Today we’re going to tell you a little story.

So there are these people with a farm who grow really good tomatoes and other produce.

Richard and June Ha, owners of Hamakua Springs Country Farms

And there’s this guy who runs a culinary program at Hawai‘i Community College.

Chef Allan Okuda, visiting Hamakua Springs

And this celebrity chef whose Honolulu restaurant was recently named 8th Best in the country by Gourmet magazine.

Alan Wong at a Hamakua Springs cookout last year, chatting with Richard’s mom Florence Ha

They are all in cahoots this year—they’re getting together and having a Tomato Recipe contest. You might have heard Richard talking about it recently on KWXX with Mynah Bird.

Radio personality Mynah Bird (right) likes to cook, and said he might submit a recipe. Richard said they’d have to omit his name to make it fair, and Mynah Bird said, “Don’t do that!” Everybody laughed.

Contest categories this year are Entrees; Soups & Bisques; and Preserves & Condiments. If you were going to enter, you’d send us your original recipe by January 31st.

After our judges go through the entries, students in Chef Okuda’s food service program at HCC will prepare the top ranking recipes. Here’s how it looked last year.

A student explaining the finer point of presentation to Richard

HCC food service students toured Hamakua Springs last year before the contest

Then the judges, including Chef Alan Wong, will sample the recipes.

Richard and Alan at Hamakua Springs last year; and below, last year’s judges

The whole thing will be taped and aired on Kama‘aina Backroads.

Roland Torres of Kama‘aina Backroads and Leslie Lang of this blog

Some absolutely amazing dishes in each category will earn a lucky few some very nice cash and gift certificates.

Back row: Chancellor Rockne Freitas, Marlene Hapai, Chef Okuda; front row Chef Sandy Barr with two students

Winners from the neighbor islands will be given a roundtrip ticket on Go! Hawai‘i’s Low Fare Airline so they can come tour Hamakua Farms on the Big Island with Richard.

And all because they read the official entry info and emailed us a recipe before January 31st.

YOU could be one of our winners, you know. Send us that recipe soon!