RECIPE COURTESY OF CHEF DAN ROBAYO 
IMAGE BY BARRY FRANKEL PHOTOGRAPHY 

Serving – this recipe can be adjusted easily for 1-6 servings 

INGREDIENTS 

Roasted Kobocha squash, warmed 

Local Goat Cheese 

Farro, cooked and cooled 

Arugula, cleaned and dried 

Basil, cleaned and chopped 

Mint, cleaned and minced 

Micro basil 

Edible flowers 

Salt and pepper 

Citrus oil 

METHOD 

Slice and bake the squash, warm it for the salad 

Toss remaining ingredients in citrus oil, then toss in squash 

Arrange on a plate or low bowl 

Garnish with micro greens and edible flowers 

Be creative in arranging the squash, goat cheese and edible flowers 

INGREDIENTS FOR CITRUS OIL 

Squeeze any fresh citrus 

Quality olive oil 

Salt and pepper 

METHOD FOR CITRUS OIL 

1 part fresh squeezed citrus juice 

4 parts quality olive oil 

Add oil slowly as you wish to emulsify 

“NOODLE” INGREDIENTS:

1 large daikon

1 medium carrot

4 fresh basil leaves

“NOODLE” METHOD:

> Peel the carrot and daikon.

> Using the thin slice on a mandolin, slice the daikon length-wise. With a knife, cut the daikon pieces length-wise again to make “noodles.”

> Grate the carrot.

> Chop the basil.

> Place all ingredients in a large bowl. 

DRESSING INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter, almond butter or sunflower butter

2 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons maple syrup, agave, or honey

½ a lime (about 2 tablespoons lime juice)

1 teaspoon chili powder

½ a jalapeño

2 tablespoons shredded ginger

2 tablespoons water

DRESSING METHOD:

> Blend all ingredients together in a blender.

> Pour the dressing over the “noodles.” 

TOPPING INGREDIENTS:

Bean sprouts

Roasted peanuts or almonds

Fresh cilantro 

ASSEMBLY METHOD:

> Divide the “noodles” into 4 separate bowls.

> Top with roasted peanuts, fresh cilantro, and bean sprouts.

> Add chopped jalapeño or green onions if desired. 

EXTRA TIP:

What to do with the ends of the carrots, herb stems, and ginger peels? Instead of putting them straight into the compost, store them in a container in the freezer. When the container is full, boil the scraps for half an hour in a soup pot, strain, and you’ve got a unique, homemade vegetable stock!

Emily is a private chef on Kauai. She has cooked her way through our National Parks as a backcountry chef, studied in France, and was head pastry chef at a large vegan and gluten-free restaurant in Wyoming. To book a personalized dinner with Emily, please contact her through www.chefemilybucks.com.

Featured Farms: Moloa’a Organica’a, Glory Farm with Hannah 

RECIPE COURTESY OF CHEF HILARY BARSBY
IMAGES BY BARRY FRANKEL PHOTOGRAPHY

Serves 4/8

This salad gets rave reviews at the retreats I cook for a few times a year. The dressing doesn’t have garlic, as I have several clients with sensitivities. Add a clove to the dressing if you wish.

SALAD INGREDIENTS:

1 bag Kumu Farms mixed greens

1 heart of palm

1 avocado

3 medium-sized roasted Chioggia beets

1/2 cup toasted macadamia nuts

1 bag sunflower sprouts

SALAD METHOD:

> Wash and spin salad greens.

> Shave heart of palm, and set aside.

> Dice or slice avocado into strips.

> Peel and cube beets, and roast in 375-degree oven with avocado oil, salt and thyme for 20 minutes or until tender.

> Place raw macadamia nuts on sheet tray. Bake in 350-degree oven until toasted, 5-7 minutes.

DRESSING INGREDIENTS (makes 1 pint):

1 preserved Meyer lemon, rinse well before making dressing

½ cup fresh tarragon, stripped from thick stem

2 tablespoons local honey

1 1/2 cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

DRESSING METHOD:

> Place all ingredients into a high-speed blender (such as a Vitamix or Blendtech), and blend for 15 seconds or until smooth.<span class=”Apple-converted-space”> </span>

> Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Thin the dressing with a splash of water if it is too thick.

ASSEMBLY METHOD:

> Place greens into salad bowl with some of the beets, heart of palm and sprouts.

> Toss with 3 tablespoons of dressing to start and add more to your liking.

> Place onto plates and garnish with additional ingredients.

>Grind fresh sea salt and black pepper over the top.

Chef Hilary is a Maui Culinary Academy graduate, with a secondary degree in plant-based cuisine. She has been a private chef on Maui for the last 2.5 years serving private clients and retreats island wide. Her main passion is healthy food preparation and helping clients with food allergies and restrictions.

Featured Farms: Kumu Farms, Ono Farms and Kahanu Aina Greens

Here in the edible Hawaiian Islands test kitchen we constantly have conversations about food that tend to lead to food-related questions for which there really is no right or wrong answer. We all agree that taste is subjective, but, once the conversation starts going, we often find a common thread that connects the dots. When we were thinking about our spring issue we had so many strong opinions about what makes a great salad that we ended up making a flow chart.

HERE’S WHAT WE AGREED UPON THIS TIME:

The salad must have greens and vegetables, though the vegetables may be raw, grilled, pickled or cooked. The dressing is always a combination of oil and acid, with an optional creamy component. Salt is a must, as well as something to add a bit of crunch such as seeds, croutons or toasted nuts. We all agree that texture is key and sticking to fresh and local ingredients is a must. Finally, assembling a good salad is an intersection of science and art as we hope to display over the next eight pages. 

We invited a chef from each Hawaiian island to share a salad recipe, along with some of their favorite farms to work with, and then we invited a talented photographer to capture images of these edible works of art before they’re gone! Make your own favorite salad combination, snap a photo, and share it on @instagram and tag us @ediblehi. 

Squash & Farro Salad

Raw Pad Thai

Maui Salad

Farmhale Salad

RECIPE COURTESY OF CHEF HOLLY HADSELL EL HAJJI
IMAGES BY BARRY FRANKEL PHOTOGRAPHY
Serves 2/4

SALAD INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Frisee lettuce 

1 cup Sassy Greens 

2 small beets, sliced thin 

2 small purple radishes, sliced thin 

1 keiki cucumber, sliced thin 

½ cup grape tomatoes, cut in half 

1 stem Purplette Green Onion, chopped 

¼ cup Sunrise Papaya, chopped

¼ cup Big Island Macadamia Nuts, toasted & chopped 

¼ cup feta cheese 

6 cornmeal croutons 

¼ cup passion-orange-guava dressing

CORNMEAL CROUTON INGREDIENTS:

2 cups milk

2 cups water

1 cup local cornmeal 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup parmesan cheese (freshly grated)

2 teaspoons vegetable oil (plus more for frying)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

CORNMEAL CROUTONS METHOD:

> In a sauce pan bring water to a boil. 

> When at a boil, slowly whisk in cornmeal, and add salt and pepper. 

> Remove from heat and add butter and cheese. 

> Pour cornmeal onto an oiled baking pan and smooth out with a spatula. 

> Refrigerate until chilled.

> Cut into 1” X 1” cubes.

> Fill a large, heavy-bottomed pot with vegetable oil. Heat to 360. 

> Fry cubes in batches for about two minutes, then remove and drain on paper towels.

> Season with salt and pepper.

DRESSING INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup sherry vinegar 

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

¼ cup POG Syrup

1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

DRESSING METHOD:

Place all ingredients in mason jar, screw lid on, and shake until emulsified.

Holly Hadsell El Hajji’s company Pacific Events & Catering is Hawaii’s leader in catering to the private aviation industry. They provide their services on Oahu, Maui and Kauai, and will be opening on the Island of Hawaii in the Fall of 2019. Pacific Catering also caters events from 2 to 10,000 guests.

Featured Farms: Ma’o Farms, Ho Farms, Naked Cow Dairy and Counter Culture