TROPICAL TASTE - Papaya, Shrimp and Goat Cheese Appetizers

A couple of months ago, the Hawaii Papaya Industry Association and the University of Hawaii School of Agriculture held a day-long conference in Hilo to discuss among other industry concerns, how they could make inroads into the very lucrative overseas markets such as Canada and Japan.

As part of their program, they asked local Big Island Chef Olelo pa'a Faith Ogawa to develop recipes using papaya and to be a featured speaker during the conference.  The title of her presentation was 'Collaboration with an Innovative Chef'.  I was very much honored when asked by Chef Olelo pa'a to introduce her at the conference. 
  

During her lively presentation Olelo pa'a showed a beautiful video made in collaboration with a videographer.   In the video, she was shown visiting papaya farms and speaking with growers about their dreams and concerns, as well as beautiful shots of some of her food creations.

 


Chef Olelo pa'a's passion for food comes from roots that run deep into the Hawaiian soil, having been born and raised on a sugar plantation in Waipahu on Oahu, where food was grown and prepared simply by her grandmother and mother.  Olelo pa'a's approach to preparing food is with deep reverence and respect and as simply as possible to retain the integrity of the food while presenting it as beautifully as possible. 

The following appetizer which can also be served as a salad was her contribution to the evening dinner shared by all the conference attendees. 

Since she cooks by inspiration, there are usually no recipes as such, but here it is in her own words;

"Shrimp and Papaya Salad with Big Island Goat Cheese on Hirabara Farms Baby Romaine; topped with Macadamia Nuts and drizzled with a Papaya Seed Lime Dressing.

I also made a papaya and orange relish; dicing the papaya and orange; seasoning with lime juice. The minced green flecks on top are bits of Italian parsley. Simple and profound.  We don't have to do much to make food taste good.  The art is to know how to put flavors, textures and the right elements to create a "Wow" experience.

Papayas are one of my favorite foods and I eat them for breakfast almost every day.  The taste is soothing and yet it reminds me of starting each day fresh and anew; even the color of the papaya is like a morning sunrise.  It all started during this last political campaign with my desire and hope that our nation would start a new era of hope, fresh and happy.  The salad itself makes me happy.  The award winning goat cheese represents the purity and whiteness of snow on the mountaintops, the symbolism of remaining pure at heart.  As I sprinkled the chopped macadamia nuts I was thinking that it represented gold being rained on our islands, the hope of prosperity and plenty and the flecks of green parsley represent our 'aina, the land, and the farmers who practice sustainability to keep our islands green and well fed."

"My Inspiration for this dish:  As I went jogging on Hapuna Beach the inspiration came through.  Sometimes I create a dish first, and then the inspiration for the dish comes through. 

This dish is the dish of HOPE as we face challenges during this time.  The Hawaiian Papaya represents a new beginning; starting anew.  The Papaya is a symbol of hope; sharing the day on a bright note.  The Hirabara Baby Romaine Lettuce is Mother Nature and is the grounding force.  The award winning Big Island Goat Cheese reminds us to be pure at heart.  Big Island Macadamia Nuts represents gold or abundance that is sprinkled on over the entire salad.  My clients tell me that this salad makes them feel good and it is starting to be one of their favorite salads that I prepare.  An option for the dressing is to drizzle fresh lime or lemon juice over the salad."

For the conference, the platter was lined with the small center leaves from the baby lettuce with a dab of the papaya and orange relish on each, a boiled shrimp and a dab of creamy goat cheese, sprinkled with the papaya seed dressing, chopped macadamia nuts and finely minced Italian parsley for color.  The center of the platter is filled with the papaya and orange relish seasoned with lime juice.

There are many recipes for papaya seed dressing that can be found on the Internet, and what most have in common is a combination of vinegar or a light fruit vinaigrette, sweet onions, honey or sugar, dry mustard and vegetable oil as well as the papaya seeds.  Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse until onions are processed and seeds are chopped. 

Chef Olelo pa'a's dressing was made with fresh local lime juice instead of vinegar and I might be mistaken, but I could not taste any oil in it.

Papaya seeds add a pleasant crunch and peppery taste to the dressing and in my opinion; the dry mustard is not even needed.  It can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Chef Olelo pa'a also uses the same ingredients to serve as a salad.  The following photo courtesy of Chef Olelo pa'a Faith Ogawa

		Sonia Martinez, Gather Food Correspondent
	Sonia's column, 'Tropical Taste' is a regular twice-monthly feature of Gather Essentials: Food. Sonia is a cookbook author and freelance food writer for several publications in Hawaii, and is also a Hawaii Island Journal restaurant reviewer in partnership with her son Anthony Mathis.  She lives in a beautiful rural rainforest area on the Big Island of Hawaii. You can keep up with Sonia's adventures and ongoing love affair with Hawaii by joining her network, or visiting her food & garden blog at Sonia Tastes Hawaii.