Oahu's North Shore is most famously known as the Surfing Capital of the World, and never lacks things to see and do. Now, with the help of Fred DeAngelo, I went behind the scenes to visit his favorite North Shore farms, most of which I had only heard of since they are so expertly hidden along the North Shore coastline.

 

Our first stop was Green Growers' Tomato Farm, where we met owners Dwight and Terry Shintaku. Their three-acre farm is located in Hauula where they grow hydroponic tomatoes. "It's really a labor of love," said Terry, who is at the farm almost daily and personally helps pick Ola's tomatoes. One tomato tip from Green Growers? Never refrigerate your tomatoes, since they lose moisture and flavor. 

 

Chef Fred DeAngelo and Terry Shintaku. 

 

 

Our next stop was Kahuku, where we met Dr. Wenhao Sun, who harvests crunchy and juicy sea asparagus. His creation is unique and not cultivated in many places. The sea asparagus is an amazing plant grown in seawater, thus absorbing the natural salts of the ocean. The tasty superfood is high in vitamins A, B, B12, iodine and other minerals, and was given a Hawaii Seal of Quality for meeting the Hawaii Department of Agriculture's strict guidelines. Other than uses in culinary dishes, the sea asparagus can also be used as a dietary supplement or even as a biofuel. If you can't make it to Ola to taste sea asparagus in one of their many delicious dishes, you can easily visit KCC Farmers Market on Saturdays and pick up your own sea asparagus package there. Each package lists a featured sea asparagus recipe to experiment with. One recipe simply suggests combining blanched sea asparagus with chopped tomato and onion for a quick salad. 

 

 

If only more people could request local produce like this in our grocery stores and restaurants, our farming industry would be in better shape and we could reduce our dependence on food imported from the mainland.

 

Grow, eat, grow... all local. I like the sound of that.  

 

--RAP