Market Day

It's farmers market day again around here... Our tiny market was recently featured in a Chinese travel magazine.  Here's a pic they published of my pie guy with our neighbor who sells bananas, lychee, jackfruit, Rangpur and Calamondin limes, nutmeg, flowers, and more. The couple in the photo sell honey and Maui grown vanilla, and that's their young son.

The man has been participating in another market recently.  It's in nearby Hakalau, and began as a "food share."  All bartering, initially. There are two older ladies there who sell the best lau lau.

Lau lau= meat, fish and purple sweet potato, wrapped in taro leaf, then ti leaf and slow-steamed for a long time.

There was a quick earthquake here this morning.  Only 4.6, but enough to make me leap from the bed!  They feel different here-more jarring, less sway.  Here's a link about it: http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/20130811_2_earthquakes_shake_Hawaii_island.html?mobile=true

Date Night

The man surprised me with tickets to see Mark Yamanaka play music at the Imiloa Planetarium on the U.H. Campus.  Both of us have wanted to see him live since we first heard him.  Such a voice--especially his falsetto.  So, after preserving five pounds of figs yesterday afternoon, we hit the bright lights of Hilo.

I learned that Hawaiian men began singing in the falsetto style way back in the early 1800's--because women were rarely around to sing those high parts.  

Our favorites of his are the traditional Hawaiian language songs.  I shared a video link of him performing one of his originals below.

The planetarium has these space age comfy chairs you can melt right into, absorb the sounds, and observe the virtual night sky above as it rotates, slowly.  Pretty cool.  Another favorite, Cyril Pahinui is scheduled to play there later this year.

The fig jam project worked out well, and the figs keep coming. In other fruit news, there will be mango jam, chutney, and salsa preserving in my near future.  I do enjoy utilizing what is growing all around us.  It's like some crazy dream. 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=relmfu&v=zioOWYCPFmk#

Soursop

Or Annona Muricata. Native to Mexico, Cuba, the Caribbean, and Northern South America. Very high in vitamins C, B1, and B2. This one isn't ripe yet... Will take another photo when we cut it open.

Rough Lemon

Or Citrus Jambhiri