Man from Sicily cultivated tomatoes to his taste on Maui
As we sat at Basil Tomatoes Italian Grille on the Maui island of Hawaii just before sunset, a spectacular backlit cloud formed a silver streak over the Pacific Ocean.
Between bites of basil tomato bread dipped in Italian butter, sweet fresh tomatoes and savory rich pomodoro sauce, we watched the last rays of sunlight disappear as another day in paradise came to a close.
Though there’s plenty to keep you busy on the islands — tackling the tides, biking the volcanoes or lazing under a palm tree — it was homegrown tomatoes that captured our attention on this day.
Jon Applegate opened the restaurant, which is in an old golf course clubhouse on the grounds of Ka’anapali Royal Lahaina Resort, in 1995. Rarely do they advertise, relying instead on the word of mouth that goes hand in hand with great taste.
The incredibly sweet, delicious varieties of tomatoes that dominate the restaurant tables are vineripened hydroponics raised at Applegate’s Olowalu Nui Farm about 30 minutes away in the West Maui Mountains.
“My father was Sicilian.
The only reason he built the farm was he couldn’t find good tomatoes,” said Haku Applegate, the restaurant’s co-owner and manager.
We took up the invitation to follow the Olowalu Nui Farm manager, Ron Hazel, in his yellow pickup and bounced down a dirt road to see the 10,000 tomato plants growing under his care.
At the Olowalu Nui Farm they raise red and yellow beefsteak varieties and heirloom tomatoes. The area’s climate with little rain, lots of heat and sun and warm humid air, contributes to the quality of the fruit.
“For us, it is 90 days from seed to pulling fruit,” Hazel said.
“But our claim to fame is that we don’t pick them until they are ready. It is the lycopene that gives the tomatoes their taste. If the tomato hasn’t developed on the vine there is no taste. If the tomatoes have been picked early, the lycopene, which is the sugars, has not developed in the fruit.”
Hazel first directed us to the keiki (seed) house where trays hold 5,000 to 6,000 seedlings.
From there, the tiny plants in their Rockwool cubes are placed in troughs made from PVC pipe. They are watered and fertilized several times a day through a gravity flow system to alleviate algae and viruses.
Pollination is big factor. As the plants mature, often they use a leaf blower on every flowering branch. Tomatoes can grow up to 30 feet and must be tied up with twine.
As they begin to produce, Hazel leaves three tomatoes on each truss and trims off the marble-size tomatoes. The plant continues to grow for six to nine months, each yielding about 30 pounds of tomatoes.
“When the plant starts to produce spindly fruit, it is on its way out,” Hazel noted.
Picking, washing and boxing the fruit is a daily task for Hazel and seven other employees. The Olowalu Nui Farm sells 1,000 pounds of tomatoes each week with distribution only on Maui.
Tomatoes off the vine are used to create freshly prepared sauces, salads and the restaurant’s Tomato Basil Bread.
“The chef starts with 30 gallons of tomatoes for the pomodoro sauce, which takes five hours to cook down to 15 gallons,” managing partner Jack Kaahui said.
Even with the shades pulled up as the sun goes down, the air is filled with the simmering scent of sumptuous thickening sauces.
“As an Italian, my dad loved the vibrant flavors. He used seven different herbs, twice as much garlic and onions,” Haku Applegate said. “And when he put the fork in the tomato sauce, if it would fall through, it was a ‘no go’.”
Basil Tomatoes Italian Grille, 2760 Kekaa Drive in Lahaina, Hawaii, is open daily from 5 to 9 p.m. They can be reached at 808-662-3210. PHOTOS COURTESY OF POLLY KOLSTAD
On the Road
— Polly Kolstad
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