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New industry Jim Reddekopp has his bird in the hand, his ducks in a row, his bases covered. It's in the cards to go public.
promotes value
of vanilla
COOKING WITH VANILLA
By Betty Shimabukuro
Star-BulletinReddekopp is the marketing mind behind the new Hawaiian Vanilla Co., based in the tiny town of Paauilo on the Big Island. He grows vanilla and shepherds a cooperative of other Big Isle vanilla growers, all with the aim of promoting an exclusive, high-end, made-in-Hawaii product.
Reddekopp believes the time is right to bring his product to the public. For one thing, he has 11 serious farmers lined up and crop production is steady. For another, the marketing's in place.
Meadow Gold will release a World's Finest Hawaiian Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Sept. 15. He's also lined up two prominent chefs, George Mavrothalassitis of Chef Mavro and Beverly Gannon of Hali'imaile General Store on Maui, to add dishes to their menus featuring the beans.
In this way he hopes to earn a badge of quality in the public mind for Hawaiian Vanilla.
Retail sales won't begin until next May, when a large harvest is due, Reddekopp says, but he is taking orders now through his Web site, www.vanillavineyards.com. The beans will retail for $3.99 each, with every order accompanied by a recipe from a local chef.
Which brings us to this small matter of price. Vanilla is among the most expensive flavorings on Earth, with a single bean selling for as much as $6 apiece at supermarkets.
Traditionally, the best beans have come from Tahiti or Madagascar, but Reddekopp believes Hawaiian Vanilla will compare favorably in quality and come out ahead in price.
Mavrothalassitis says the Hawaii beans are more deeply flavored that the Madagascar beans he had previously considered the finest available. "I like the intensity of the vanilla. It is equal, even superior, to the best so far."
The chef prepared a benefit dinner for the Honolulu Symphony last week using Hawaiian Vanilla in all four courses, not just dessert. The pairings included lobster with coconut-vanilla sauce, duck with vanilla-flavored sweet potatoes and scallops with saffron and vanilla.
"I think that vanilla is a kind of magic flavor to give an emotion to the guest. ... You put a little vanilla and -- wow!"
The symphony dinner marked the official launch of Reddekopp's Hawaiian Vanilla enterprise. The timing works well, trendswise.
McCormick & Co., the national spice purveyor, says vanilla is on the rise among sweet spices and flavorings finding their way into dishes beyond desserts.
Vanilla can round out and enhance many savory tastes, says Laurie Harrsen of McCormick. "Vanilla's wonderful, delicate flavor can be the perfect complement to salads, sauces, seafood, fruit and more."
Reddekopp sees great potential in this new industry. The beans are relatively easy to grow and store well, either dried or infused into extracts.
He runs a 34,000 square foot greenhouse in Kona, cultivating a "mother stock" of the orchid plant that bears the vanilla bean. He says he can supply 1,000 cuttings a year to each vanilla farm and is hoping the cooperative of growers will put 10,000 plants in the ground annually for the next three years.
Much of the industry is seated in Kona, but Reddekopp chose Paauilo, on the other side of the island, as headquarters of his company, in part because of the large number of displaced sugar workers who could farm the crop.
The area is also isolated from other orchid-growing centers, which limits the spread of disease.
When he speaks of the industry's promise, Reddekopp quotes Kona farmer Tom Kadooka, whom he considers to be the foremost authority on vanilla growing in Hawaii. Kadooka believes vanilla to be a crop more valuable than Kona coffee, Reddekopp says.
"He says a quarter-acre of vanilla is equal to four acres of coffee."
A vanilla recipe contest for culinary students was among activities launching the Hawaiian Vanilla campaign last week. Creative dishes are
very vanillaStar-Bulletin staf
Food Network chef David Rosengarten judged the finalists, all from Kapiolani Community College.
He awarded first place to a dessert that merged vanilla with poi and second place to an unusual pairing of kalbi-style spareribs with vanilla.
Hawaiian Vanilla Bean Pulehu Ribs
Second place: Nohea Rochlen
5 pounds shortribs
1/4 cup Hawaiian Isle Sweet and Spicy packaged seasoning mix
1 vanilla bean
2 tablespoons chopped garlic and ginger
Vanilla Essence (see note)Score ribs. Cut vanilla bean lengthwise and remove seeds. Rub seeds, garlic and ginger into the ribs. Marinate overnight.
Grill over a kiawe wood fire until done, spraying with Vanilla Essence as ribs cook. Serves 10.
Note: To make essense, combine 2-1/2 to 3 tablespoons vanilla extract with 1/2 cup mirin and 1/2 cup sake. Adjust vanilla to taste.
Approximate nutritional information, per serving, not including Vanilla Essence: 650 calories, 60 g total fat, 26 g saturated fat, 125 mg cholesterol, greater than 2,500 mg sodium.*
Poi Boats with Vanilla Cream Filling
First place: Sandra A. McGonagle
Boats:
1-1/2 cups undiluted poi
2-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt1 cup milk
1 vanilla bean
1 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon arrowroot
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 cup whipped cream (optional)
1/3 cup undiluted poi
1 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup heavy creamTo make pastry: Mix in flour and poi into butter until fully incorporated. Add eggs one at a time, then salt and enough milk to form a loose pate a choux (cream puff) dough. Spoon or pipe onto a greased sheet pan to form 12 discs. Bake 5 minutes at 400 degrees, then lower the temperature to 375 degrees and bake another 20-25 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Boats should be hollow. Cut each one in half and remove anything that remains inside. At this point they may be frozen until ready to use.
To make filling: Split vanilla bean lengthwise and heat with milk until just below boiling. Cool. Remove bean.
Beat sugar with flour, arrowroot and eggs until mixture is pale yellow. Temper the egg yoks with cooled milk. Once fully incorporated, return mixture to stove over medium heat, stirring constantly. It will thicken quickly. Remove from heat; cool. Fold in whipped cream and poi.
To make sauce: Melt chocolate and stir in cream until smooth.
To assemble: Pipe filling into the bottom halves of boats. Replace tops. Serve with chocolate drizzle. Makes 12 boats.
Nutritional information unavailable.
Chef George Mavrothalassitis offers this recipe as a simple way to merge vanilla with a main dish. He says foods with natural sweetness, such as lobster or scallops, pair well with vanilla.
Okinawan or Molokai sweet potatoes have a natural vanilla taste than can be enhanced with a vanilla-milk infusion.
"I am crazy about vanilla myself," Mavrothalassitis says. "At night I put real maple syrup on my vanilla ice cream. I think this is fantastic. One of the best combinations I know."
Charbroiled Lobster with Hawaiian Vanilla Accents
www.chefmavro.com1 whole, live lobster (1-1/2 pounds live for 6 ounces meat)
1 quart nage (vegetable and white wine stock)
Pinch salt and white pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium ripe mango
1/4 cup mineral water
1/2 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1/2 tablespoon salad oil
Pinch salt, fresh ground white pepper and sugar to taste
1 12-ounce Molokai potato
1 vanilla bean
1/2 cup milk
Pinch salt and white pepperTo prepare lobster: Poach in nage 8 minutes. Remove tail, leaving shell on; halve lengthwise. Remove meat from claws and knuckles. Season with salt, pepper and olive oil; charbroil a few minutes just before serving.
To prepare sauce: Blend ingredients together.
To prepare sweet potato: Bake whole potato at 450 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove skin and puree. Cut vanilla bean in half and remove seeds. In a sauce pot, heat the milk and add vanilla seeds. Combine sweet potato with milk mixture. Add 1 tablespoon butter, if desired, for smoothness.
To assemble dish: Arrange sweet potato purée in center of plate. Surround with the mango sauce. Arrange lobster tail around potatoes; claw and knuckle meat on top. Garnish if desired with bouquet of watercress or greens, flavored with olive oil-lemon juice vinaigrette. Serves 2.
Approximate nutritional information, per serving, without added butter or greens: 400 calories, 20 g total fat, 4 g saturated fat, 90 mg cholesterol, about 700 mg sodium.*
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