Jeans for Japan Update

Mahalo Mana Foods ohana! You donated $3300 for the Jeans for Japan fundraiser and an anonymous donor has donated $6700 for a total of $10,000 from the community. Mana Foods has matched this amount, bringing collective donation total to $20,000 fro Japan relief.

This money is going to the Japanese Cultural Society of Maui's Japan relief effort, "The Aloha Initiative." This program raises funds to bring evacuees from the recent Japanese nuclear disaster to Maui and matches them with families who have volunteered to "open up their hearts and homes."

Fresh & Local: Lucious Lychee

Large flesh to seed ratio. Biggest fruit. Very sweet. Smoother skin. Kaimana lychee.

Someone once told me that Lychees were "precious, like gold." My neice calls them eyeballs and my favorite way to use them involves a martini glass. It's lychee season and I will post a few recipes to inspire you to put these unique fruits to good use.

Produce News: Summer fruits are here

Last week, we saw the first apricots of the season arrive at Mana Foods and this week brings us more firsts.

Check out the local watermelons from Ululani Farms, a 50 acre Mango, Papaya and Watermelon Farm on the island of Moloka'i. We have 2 varieties, the sugar babies are smaller, rounder with a very dark green skin. The Crimson Sweets are oblong and have a lighter variegated skin.

Also, cherries! Brooks Cherries are an early variety with a large fruit, similar to Bing. They have a dark color and its flavor is sweet, rich and well-balanced. It's flesh is firm and crisp with luscious shades of red and pink. It used to be that early variety cherries were always a bit tart and tangy, but not anymore!

This week, we are getting red and green grapes too. Whooot! Summer is coming!

Earth Day contest winner

Congratulations to Lisa who won a year's worth of FREE Seventh Generation products. Thanks for loving Mana Foods and the Earth!

Maui News: Relief for Paia traffic squeeze

5/11/2011
Permanent bypass road expected to make town trips more appealing
WAILUKU - Beginning today, the Paia bypass will be open permanently, instead of only relieving afternoon rush-hour traffic.

And, a Paia merchant said the change is expected to ease traffic congestion in busy Paia town and probably "affect business in a positive way."

"We're very excited about that. It's definitely a good thing," said Dean Wong, owner of Green Banana Cafe in Paia and president of the Paia Merchants Association.

The heavy traffic congestion in the town on Hana Highway and Baldwin Avenue can make it difficult for shoppers to get in and out of street parking, and that can hurt business at Paia shops, cafes and restaurants. The long line of cars waiting to get into town can turn off tourists and residents alike.

Mayor Alan Arakawa and Maui County Council members are expected to take part in a ceremony at 1 p.m. today with officials of property owner Alexander & Baldwin. They will open the gates to the bypass, which will be left open.

The decision to open the road permanently comes after the county entered into an agreement with A&B earlier this month to take over the road and assume responsibility. A&B opened the bypass road to motorists in 2006 when it was only available from 3 to 6 p.m. weekdays. Then, in 2007, it was opened from 1 to 6:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, including holidays.

The one-lane paved bypass road skirts the Kahului side of Paia town and carries traffic mauka from Hana Highway to Baldwin Avenue, just above the Patsy Takemoto Mink Post Office. The 1,800-foot road opened in July 2006 and was designed to reduce traffic tie-ups that extended from Paia to Spreckelsville on Hana Highway.

The interim detour route was a cooperative effort among the state Department of Transportation, Maui County and landowner A&B.

"The people of Paia, Haiku and other East Maui communities have suffered enough," Arakawa said in a statement. "Traffic heading into Paia town is backed up past Spreckelsville on a daily basis - sometimes as far back as the Kaunoa Senior Center. I want people to know that we have heard their cries for help, and we are confident that keeping this road open will alleviate traffic congestion."

Council Member Mike White, who holds the Paia-Makawao-Haiku residency seat, said that he appreciated that the administration, County Council and A&B all worked together to get the road open permanently.

He said that permanently opening the bypass road "is an important step in resolving the traffic congestion."

Wong said he didn't think businesses would suffer from traffic moving away from the town, noting that those who were taking the bypass were not heading into town to begin with.

He said people, including tourists, would still need to pass through Paia to get to Hana.

Wong added that many of the obstacles hindering business in Paia, including traffic and the lack of parking spaces are being alleviated.

In March, two much-needed parking areas were opened in Paia town.

Mana Foods is leasing a lot makai of the Patsy Takemoto Mink Post Office for free parking.

There is also a paid parking lot behind Charley's Restaurant. The lot had been closed for several months for renovations.

By MELISSA TANJI - Maui News Staff Writer Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.


http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/549305/Relief-for-Paia-traffic-squeeze.html?nav=10

Haupia Soft Serve

OMG! We have a new delicious flavor in the soft serve machine, HAUPIA! It is non-dairy with only four ingredients: coconut milk, filtered water, cream of coconut and sugar and locally made on Maui!

Cool and refreshing on a hot Maui day.

Wear Jeans for Japan Fundraiser

Mana Foods Announces Matching Funds for 'Wear Jeans for Japan'

Paia, Maui- Mana Foods President Edward Thielk has announced that Mana Foods
will participate in Wear Jeans for Japan by matching patron donations dollar
for dollar up to $10,000. Mana Foods shoppers may donate from Friday, May
13, through Sunday, May 15.

"Mana Foods is pleased to team up with the community to help those devastated in Japan. It is always a worthwhile cause to help neighbors in need," said Thielk.

Donations raised will go to support the Japanese Cultural Society of Maui's Japan relief effort "The Aloha Initiative," to provide citizens of Japan who have been displaced by the recent earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis with a warm and welcome home.

Wear Jeans for Japan is being co-sponsored by the County of Maui and Carden Academy of Maui. During this event, people will pay for the privilege to
dress casually by wearing jeans on May 13. Some county departments and local businesses have already taken up the challenge.

Other businesses which have signed up to participate on May 13 are First Hawaiian Bank, Macy's, Kaiser Permanente clinics, TS Restaurants, Maui Electric, Maui County employees, Upcountry Dental Office, Christ the King School, Araki-Regan & Associates LLC, Maui County FCU, Maui Ocean Center, Ronald M Fukumoto Engineering Inc, Carlsmith Ball LLP, Old Republic Title & Escrow of Hawaii, Lahaina CrossFit, and Maui Boy Scouts.

Carden Academy's 118 students conducted a similar effort in March, when students raised more than $1,000 in one day.

The organization on Maui that generates the most donations per employee, student or member will be recognized by Mayor Alan Arakawa at the Maui Matsuri festival May 14 at the University of Hawaii Maui College.

It's not too late to participate! For more information, visit
www.wearjeansforjapan.com

Gluten Freedom: Lemon Shortbread

Lemon Shortbread
1 package Bob’s Red Mill Shorbread cookie mix
1 ½ sticks (3/4 Cup) unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces
1 large egg yolk
1 Tbsp lemon zest
2 Tbsp water

Preheat oven to 375
In a large bowl, beat butter until smooth. Beat in egg yolk, then water. Add lemon zest.
Slowly stir in baking mix, starting with ½ Cup. Then add the remainder in 2 parts.
Dough will look dry and crumbly. Gather dough in a ball and massage until smooth.
Divide dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap.
Place remaining dough wax or parchment paper and top with plastic wrap.
Roll to ¼ inch thickness, cut into 2 inch rounds with cookie cutter.
Place one inch apart on baking sheet.
Reroll scraps of dough, cut again to make 18 cookies.
Bake on middle rack of oven for 12-15 minutes or until cookies just start to brown around edges.
Cool cookies on wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from baking sheet to cool completely.
Repeat with remaining dough.

Think Local: Evonuk Farm tour

At Evonuk Farms a local fresh fruit, veggie, and herb producer they have been supplying their island fresh produce for over twenty years, Walter Evonuk and his wife are taking over the reigns from his father Ed Evonuk. They are producing the largest local selection of herbs and spices on the island.

Their farm has a huge Photovoltaic Array which helps to power all the buildings and refrigeration on the farm. They also raise bananas, pomegranates, avocados, citrus, Sapotes, and other fruits to compliment their veggies like lettuce, eggplant, beans and radishes.

Think Local: Wahkimba's Farm tour

A little higher in Haiku we stopped in to visit Wahkimbas Farms where most everything is done by hand, He saves all his own seeds (a very tedious and time consuming process). His main tools are a pitch fork and a machete. His Rasta Salad mix has a big following and each leaf is hand cut with scisors and selected to go into the very special mix which is different every time and not dominated by lettuce like most mix. Wahkimba has a knack for producing high quality delicious produce. His two acres are extremely diverse growing sugar cane, bananas, taro, sweet potatoes, yacon, cassava, radish, daikon, herbs, greens, corn, peanuts, poha berries, carrots, and many others all hand done with very low inputs he makes his own compost fertilizer a more traditional sustainable approach to farming than the over mechanized standard that relies heavily on imported fertilizer and seeds.