Horn of Plenty

Papaya tree

Last night we ate take-out food from a restaurant for the second time since sheltering began.

Two runs to CostCo have provided us with most of our food. It's been almost three weeks since we trod the aisles at the Big Box in Lihue, about an hour away on the other side of the island. We're running low and will need to make another journey soon.

We also fill up the gas tank of our rental car at CostCo.

We purchase staples including coffee, milk, eggs, yogurt, cheese, bread, bagels, butter, peanut butter, frozen items such as vegetables, shrimp, berries and ice cream. I have become addicted to their chocolate-coated vanilla ice cream bars, inspired, I'm sure, by the Haagen Dazs ice cream on a stick.

I enjoy the Kirkland-brand bar in the evening for dessert. Barbara is not so enamored of these but asks to bite off the tips of mine. It's a small sacrifice for me, since there are 18 bars to a package and that's more than two weeks of sucking delicious chocolate off of cold vanilla ice cream. The nuts on the chocolate are very tasty as well.

We also purchase olive oil, balsamic vinegar, corn or multi-grain chips, popcorn, Anahola granola, and multi-grain crackers. We are shocked by how much olive oil we consume, both in salads and for sautéing vegetables. Our bodies seem to run on olive oil.

Here we also procure packages of noodles and pastas, as well as cans of chicken broth and diced tomatoes for soups and sauces.

We have brought home two large bags of onions, as well as bunches of bananas, but most of our produce is found at small farms and local markets. Small farms have drive-up stations where we can buy vegetables or fruits by the bag. It's always a surprise to see what you get. Some greens we have not seen before. We aren't sure what to do with them.

I'm not big on fruit but have discovered a taste for fresh papaya with a drizzle of lime juice. Papaya trees are everywhere, but you just can't walk up and start picking away. Besides, you need a ladder. We do pick limes from neighborhood trees that are hidden among the many strange and wonderful flowering trees.

Some of the hanging fruits and flowers are poisonous, as we have been warned by our island-girl granddaughter, Viva, whom we have not seen enough of due to the Virus.

We also receive fresh produce from our neighbors Marcie and Rick Carroll and our friend Maureen:  island-style bartering. We have discovered Moringa leaves that add flavor and slight spiciness to green salads. These grow on nearby plants.

On our last visit to CostCo we purchased a package of ground turkey that Barbara portioned out for a turkey-ball dish with pieces of pineapple and vegetables over rice. We also bought a rotisserie chicken that was quite good, with leftovers used for tacos and stir fry.

Our pantry is further stocked with cans of tuna from CostCo that goes into sandwiches for lunch when we're not enjoying leftover soups, pasta dishes or fixings for tacos.

Toilet paper was not in stock during both visits to the emporium.  Nor was bleach, sanitizing wipes or hand sanitizers. Our condo has a goodly supply, so far. We are both fairly frugal and careful not to waste. We have been called "minimalists" by friends. We find that hard to accept. Maybe that's a minimalist's trait.

Still, we frequently run to the local market for incidentals, like beer and wine and non-food essentials. The nearby hardware store receives a steady flow of our business.

Barbara often creates a masterful dish from thin air, or a sparse selection of items hidden in small sealed containers in the refrigerator that only she knows about. This is good and leads to pleasant, and oftentimes delicious, surprises.

So last night she took a well-deserved break. I ordered Fish and Chips for both of us at PV Eats, a close-by specialty market that includes deli foods and a kitchen. It is housed in a grand building that was originally the pro shop for the renowned Prince Golf Course.

I am by no means a gourmand or foodie, but I have given decent effort to the study of Fish and Chips and where the best ones are served along the California coast. I am not a fan of Fish and Chips in Hawaii because Mahi Mahi, the preferred seafood for the Hawaiian variety, is not a substitute for flaky, succulent, traditional Cod, fried in a thin, crisp batter, sometimes flavored with beer.

I am pleased to declare that the Fish and Chips from PV Eats are far and away the best I've tasted throughout the islands. The Mahi Mahi was cooked to perfection, tender and moist. The batter was as thin as paper yet held enough crispness and flavor to complement the fresh fish: a winner!

We each savored every bite, lingering over our meal as if we were seated at the finest bistro on the island. The fried potatoes were thin, shoestring style. We squeezed fresh lemon over the fish, occasionally dipping pieces into a red cocktail sauce spiced with peppery horseradish.

CostCo was the furthest thing from our minds.