Big Whoop… at the 16th annual NatureSweet Carmel TomatoFest®, Sunday, September 16, 2007 from 12:30 – 4:30 p.m. at the magnificent Quail Lodge Resort in Carmel, California, you’ll be able to taste more than 350 varieties of delicious heirloom tomatoes!!
Founder/Director of the TomatoFest, Gary Ibsen, announced that 60 of America’s finest chefs will attend this year’s TomatoFest to offer guests outstanding culinary creations featuring heirloom tomatoes. Ibsen says, “Our gathering of culinary artists will present to our guests, classic tomato dishes and innovative food adventures. Attracting more than 3,000 tomato lovers from around the nation, and tomato growers from Canada, to Florida, from California to Texas, NatureSweet Carmel TomatoFest delivers what is considered one of the best food & wine events in California and “America’s favorite tomato harvest festival.�?
Sunset Magazine is again lined up as a primary festival sponsor and will host the Sunset Pavilion for culinary and gardening displays, and demonstrations.
The NatureSweet Carmel TomatoFest offers guests the opportunity to gratify their palate with a grand tasting of heirloom tomatoes, over 200 premium wines from California, a feast of gourmet tomato dishes created by leading chefs, an “International Olive Oil Tasting,�? a “Salsa Showcase�? tasting 90 tomato salsas from around the U.S., and an incredible, “old-fashioned�? BBQ. Festival attendees will also have the opportunity to enjoy live jazz, purchase hard-to-find heirloom tomato seeds and indulge themselves, all while enjoying the notoriously perfect “Indian Summer�? weather of the Monterey Peninsula.
General admission tickets at $95 are available in advance up to the day of the event and are limited to ensure a quality experience for all. Ticket includes entry, all food, wine tasting, wine glasses and the day’s activities. Children under the age of 12 with a parent are admitted free.
Net proceeds from the festivities are donated to regional and national youth-focused charities Tickets may be purchased through www.tomatofest.com or by calling 1-800-965-4827.
Founded and operated by Gary Ibsen in 1991, the TomatoFest has revitalized the appreciation and desire for true heirloom tomatoes over the years. Ibsen’s belief in sustainable farming and seed saving has inspired him to develop and grow heirloom tomato varieties for more than 30 years. For the 2007 season, he is currently growing more than 550 varieties of certified organic heirloom tomatoes from seeds originally sourced from family farms around the world. Ibsen’s hands-on production and harvest techniques ensure the highest quality product from harvest to table. For more information visit www.tomatofest.com or call 1-800-965-4827.