Grow. Harvest. Eat. Si!
There is nothing quite like buying fresh produce from a farm stand; it somehow makes the task of grocery shopping feel…well, romantic. Suddenly, I imagine I’m wearing a breezy white, linen dress, have long, golden locks, and am carrying a large, wicker basket. Realistically, you’d do better to bring a light sweater Upcountry, and the baskets – cumbersome, no? Kula Country’s farm stand tops my list of local produce stands. As the name implies, it is indeed located in the heart of Kula country. Upon exiting my car, earthy sweet scents of freshly picked greens (and yellows and reds and purples!) beckoned. The farm stand’s location boasts heavenly views of Maui. Inside the open air mini-market, the selection is plentiful (cabbage, beans, tomatoes, broccoli, eggplant, zucchini – to name a few) and affordable. A generous bag of Greenleaf lettuce (still with roots in water, keeping it that much fresher) sells for $1.75 a bag. Most prices (if not all) were under $2.50 p/lb. In addition to all the fruits and veggies, Kula Country offers a selection of fresh, local and homemade jam, syrup, barbeque sauce and raw honey. And don’t miss Kula Country’s second annual pumpkin patch. After filling my own (unromantic canvas) bag with produce, I gathered together a fragrant bunch of tuberose- 50 cents a stem. So do your own mind, body and this planet a world of good and treat yourself to locally grown food.
Location: On the makai (ocean) side Kula Highway, past Mile Marker 13 and past the fire station. (If you reach the Haleakala Crater Road, you’ve gone just a bit too far.)
Hours: Tuesday – Friday, 11-5; Saturday & Sunday, 11 – 4. Closed Mondays.
Recipe idea: The sweet corn tastes great on its own. But, for my second helping, I remembered a favorite Cuban treat from a fabulous New York haunt. Want a little Havannah spice in your life? Chile-Spiked Grilled Corn Rolled in Cotija Cheese. http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chile-spiked-grilled-corn-rolled-in-cotija-cheese