A couple of weeks ago I visited Ken Milner in Pupukea, on assignment for Aloha Harvest for a write-up about his farm. He told me about his work, how he got started nearly 30 years ago, and how farming is going during a pandemic. Well, I can sum up the last bit for you — not great. I’m fairly aware of how the shutdown is affecting restaurants, chefs, hotels and other visible businesses, but I hadn’t thought much about the “behind the scenes” players.

Aloha Harvest hooked up with Milner because the nonprofit is able to use the lettuce he grows that normally goes to high-end restaurants. Now, his produce is feeding people in need.

We walked up to a field of his primary crop: Tokyo negi. He gave me a quick rundown of how negi is grown and pulled one for me to inspect. This king of the green onion is thriving in North Shore soil. The thick white and deep green stalk was a real specimen, and there were rows and rows of them.

I wondered if I’d ever eaten Tokyo negi outside a restaurant. They show up in just a few stores on the island, and people usually mistake them for leeks. Negi is mild enough to eat raw but has an onion’s pungency. It makes for a hearty veggie in soups when added in large chunks. Thinly sliced, it is suitable for any dish that needs assertive green onion flavor — think scallion pancakes, omelettes and green onion sauce for noodles.

Milner gifted me a few, along with some squash.

I wanted to showcase the negi, so I decided to make empanadas with a vegetable filling. I can’t take credit for the love that goes into these vegetables. Instead, I say thanks to farmers who raise such bounty for us.

YOU CAN make your own dough, and there are many recipes for that, but you may want to avoid the many hours I spent doing just that.

VEGGIE EMPENADAS

• 2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil
• 1/2 pound potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1 pound squash (yellow preferred), thinly sliced
• 1-1/2 to 2 cups Tokyo negi, thinly sliced
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder or paste
• 1/2 cup water, plus more for assembling empanada
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• Frozen empanada dough (see note), thawed
• 1 egg

Heat pan over medium and when hot, add oil. Add potatoes and sprinkle with salt, stirring until they lose their rawness, about 5 minutes. Add squash, negi and garlic. Continue to cook, stirring, 6 to 7 minutes.

Add bouillon, water and butter. Stir until water evaporates. Taste and add more salt if needed. Filling should have a strong flavor because the dough will balance it out. Set aside to cool.

When cool, fold in feta.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment. Make an egg wash by beating egg with 2 tablespoons water. Set up a smaller bowl of water.

Lay out 16 to 18 circles of dough. Put about 2 tablespoons filling in middle of dough. Apply a little water to the outer edge. Fold dough in half over filling and pinch edges together to seal. Be sure there are no holes in the dough or air bubbles trapped inside. Make a fancy crimp with the tines of a fork.

Lay finished empanadas on prepared cookie sheet. Brush exposed sides with egg wash. Bake 18 minutes or until tops are lightly browned. Serve warm. Makes 16 to 18 empanadas.

>> NOTE: Find prepared empanada dough at Mercado de la Raza, 1315 S. Beretania St. and Chef Zone, 2888 Ualena St.

Approximate nutritional information, (based on 16 servings): 260 calories, 17 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 400 mg sodium, 26 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 4 g protein.

Mariko Jackson blogs about family and food at thelittlefoodie.com. Her column runs on the last Wednesday of the month. Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.