Soul Food: Top Picks at Maui Earth Day Festival 2011

By Erica Garza

Fudge from Raw Desserts. Photo by Erica Garza.

Live music? Check. Environmental awareness booths? Check. Delicious organic food? Check. The Maui Earth Day Festival took place today at Ke’Opuolani Park Amphitheatre, bringing with it an assortment of meals, snacks and healthy desserts. After sampling a bit of everything, from Indian delicacies to raw falafel, Maui Now fell in love with a handful of very noteworthy eateries amidst the dancing, the singing and the celebrating that took place today in honor of Mother Earth.

Nori rolls from Mystic Gardens. Photo by Erica Garza.

Fresh, green and grown completely on Maui, the nori rolls from Mystic Gardens were not just a colorful sight to behold; they were wholesome and satisfying, too. Filled with lentil pate, organic Haiku greens, carrots and beets, the rolls were served with a salad and drizzled with habanero sauce for a fierce kick. All this for just $5.

At Mama Earth Café, raw falafel consisted of sprouted almond hummus atop a collard leaf filled with greens and sprinkled with lemon tahini dressing for a creamy treat with sustenance. Vegan desserts were also in abundance and included chocolate bliss balls with spirulina and maca, amaretto cream pie and blueberry cheesecake topped with whole blueberries.

Another decadent dessert was the fudge from Raw Desserts, a rich chunk of chocolately goodness infused with chlorella tablets, sprouted dehydrated sunflower seeds, raisins, dates, and sea salt.

Raw Falafel from Mama Earth Cafe. Photo by Erica Garza.

Vegan blueberry cheesecake from Mama Earth Cafe. Photo by Erica Garza.

Maui Earth Day Festival is an annual event that brings together musical performances, environmental awareness and a variety of action opportunities to make a difference. Get a full list of the musicians and vendors present this year at www.mauiearthday.org.

Maui Now covers the latest food news and events throughout the island and appreciates suggestions. Please send tips or feedback to [email protected].