The first person to utilize Waimanalo Market Co-op’s newly certified commercial kitchen launches her business this weekend. Waimanalo resident Nina Pullella’s Nina Cucina will sell prepared food such as vegetable soups, kalo hummus, various fresh salads, fresh salsa, a New York-style Italian sub and her famous pesto.
Pullella says she sources as many products as she can from the area’s ahupuaa to make her dishes.
Pullella, 34, grew up in the New York restaurant biz. Her father’s Italian restaurant was a family effort, as were the dinners the family ate together each evening.
“Everything was always from scratch, down to rolling up our sleeves and squashing tomatoes to make sauce,” she said.
No doubt all that focus on cooking developed Pullella’s chops. Her pesto, a family recipe, is sought after by everyone who tastes it. “People have been asking for my food, so now I can say, ‘Go to the Waimanalo co-op.’”
Veggie Blisque
Courtesy Nina Pullella
>> 12 cups cold water
>> 1-inch piece fresh olena (turmeric), peeled and sliced
>> 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
>> 1-inch piece fresh lemongrass
>> 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
>> 2 Hawaiian ghost chili peppers (or other pepper), halved
>> 4 kaffir lime leaves
>> 1 tablespoon sea salt
>> 3 to 6 pounds vegetables of choice, roughly chopped (such as carrots, onion, cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, zucchini, fennel; more veggies will make a thicker soup)
>> 1 bunch fresh cilantro
>> 1 teaspoon cumin
>> 1 teaspoon coriander
>> 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
In large pot on high, combine water, olena, ginger, lemongrass, garlic, chili peppers, kaffir lime leaves and salt. Bring to a rolling boil.
Add veggies: firmer, denser items first, with most delicate vegetables added last.
When vegetables are tender, remove pot from heat. (Do not overcook.) With ladle, transfer contents of pot to blender or food processor. Discard lime leaves and lemongrass. Set another large bowl or pot next to the blender. Working in batches, blend on high until creamy. Pour each batch into the holding pot. While blending, add cilantro, cumin, coriander and coconut milk. Makes about 16 cups.
Nutritional information unavailable.
