Plant-based alternatives to meat were already trending well before the COVID-19 pandemic, and with outbreaks at mainland meat-processing plants disrupting production and the food supply chain, it’s an even better time to consider adding vegan and vegetarian dishes to your home menu.

As a vegetarian for over 15 years, Alexa Caskey found it a struggle to find interesting vegetarian options on Maui. After starting her gourmet popsicle company, Maui Topsicles, she knew she wanted to create a restaurant that offered vegetarians and vegans a creative, constantly changing menu to keep things fresh. With her good friend Erica Gale, she opened Moku Roots in May 2018 at Lahaina Gateway.

Caskey’s farm, Mala ‘Akala, in Launiupoko supplies Moku Roots with a bounty of fresh, organically grown produce. The restaurant is also noteworthy for its zero-waste ethic. The owners report they haven’t purchased trash bags since opening.

Taro, a staple in Polynesian diets, provides the foundation for a customer favorite: a taro patty with mac-nut aioli, lettuce, tomato and onion on a wheat oat bun. Taro, or kalo, is a starchy vegetable that doesn’t provide much protein but is high in fiber and has good amounts of various nutrients including potassium, magnesium and vitamins C and E.

Moku Roots chef Nick Stowell offered some tips for cooking with taro: Don’t eat, or even peel, taro raw. It contains irritating crystals of calcium oxalate, so blanch the taro in boiling water before peeling, then cook.

“It is of utmost importance that the taro is cooked at a high temperature for a long period of time to break down the crystals,” Stowell said. “I suggest a pressure cooker for at least an hour or steamed for up to two hours in a pot. Make sure you don’t run out of water in the pot and that the water has salt so it steams at a higher temp than fresh water.”

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Moku Roots Taro Burger

1/2 cup onion

3 cloves chopped garlic

1/2 tablespoon chopped ginger

1/2 carrot

1/4 red bell pepper

4 cups cooked and cubed taro

1 cup oat flour

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 tablespoon cumin

2 teaspoon salt

1 pinch each of pepper and cayenne

Use a food processer or finely chop onion, garlic, ginger, carrot and red bell pepper. (Using a food processor works best.) Saute those ingredients with an oil of your choosing on medium-low heat, stirring frequently for a few minutes “until it smells melodious.”

While ingredients are sauteing, add cooked taro cubes, oat flour, yeast, cumin, salt and a pinch of pepper and cayenne to taste to either a bread mixer bowl with a paddle attachment or a bowl to use with a hand mixer — or even a potato masher if want to stay old school. Mix for a few minutes then add sauteed veggies and mix for another few minutes until homogeneous.

Use a scooper or your hand and form into patties, roughly 1/3 cup each. Sear each side in a pan on medium-high heat until golden brown.

Serve with crisp organic lettuce, tomatoes and local onions on a bun or bread with aioli and ketchup. Makes 5 patties. Taro patties can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen in a sealed container for up to two months.