nickname for avocados is "alligator pear." They also contain more potassium than bananas.
People buy avocados for their creamy texture and rich taste, which adds a satisfying element to various dishes. This mild and nutty flavor makes them versatile ingredients for salads, sandwiches, smoothies, and desserts. They offer a source of healthy fats and essential nutrients. The popularity of avocado toast and guacamole has contributed to avocados' widespread trendy and delicious recipes at home.
Celebrate the season with our special festive packs, offering a thoughtful gift that contributes to the sustenance of Hawai’i's food system. These packs pay tribute to the dedication of our local farmers, ranchers, and producers.
This holiday season, you had the chance to choose from a variety of packs:
Makahiki Starch Pack
Pickle Pack
Breakfast Pack
Syrup Pack
Community Abundance Pack
Stuffing Recipe
Dive into this simple yet heartwarming stuffing recipe that brings joy to your taste buds and the hearts gathered around your table.
The Roots program collaborates with KKV's Elder Care program to conduct cooking demonstrations each month. The Roots program showcases the preparation of delicious and nutritious meals using fresh fruits and vegetables, helping to improve the diet and overall well-being of the elderly participants. By combining the expertise of the Roots program in promoting healthy eating with the needs and interests of the elderly, this collaboration helps to enhance the overall quality of life for these seniors while addressing their nutritional needs in a meaningful and enjoyable way, creating a supportive and enjoyable environment. The partnership between the Roots program and KKV's Elder Care program truly benefits the elderly community members. It continues one of Roots' core guiding practices of celebrating healthy food and the spirit of aloha with the elders of Kalihi Valley.
Palula Laulau
Ingredients:
Pork
Sweet potato
Sweet potato leaves
Salt
Directions:
Wash and pluck sweet potato leaves off the steam.
Cut sweet potatoes and pork into large chunks.
Add pork, sweet potato chunks, sweet potato leaves, and a pinch of salt in a pan.
Steam for about 2 hours. The longer you steam, the more
Dehydrated starches provided shelf stability and an easy way to eat cultural stretches with any meal. All you need to do is soak in water and enjoy. These products are unique and double in size. When soaked in water, 2 cups of dried starches become 4 cups hydrated! Magically delicious!
Kaiulani and Christen prepares breakfast cereal, soup, and patties with dehydrated starches. The two cooking segments talk about KKV and Roots in the beginning and at 31:30 of Hawaiʻi News Now daily HI Now show!
https://www.hinowdaily.com/2023/09/14/hi-now-daily-sept-13-2023/
In 2013 the Mala O Kaluaopalena Community Garden was created as a joint effort between the KKV Roots food program and the Towers at Kuhio Park public housing community. It is located on a small piece of land within the housing area and is very important for KKV programs. There was a temporary structure, but thanks to donations and grants, a permanent shelter structure was built with a Pacific Island look.
On March 17, 2023, a new shade structure in the garden called Hoʻolaʻa Hale Kuʻikahi opened. It's meant to be a place where the community can come together and share resources and stories. The Ehuola ʻohana program played a role in the blessing preparations, contributing to tasks like imu preparation, crafting lei, and making ʻapu for the ʻawa. The formal blessing was an intimate Hawaiian ceremony involving Roots and Hoʻoulu ʻĀina staff, Ehuola youth, and key construction contributors. It included chants, ʻawa sharing, reflections on community, and expressions of gratitude.
After the ceremony, KKV staff, community members, and partner organizations attended a larger public event. Pacific Voices youth performed Micronesian cultural chants, and guests were invited to share their aspirations for Kaluaopalena on sticky notes. A common theme was the desire for Kaluaopalena to be a secure space for building connections.
Tuna Salad Bites
Ingredients (8 bites):
1 can tuna
2 tablespoon mayo
1 tspn lemon juice
1/4 carrot, shredded or finely chopped
1/4 starfruit, finely chopped
1/2 avocado, chopped
1 cucumber, sliced
Directions:
Drain tuna and add to a mixing bowl. To the tuna, add mayo and lemon juice.
Mix until all ingredients are combined. Next, add carrot and starfruit. Gently mix until all ingredients are combined.
Check for seasoning. Add salt and pepper. Add more or lemon or mayo if you like.
Scoop tuna on a slice of cucumber. Top tuna with avocado. Enjoy!
The Woman, Infant, Child (WIC) program has recently been added as a payment at The Roots Hub. This program is offered to women and families with children between birth and five years old. Families can buy nutritious foods at The Hub to supplement their monthly food budgets, including fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, and proteins.
At KKV, we are the first in Hawaiʻi to be piloting this new WIC program. It gives families access to meal planning tips and sharing healthy recipes for WIC-allowed foods to maximize food benefits and promote the best feeding practices for critical periods of growth and development. Medical providers monitor nutritional needs, iron levels, growth, and timely referrals to keep the children healthy. KKV resources and other community services are provided as needed. There is guidance for caregivers to identify reliable sources of health information and online resources. As required, breastfeeding education and support by a peer counselor and other certified lactation experts’ assistance are also provided. There are models for patience, stress management, and self-care promotion for parents and caregivers. Flexible schedules for clients' needs, walk-ins, and appointments are welcome.
ʻŌlena Milk
Ingredients:
ʻŌlena Milk
Non-Dairy
Directions:
Wash ʻōlena. It’s helpful to break them apart to be able to clean in between small spaces.
Grate ʻōlena in a bowl. *Optional: Add ʻōlena to a blender and add a little milk, blend, then strain.
Use your hands to squeeze grated ʻōlena into a clean bowl.
Boil milk of choice on medium heat.
Once boiling, add the grated ʻōlena.
Turn off the stove and cover it. Allow to steep Pour into a cup and enjoy.
Different Names
Breadfruit (English)
ʻUlu (Hawaiian, Samoan)
Mai (Chuukese)
Rimas (Tagalog)
‘Ulu has always been a sustainable island food. A tree can live for 50 to 100 years or more. ʻUlu is one of Hawai‘i original food crops. An ʻUlu tree can produce hundreds to a thousand pounds of fruits annually.
During ʻUlu season at Roots, customers line up as early as 6:30 am to wait for us to open. Customers purchase ʻUlu to ferment and save to eat later in the year when ʻUlu is not in season. Many Chuukese customers buy ʻUlu in bulk to make Kón, a cultural dish that is pounded ʻUlu.
The Roots Program has helped community residents access affordable, healthy, local food at a reasonable cost with the SNAP-EBT program. As a SNAP-authorized vendor, our customers can use their SNAP benefits to purchase local produce and protein from The Food Hub. SNAP customers can use the Double Bucks incentive program, which offers a 50% discount on eligible items, and double their fresh fruit and vegetable purchases with EBT.
ʻŌlena Shot
Ingredients:
ʻŌlena
*Optional: Orange Juice
Directions:
Wash ʻōlena. It’s helpful to break them apart to clean in between small spaces.
Grate ʻōlena in a bowl. *Optional: Add ʻōlena to a blender and add a little water, blend, then strain.
Use your hand to squeeze grated ʻōlena into a clean bowl. *Optional: enjoy it with orange juice or a smoothie.
In June 2023, the Roots Food Hub refreshed its space with new displays, value added foods and photos of the farms and farmers of our locally sourced produce and products. The market accepts cash, card, EBT, and now fruit and vegetable WIC benefits. It is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:00 am - 1:30 pm. Currently, the Roots Food Hub is an "everything" hub. We work with small and micro-producers to buy their products and distribute them in Kalihi. The Roots Food Hub is working to create a system that values local, cultural, and sustainable foods with equitable access for the community. Stay tuned for what is coming up with the Food Hub.
ʻŌlena Tea
Ingredients:
ʻŌlena
Water
Directions:
Wash ʻōlena. It’s helpful to break them apart to be able to clean in between small spaces.
Slice as thin as possible.
Boil water on medium heat.
Once boiling, add the sliced ʻōlena.
Turn off the stove and cover allow to steep.
Strain tea and enjoy.
Also, cool it down and enjoy over ice or store it in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Learn more about how KKV and Roots are working together to keep Kalihi healthy in this short video clip.
We have a few seats left!
Today, we’re thankful for indigenous foodways, so the Roots Cafe is serving up native-inspired dishes with ingredients from North, Central, and South America, and of course, the Pacific! Come on down from 11:30 - 1:30.
Interested in trying some modern Native American recipes? Check out some of these options from Blackfeet chef Mariah Gladstone, such as butternut bison lasagna, pumpkin seed brownies, and white bean coffee cake.
A worldwide favorite
Join our team, starting in August!