Marshall welcomes new a tea, home and garden store, Ginny Lou’s
Marshall welcomes new tea, home and garden store, Ginny Lou’s, where roughly 80% of the items in the shop are locally sourced, according to the owner.
- Tomato season is underway in Buncombe and Henderson counties, with local farms and markets offering fresh tomatoes.
- Local restaurants like Bonito Kitchen are incorporating fresh tomatoes into their seasonal menus.
- Tomato enthusiasts can enjoy simple snacks like classic tomato sandwiches or explore more complex dishes like tomato pie or tomato chips.
ASHEVILLE – The time has come to pluck tomatoes from the vine for your favorite summer dishes, whether it’s a towering BLT, a piping hot tomato pie straight from the oven, or a refreshing tomato and watermelon salad.
Gary Steiner, a farmer and co-owner of Bee-utiful Farm and Garden in Hendersonville, said that tomatoes may be found at local farms and markets as early as June or July. However, the tomato season traditionally begins on Aug. 1 for Buncombe and Henderson counties.
Farmers markets and farm-to-table restaurants are ideal for those seeking fresh tomato-based bites and sips.
Christopher “Cookie” Hadley, chef and owner of Bonito Kitchen, the resident food partner at the Asheville lounge, The Hound, sources heirloom cherry tomato blends from Sunny Creek Farm in Tryon. Two new tomato dishes on the restaurant’s seasonal menu are the Lomi Lomi Salmon and the Pipirrana con Bonito.
“These were dishes designed for lighter, summer fare, and because good tomatoes are starting to come around,” Hadley said.
The dishes will remain on Bonito’s menu as long as “good tomatoes” are available.
Here are some ways local events and restaurants are marking the arrival of tomato season, including a festive Tomato Day event in Hendersonville. Plus, tips for picking the perfect tomato, and recipes to help you celebrate summer harvests.
Tomato Day season kickoff
The Hendersonville Farmers Market will host its annual Tomato Day event from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. on July 26 at 650 Maple St, featuring live music by Rising Pine, a tomato cooking demonstration, a tomato-themed Kids’ Corner, operated by the Henderson County Girl Scouts, and the annual Tomato Beauty Pageant to select the best tomato at the market.
Also, say “hello” to the Tomato Day mascot, Terrye Tomato.
More than 45 vendors will be at the Hendersonville Farmers Market with products, such as meat, cut flowers, fresh coffee, baked goods, plants and artisan crafts. Nearly a dozen local farmers will be selling tomatoes and other seasonal harvests.
For more about Tomato Day and the Hendersonville Farmers Market, visit hendersonvillefarmersmarket.org. For more Western North Carolina farmers markets’ schedules and details, visit asapconnections.org/find-local-food/farmers-markets/.
Classic tomato sandwiches and other simple snacks
At Tomato Day event, guests may receive a free, half-sized tomato sandwich made by farmers market volunteers, while supplies last.
“It’s not unusual for people to drive two hours just to come to Tomato Day. In the past, we’ve had people drive from Charlotte to get a free tomato sandwich,” Steiner said.
The classic tomato sandwich reigns supreme, made with white bread, mayonnaise and fresh, sliced tomatoes. Duke’s mayo is the popular choice in the Carolinas.
When it comes to a good tomato, a recipe can be as complex or simple as desired.
Hadley said he loves a traditional Southern tomato pie. He’s also prone to slicing tomatoes with a high-quality olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkle of cracked pepper and salt.
Steiner said one can’t go wrong with any mix of tomato and fresh basil.
However, one of his favorite homemade snacks is tomato chips. He said he makes them by slicing cherry tomatoes in half, laying them out on a baking sheet, drizzling them with a bit of olive oil, adding a dash of sea salt, and baking them until they’re slightly crunchy and leathery.
“You have a dried tomato chip and they’re as good or better than potato chips,” Steiner said.
Farm-to-table tomato dishes
Diners will likely see more tomato dishes offered at WNC farm-to-table restaurants in the coming weeks.
Bonito Kitchen’s new Lomi Lomi Salmon dish is an homage to a traditional Hawaiian ceviche, made with diced salmon cured with Hawaiian sea salt, tomatoes, sweet onions, scallions, and a touch of chili flakes and lemon. It’s served with a side of housemade taro chips.
The Pipirrana con Bonito is Hadley’s take on a classic Andalusian salad, prepared with marinated vegetables, including tomatoes, macerated with garlic and sherry vinegar. It’s served with tinned Spanish white tuna over a bed of greens, with pickled Spanish peppers, Gordal olives and house cucumbers.
“You don’t know what a tomato tastes like until you eat a local tomato that’s not been refrigerated, either off the vine or ripened a little bit on your windowsill,” Hadley said.
How to pick the perfect tomato
Steiner said that many people seek out heirloom tomatoes, which he said are great for flavor, but unlike hybrids, can lack disease resistance. He said disease-resistant varieties reduce or eliminate the need for local farmers to spray pesticides, like commercial growers, and offer organic selections.
“There are some hybrid varieties out there that have disease resistance and still have the heirloom flavor,” he said.
Steiner said that when it comes to flavor, the “perfect tomato” should be vine-ripened.
Bee-utiful Farm and Garden’s tomatoes may be picked from the vine up to four days before arriving at a local market, allowing them to keep their flavor. Steiner said it’s a clear difference from commercial grocery store tomatoes, which are typically picked while still green and unripened to hold up during long-distance travel.
“Everybody’s got a different palate. … One person may prefer an acidic tomato ― that strong tomato flavor ― and others may prefer mild, and you can get all that in heirlooms or the contrast in hybrids,” Steiner said. “It all comes down to if you get the vine-ripe tomato or not; that’s where you’re going to get your flavor.”
Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Tips, comments, questions? Email tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow @PrincessOfPage on Instagram.
