Cooking with Aloha

Readers can find favorite recipes from North Hawaii chefs in this new weekly section. They are easy to make at home and feature mostly ingredients readily available from local farmers markets and businesses.

Superfood Chef Todd Dacey, who resides in Waimea, finds a wide variety of locally and sustainably-grown produce each week at local farmers markets in Hawi, Waikoloa Village, Waikoloa Resort and Waimea. He will explore the newest market in Honokaa, once it opens in Sept.

This week, Chef Todd visited the Under the Banyans Farmers’ Market in Hawi, open each Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. across from M. Nakahara Store in the center of town.

Here’s any easy, delicious recipe for veggie burgers that use two “canoe plants” that were brought to Hawaii 1,700 years ago by Polynesian explorers: ulu, known as breadfruit, and plantains called popoulu. They were the only banana allowed for women to consume in ancient Polynesia due to their rounder more feminine shape.

‘Ulu Veggie Burgers with Sundried Tomatoes

Serves 6 with two or three small patties per serving

2 large green plantains (known as popoulu), peeled and chopped (found at Laukahi Farm booth)

1/2 medium ulu, peeled, cored and chopped (found at Sage Farm booth)

½ cup macadamia nuts, finely chopped

4 large kale leaves, destemmed and chopped

½ zucchini, chopped

8 sundried tomatoes, chopped

3 large cloves garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons fresh Italian spices (such as rosemary, oregano and thyme)

1 teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons Big Island macadamia nut oil (found at Made in Hawi booth)

½ cup fresh mature coconut pulp (optional), chopped (found at HIP AG booth)

Coconut oil to coat baking sheet

Preheat oven to 365 degrees.

Add all ingredients to a food processor and mix thoroughly.

Lightly coat a standard baking sheet with coconut oil to resist sticking. Using a ¼ cup to measure, scoop out each patty and press firmly with a spoon to flatten into a burger shape.

Bake at 365 degrees for 25 minutes, flip and cook for 15 more minutes or until lightly brown.

Serve the burger on a bun, in pita bread, or as a side dish. Leftover patties can last for three or four days in the fridge. Ono!

To find more healthy recipes from Chef Todd, check out his new cookbook, “The Longevity Source: The quintessential guide to living and thriving in today’s world!” on Amazon.com and at Healthways II in Waimea.