Tomatoes no more...

And the raven replied, "Tomatoes no more, no more."

Well, the red cardinals replied that at least.  Yesterday, it was overcast and drizzling intermittently throughout the day. I heard lot of chattering outside in the front of the house.  This is where I park my car and have my container garden.

Peering through the screened portion of the window in the front door, I spy a bright red daddy cardinal with his ohana (family) hanging onto the branches of the tomato plants biting off the ripened tomatoes. Now mind you these tomatoes are small; the cardinal had one in his mouth, whole as snatched it from the vine. At this point there were no ripe or even those showing the slightest blush of ripe, so I just shooed them off.

Alas poor Tomatoes, I knew them not well... I'm looking to recipes for green tomatoes - thinking about pickling them.

Sunrise, this time of year. I can see this from my bed as my headboard faces this window in the opposite wall across the room. I was actually already up when I snapped this photo.

Where Have the Days Gone?

Wow... I just looked back and saw it's been over 10 days since I last published a post and it seems like only yesterday. I leave to go back to the east coast three weeks from Tuesday and a lot of my attention has been focused on preparations for my trip: getting a new collection out the door (the group is called Beadwork), settling a few outstanding pieces of business (the sorbet being one of them), making sure bills are paid and/or are on auto pay, trying hard to remember what the weather is like back there this time of year, making sure the plants will be watered and the house looked after in my absence... you know, all the minutia associated with taking a trip.

I haven't blogged about design in a while... that's because most of what I have is in the developmental stages (new art completed and submitted to Michael Miller Fabrics this past Monday (Beadwork), awaiting strike offs for the group submitted about a month ago (called Generation Hex), recoloring some designs on fabric for the next release in early Fall) and it isn't a good idea to reveal the unfinished designs too prematurely, so there hasn't been much to show. I am working on samples for a class I'll be teaching in PA at The Airport Sewing Center the weekend of June 30th... it's my friend Sue's new shop (Sue of the amazing digitized machine embroideries I have shown previously.) Some samples are completed, most are works in progress, and as it has been raining pretty much constantly over the past few days (go figure... and we started the dry season on the 21st) I haven't had the opportunity to go outside and photograph the samples amongst the natural surroundings of the property. Also, I'm waiting for the dust to settle in the aftermath of Quilt Market in Kansas City, so I don't have any info regarding the trends and successes of what happened at the show (I'm crossing my fingers the reintroduction of Mirror Ball Dot was one of them!)

Now, as I am sure you have become accustomed to, there are quite a few "entries" in the cooking category...

Fresh New Zealand Clams in Shock Top Lemon Shady Beer with Maui Onions, Scallions, Cherry Tomatoes, fresh Ginger and Butter;
Focaccia Garlic Toasts; Lemon Wedge and Buddha's Hand Flower

Grilled Top Sirloin Steak, Baby Shiitake and Oyster Mushrooms in Ginger-Lemon-Soy Butter with Charred Cherry Tomatoes

Oven Fries with Sour Cream and Scallion Mayo

Hawai'ian Kiawe Smoked Sea Salt, Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

Roasted Beets with Fresh Lemongrass and Tangerine Peel

Tuna Hoagie: Grilled Tuna, Cole Slaw, Roasted Red Pepper, 

Kalamata Olive Mayonnaise, Toasted Komoda's Bakery Roll 

 Live Abalone as seen from the under side (above) and from the top (below)

 Fresh Ehu (Short-Tail Red Snapped) caught that morning off the shores of Maui. The fishmonger was filleting the fish as I stood there and waited at Whole Foods.

 The completed meal:
Grilled Ehu Fillet with Ginger-Soy-Lemon Butter on a bed of Steamed Beet Greens, Grilled Abalone; Scallion, Hayden Mango and Black Sesame Seed Finish, Fresh Lychee Garnish

Coconut Sushi Rice, Hayden Mango, Black Sesame Seeds; Lychee and (peeled) Mangosteen 

The cleaned shell of the abalone after the mollusk had been removed, cleaned, rinsed and prepared for grilling 

A bowl of fresh Lychees and Mangosteen 

Wild Tomatoes in my garden ripening on the vine

* And just a note on my cooking: Some have said that what I do is extremely decadent... in a sense it is, at least in the preparation, creativity and presentation. But I do "cut corners" when I cook... meaning, for example, the oven fries. This was an Idaho potato that had been parboiled, cut in batons, misted with olive oil and baked in the toaster oven. The sauce is reduced-fat (Whole Foods) mayo, fat-free sour cream, scallions and seasonings. The butter in the Ginger-Soy-Lemon Butter is actually I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. The beets again misted with olive oil and tossed with the lemongrass and tangerine peel and roasted in the toaster oven, garnished with more lemongrass and tangerine peel. So enjoy the pics because looks can be very deceiving!

Aloha!

Has it been THAT long?

And the answer is? Yes, no, and maybe.


So, what's been happening? More pictures than words, anyway...


Making samples for a class I am teaching at the Airpot Sewing Center on June 30th. Finishing up four-dozen bucket hats for Designing Wahine in Makawao. Revised SHAG (yet again!) Coming to conclusions regarding the manufacture and distribution of my sorbet(s). Answered an email that I didn't read properly, and I am sure the reply was viewed as being quite bizarre. Hopefully going to finish the new group I am designing for Fall quilt market in Houston. Getting ready for my trip east mid-June... hopefully going to go and see DARK SHADOWS this week... and the list goes on. 


I'm not attending Spring market in KC this weekend - staying here and holding down the fort, so to speak, but I'll relay anything interesting as it happens - specifically the reaction to the next group of colors for Mirror Ball Dot!


Best,


Mark

 You looking at me? Are YOU looking at me?

 You lift your right leg up...

 Chocolate-Kona Coffee Ice Cream, Burnt Sugar and Cinnamon Ice Cream

Homemade Chocolate Sauce

Small Apple Bananas

A squash gifted to my by my friends Megan and Mikel - I wonder what it will end up cooking up as...

A lovely evening about a week ago - these photo do NOT do it justice!

 The first pineapple from the property - wasn't the sweetest but it was the best as it was our own!

 The four-dozen children's bucket hats tagged and ready to be delivered 

to Designing Wahine, Makawao, Maui, HI.

 Buddha's Hand update - the flowers - all almost ready to burst and again, the fruit is the center of the flower - as they say here in Hawai'ian pigeon - the flowers are choke (many)

Barnabas Collins Has Arrived!

Super Moon Sunday

Sunday. Tired. Lots going on. Not chaotic - at crossroads having to think ahead and of the big picture. Making decisions which I am pleased with so I suppose it's all going as planned...

 Macadamia Nut Wood Smoked Kula Tomatoes, Maui Onions and Jalepeno Pepper

for the salsa

Sugary-Spiced Pepitas

Leftovers made into Nachos

Corn Chips, Red and Green Peppers and Maui Onions, Bean and Corn Salad, Shrimp, Buttermilk Blue Cheese, Sour Cream, Sugary-Spiced Pepitas, Scallions, Black Sesame Seeds

The Cantina for dinner on Saturday evening 05/05

My Week

How do you define wonderful, extraordinary and incredible? I'm sure for each of us there are a multitude of words one would use to describe these individual ideas... or are they simply defined by the experience themselves?

For me, as far as my week was concerned, it would be the latter. I cannot put into words what would properly express that which I would like to convey...

Okay, I lied. I could. But I think as much as I shall convey the meaning of my week, it most certainly will be something that is going to be a part of me for a lifetime, in memory and experience.

To recap (and put into words):

The anticipation of my meeting with the Maui Food Tech Center at first filled me with trepidation and then ended with being incredibly refreshing. It's been a while since I ventured into new territory and this time it wasn't and new hobby, or an off shoot of something I was currently pursuing, but this is something that could possibly alter my life, and for that reason I was a bit anxious and, prior to the meeting, couldn't focus on anything more than cleaning and doing a bit of filing.

So, you think you want to get into the food business, eh? Do ya? YEAH I DO! A lot to consider, but if taken in stride, with the focus and attention it requires to get all the information and necessary licenses, permits, approvals, contacts, batches of sorbet and gumption it takes to make the prospect of marketing and selling my product to retail establishments and venues on the island   happen - I sure as hell will try my hardest to give it everything needed to, at the very least, try and make it concrete. With the added dose of reality check to make sure I don't run pell mell into it, of course.

The sample sale / garage sale was a success on all levels. Connecting with friends and securing relationships, check! New direction and approval on a new design collection, check! Making the proper contacts by being in the right place at the right time check! That week, a few weeks ago, where nothing seemed to go right is just a (laughable) memory now. Am I ready to rumble? CHECK!

Am I rambling? Check! So now, I'll allow images so hopefully express the unspoken portion of my life:

Three images from the jewelry and fabric sale this past weekend:

Keri's beautiful batiks and hand-dyed embroidery floss (with Keri's arm on the left)

Penny's display of miniature Hawaiian Shirts and hangings with her elaborate wire trees and earrings

My new bestest friend Dina having her coffee before the rush of shoppers at the sale (she had earrings and braided bracelets - like the ones on her wrist - and necklaces)

Progress Report

Pineapple

Buddha's Hand: Look at all the the blossoms!

Nasturtium Flowers from the garden which usually end up as garnish on my plates

Cherry tomatoes from wild tomato seeds

FOOD

Braised Baby Bok Choy

Dry Fried Noodles with Sizzled Garlic

Raw, Unhulled Sesame Seed Crusted Steelhead Salmon Fillet, Spicy Mayo

Grilled Artichoke with Shrimp Butter-Whole Grain Breadcrumbs

 Grilled Rosemary-and-Mint marinated Lamb Chops

Spice Rubbed Wild Marlin Fillet, Roasted Tomato Bread-and-Butter Pickle Tartar Sauce

Ratatouille

Cornbread Stuffing 

Sunday Munch

Having a day off and being what I consider lazy is probably different from what most would consider it to be. It means meandering through my space, moving from one project to another, in no considerable order, efficiency or purpose other than to get something done and be finished with it. Folding laundry. Repotted plants. Cooking. Make ice cream. Did some business... you know, a lazy day.


Enough of that... so here's pics of todays plates - I tasted them as they were prepared, and I have a half portion left over for some more eating tomorrow :)

Hibachi Roasted Green Beans, Goat Cheese, Charred Pumpkin Seeds

Guava Vinegar, Blood Orange Infused Olive Oil, Toasted Sesame Oil

Li Hing Mui Seasoned Hawaiian Sea Salt

Oven Roasted Tofu Poke

Red Onion, Toasted Sesame Oil, Kiawe Smoked Hawaiian Sea Salt

Red Shisho Leaf Sprig

Hibachi Grilled Line-caught Wild Marlin

Napa Cabbage, Kula Carrot, Red Delicious Apple and Ginger Slaw

Rice Vinegar-Fresh Lime Vinaigrette

Black Sesame Seeds - Red Nasturtium

Marinated White Bean Salad

Chopped Baby Arugula

Fresh lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, kosher salt, cracked black peppercorns

crushed dried chili pepper flakes

Grilled Kauai Shrimp, Artichoke Pesto

Sliced Kula Dave's Tomato. cracked black peppercorn


Ice cream, ice milk and sorbet coming soon!