Eat local

Eat local, eat local, eat local. It’s become a mantra to anyone who’s paying the slightest attention.

And through the concerted efforts of farmers, food and agriculture activists, chefs and community organizers, products direct from farms are becoming easier and easier to access. Farmers markets are on the upswing, and community-supported agriculture baskets — subscriptions for local products direct from farmers and producers often referred to by the shorthand "CSA bag" — are plentiful.

But for many the daily schedule is packed tight. In addition to early morning and late afternoon commutes, there’s chauffeuring the kids to school and after-school activities. These families would be hard pressed to find an extra 20 minutes to pick up a CSA bag, much less visit a farmers market.

For them the supermarket on the way home is the only realistic option. But that doesn’t mean they can’t jump on the eat-local bandwagon. Many isle supermarkets are now stocking their shelves with local products. Also, natural-food stores such as Kokua Market, Umeke Market, Down to Earth and Whole Foods carry a selection of local products.

Chef San Shoppell says she can’t always get to the farmers market, so she does a fair amount of supermarket shopping. Shoppell will share a few recipes using local products from supermarkets at the 2012 Hawaii Agriculture Conference on Thursday at the Hawai‘i Convention Center.

When she cooks, her goal is 70 percent local. Shoppell says that since she started cooking professionally in 2008, she’s seen the selection of local products grow each year.

"There’s more stuff and better variety and supply — enough variety to build a menu around local products," she said. "Personally, I don’t find it too difficult."

Key to shopping local is knowing the kinds of food grown and produced in Hawaii that are available in supermarkets. Here’s a list Shoppell rattled off from memory: won bok, green and purple cabbages, round and green onion, cucumber, watercress, tomatoes, strawberries, citrus, zucchini, corn, eggplant, mushrooms, salad greens and green beans.

Plus, items such as eggs, beef, pork, veal, tofu, pickled vegetables such as kim chee, and, of course, fish, are produced in the isles. Some stores also carry the cheeses and butters produced by Naked Cow Dairy.

Shoppell says it is important to read labels to ensure a product is local. Be discerning: An item labeled "distributed in Hawaii" doesn’t necessarily mean it’s grown in Hawaii.

"Good packaging will say where something’s grown," she said. "Farmers here are really trying to promote what’s locally sourced. Look for labeling that says, ‘From _____ Farm.’

"I especially like that Foodland distinguishes clearly what’s local, but when I don’t see a tag, I will ask. Most clerks are really helpful with that," she said. "If your supermarket doesn’t have enough local products, let the grocers know. If you ask for something, they will know what customers want."

Sometimes it might cost a little more to shop local. But there are ways to work around that, Shoppell says. If you buy what’s seasonal, you pay less. Also, try Costco.

"Costco does support local farmers who can meet their demand and standards of food safety," she said. "You can get cucumbers, lettuce and eggplant there for a fair price."

As for bringing it all to the dinner table on a regular basis, here are a few tips from Shoppell:

» Keep it manageable: Making an entire locally sourced meal is difficult, so have realistic goals. Go to the supermarket and see what’s on shelves. Once you know what’s available, try to have two or three things in your cart that are local. As you get more familiar with local products and how to use them, you can increase your purchases.

» Be prepared: Before you go shopping, have four or five recipes in mind that utilize local ingredients. You will likely be able to find some ingredients for a recipe or two.

» Be creative: Sometimes a dish is right under your nose; at other times it takes more creativity. An obvious quick and easy dish is fried rice. Think of the ingredients: local eggs and green onion, and locally produced Portuguese sausage and kim chee. A less obvious one is local-style ravioli: won ton wrappers, already cut thin and to shape, serve as the wrapping. Local eggs and cheese, and a few local herbs if you like, serve as the filling. Boil and simmer the wrappers a few minutes. For a quick tomato sauce, simply cook onions (local) and garlic in olive oil with basil or oregano (both local), then add tomatoes (local). Cook until tomatoes get very soft and start liquifying.