It’s August, it’s hot, and while it’s the season of tomato-picking for many of us, it’s also the season of tomato festivals! Tomato-inspired events are popping up across the country, including one that caught our eye in Nashville, Tennessee. The city just hosted its fourth annual Tomato Art Festival featuring a range of artwork and activities that capture the true essence of tomatoes. Showcases included various tomato contests, tomato parades--even tomato fashion shows! Check out some of the beautiful, wild and crazy tomatoes here and here. Who'd have thought that a celebration of tomatoes could bring over 10,000 people together to bond over sharing delicious tomato recipes, tomato music, and of course, the tomato art!?!
Have any tomato art of your own? We'd love for you to send us pictures of your creations! We love all that is tomato and we want to see how creative you can be with them! BETTER YET- get in on our "Ugliest tomato contest." As the proud grower of UGLYRIPES, we think the most beautiful "works of art" are ridgy, creviced, wrinkly bulbous, crazy-looking tomatoes. Bonus points if you report in that your homegrown summer gem also tasted delicious. As a reminder- all contest entries should be sent to santa.sweets@gmail.com. A full description of the contest and the mouth-watering grand prize is detailed in our last post.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Monday, August 6, 2007
CONTEST: SHOW US YOUR UGLIEST TOMATO!
Greetings fellow tomato lovers! It’s that time of year again. August is upon us and you know what that means… TOMATO PICKING! The vines of your homegrown tomato plants have spent the past few weeks soaking in the sun and drinking lots of water. Now they are drooping to the ground under the weight of your delicious red (or maybe still green) tomatoes.
We here at Santa Sweets want to see if you can give our UGLYRIPES a run for their money— show us YOUR ugly and strange looking tomatoes! That’s right folks, step into your garden, find the ugliest tomato on your plant and send us a picture. We’re looking for weird shapes, bulges, dents and formations on your tomatoes. Slice one open and see an image of Abraham Lincoln? Send us a picture of your tomato (then sell it on eBay)!
On the first day of autumn— September 22, we will select the ugliest tomato, feature it right here on our blog, and ship its proud owner a box of UGLYRIPE tomatoes to enjoy into the fall months, after your personal garden has shut down for the summer. Remember, UGLYRIPE tomatoes are spectacular year round!
Email your photos to us at santa.sweets@gmail.com. If you have a story to go along with it too, we'd love to hear it.
By submitting your photos and stories, you agree to allow Santa Sweets to post them to our blog or webpage without cost. We will make every effort to credit you for the photo(s) you submit, however the image becomes our property. Thanks for understanding.
We here at Santa Sweets want to see if you can give our UGLYRIPES a run for their money— show us YOUR ugly and strange looking tomatoes! That’s right folks, step into your garden, find the ugliest tomato on your plant and send us a picture. We’re looking for weird shapes, bulges, dents and formations on your tomatoes. Slice one open and see an image of Abraham Lincoln? Send us a picture of your tomato (then sell it on eBay)!
On the first day of autumn— September 22, we will select the ugliest tomato, feature it right here on our blog, and ship its proud owner a box of UGLYRIPE tomatoes to enjoy into the fall months, after your personal garden has shut down for the summer. Remember, UGLYRIPE tomatoes are spectacular year round!
Email your photos to us at santa.sweets@gmail.com. If you have a story to go along with it too, we'd love to hear it.
By submitting your photos and stories, you agree to allow Santa Sweets to post them to our blog or webpage without cost. We will make every effort to credit you for the photo(s) you submit, however the image becomes our property. Thanks for understanding.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Tasty Tomatoes: The New Grocery Store Staple!
This week we've been hard at work, trying to brainstorm ways of making the UGLYRIPE more accessible to you.
The cartoon above represents the idea that a summer-tasting tomato can now (and should be) considered a grocery store staple--along with milk, bread and eggs. The idea that you should come to expect UGLYRIPES to be a produce aisle regular at your local grocer is now a feasible opportunity. We're working with chains across the U.S. to make sure that's the case. If you want UGLYRIPES at your local store, mention it to the produce manager. Your kind words and support mean more than you know!
Friday, July 13, 2007
The World's Newest Celebrity Chef
The biggest little chef in America right now is Remy, the rat hero/gourmand/celebrity chef in Disney's new movie Ratatouille:
If you haven't seen this endearing and funny flick about the world of haute cuisine and the notion that "anyone can cook," not only do I recommend it, but just about every movie critic and food critic in America does as well.
If you have made it out to the theater for Ratatouille, you know that Remy achieves his celebrity chef status by getting back to basics and cooking a traditional French vegetable stew--ratatouille--for France's toughest food critic (the "bad guy"). One bite of the dish, featuring summer squash, zucchini, tomatoes and onions (although there are many varying recipes) transports the evil critic back to his childhood, when his mother prepared ratatouille for him as a comfort food.
Tomatoes, one of the ingredients Remy uses in his preparation of the ratatouille that makes him famous, is my comfort food. Is there any food ingrained in your memories- a comfort food- that can transport you back to a time and place?
Remy the rat's knack for cooking stems from his heightened sense of taste and appreciation for premium foods (I also happen to think Remy would love UGLYRIPES! Or bite sized grape tomatoes- the perfect size for him). I also happen to see a similarity between Remy and our UGLYRIPE: You have to taste it to believe it.
No one wanted to eat gourmet food prepared by a rat. In fact, the notion was unthinkable. But one bite of Remy's creations and the only thing that mattered to his patrons (and critics) was taste. Similarly, you can't always judge a tomato by its appearance. One bite of an UGLYRIPE and you'll know that taste is all that matters in choosing a tomato. The common thread is flavor--everything else goes out the window.
I'll leave you with a recent ratatouille recipe--inspired by the movie--published by the Associated Press.
And finally, here are some other blogs and articles that have been inspired to talk ratatouille recipes after seeing the movie (many which are much simpler than the movie's version of the recipe):
Glittering Muse: "I LOVE the dish ratatouille. It’s one of the first things I learned to make. What’s great about it is its flexibility. Once you have any combination of the basic ingredients you can do just about any proportions and it turns out nicely. Lots of room for creativity, which I love."
Kalyn's Kitchen: "Maybe the movie Ratatouille will get kids to like vegetables again. I know that when we walked out of the theater, my nephew Ethan asked me "What did the rat cook for the bad man?""
USA Today: "Chef Emeril Lagasse treated comedian Patton Oswalt — who voices the star of the upcoming film Ratatouille— to a heaping helping of actual ratatouille on his Food Network show, Emeril Live! Here's the recipe..."
Will Work For Food: "Ratatouille is being called one of the best movies of the year. I totally agree. As posted before, the crew and animators were trained to cook by Thomas Keller, meaning they ate well and were taught by one of the best. But did it pay off? Were the animated cooking scenes authentic and realistic enough?"
Ruhlman's Blog: "Last weekend Chef Pardus called me to say if I didn’t take my kids that very weekend to Ratatouille, I was a loser. This from the same guy who called me a wuss because I didn’t want to drive 30 miles through a blizzard to make a bechamel sauce. I tend to listen to him. He said, “Ratatouille gets it, it totally gets chef culture.” The reason for his delight is first that chef culture is important to him and second that it’s almost never gotten right."
If you haven't seen this endearing and funny flick about the world of haute cuisine and the notion that "anyone can cook," not only do I recommend it, but just about every movie critic and food critic in America does as well.If you have made it out to the theater for Ratatouille, you know that Remy achieves his celebrity chef status by getting back to basics and cooking a traditional French vegetable stew--ratatouille--for France's toughest food critic (the "bad guy"). One bite of the dish, featuring summer squash, zucchini, tomatoes and onions (although there are many varying recipes) transports the evil critic back to his childhood, when his mother prepared ratatouille for him as a comfort food.
Tomatoes, one of the ingredients Remy uses in his preparation of the ratatouille that makes him famous, is my comfort food. Is there any food ingrained in your memories- a comfort food- that can transport you back to a time and place?
Remy the rat's knack for cooking stems from his heightened sense of taste and appreciation for premium foods (I also happen to think Remy would love UGLYRIPES! Or bite sized grape tomatoes- the perfect size for him). I also happen to see a similarity between Remy and our UGLYRIPE: You have to taste it to believe it.
No one wanted to eat gourmet food prepared by a rat. In fact, the notion was unthinkable. But one bite of Remy's creations and the only thing that mattered to his patrons (and critics) was taste. Similarly, you can't always judge a tomato by its appearance. One bite of an UGLYRIPE and you'll know that taste is all that matters in choosing a tomato. The common thread is flavor--everything else goes out the window.
I'll leave you with a recent ratatouille recipe--inspired by the movie--published by the Associated Press.
And finally, here are some other blogs and articles that have been inspired to talk ratatouille recipes after seeing the movie (many which are much simpler than the movie's version of the recipe):
Glittering Muse: "I LOVE the dish ratatouille. It’s one of the first things I learned to make. What’s great about it is its flexibility. Once you have any combination of the basic ingredients you can do just about any proportions and it turns out nicely. Lots of room for creativity, which I love."
Kalyn's Kitchen: "Maybe the movie Ratatouille will get kids to like vegetables again. I know that when we walked out of the theater, my nephew Ethan asked me "What did the rat cook for the bad man?""
USA Today: "Chef Emeril Lagasse treated comedian Patton Oswalt — who voices the star of the upcoming film Ratatouille— to a heaping helping of actual ratatouille on his Food Network show, Emeril Live! Here's the recipe..."
Will Work For Food: "Ratatouille is being called one of the best movies of the year. I totally agree. As posted before, the crew and animators were trained to cook by Thomas Keller, meaning they ate well and were taught by one of the best. But did it pay off? Were the animated cooking scenes authentic and realistic enough?"
Ruhlman's Blog: "Last weekend Chef Pardus called me to say if I didn’t take my kids that very weekend to Ratatouille, I was a loser. This from the same guy who called me a wuss because I didn’t want to drive 30 miles through a blizzard to make a bechamel sauce. I tend to listen to him. He said, “Ratatouille gets it, it totally gets chef culture.” The reason for his delight is first that chef culture is important to him and second that it’s almost never gotten right."
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Of Fireworks and Summer Picnics
A post from one of our blog managers, Leslie:
I hope everyone enjoyed their 4th of July holiday! I was in Washington DC, for the national fireworks (or as my friend's three-year-old like to call them: "Sky Pops"). Narrowly avoiding a rain-out, the skies cleared just in time for a beautiful show over the Washington Monument.
In the grand tradition of Fourth of July picnics, I grilled out with some friends at their house a few blocks away from the Capitol. They provided the grilled food and drinks, and asked everyone else to bring a dish to share.
My contribution to the pot luck was UGLYRIPE tomatoes- sliced and drizzled with a bit of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and a dash of black pepper. It turned out to be the hit of the party (not to degrade the deliciousness of the grilled burgers and dogs, by any means, though!)
For such a simple dish, the compliments piled in. When a tomato tastes that good on its own, it's hard to accept praise--but I did anyway :)
For my next foray into "UGLY" food prep, I'm thinking of chopping up that very concoction and adding it to a slice of toast topped with a basil leaf for some fresh bruschetta. Or chopping it up and tossing it with some fresh mozzarella to make my own version of an UGLYRIPE salad. I think they'll be doubly impressed when I show up with a similar, but equally as "summer-tomato-goodness-y" dish around Christmas time...
My new secret to creating praise-worthy pot luck dishes is relying on excellent ingredients. If you've got a great tasting base (such as an UGLYRIPE) to begin with, there's little room for error!
By the way, if anyone has any suggestions on improving or adding to my "recipes," We'd all love to hear about it!
I hope everyone enjoyed their 4th of July holiday! I was in Washington DC, for the national fireworks (or as my friend's three-year-old like to call them: "Sky Pops"). Narrowly avoiding a rain-out, the skies cleared just in time for a beautiful show over the Washington Monument.
In the grand tradition of Fourth of July picnics, I grilled out with some friends at their house a few blocks away from the Capitol. They provided the grilled food and drinks, and asked everyone else to bring a dish to share.
My contribution to the pot luck was UGLYRIPE tomatoes- sliced and drizzled with a bit of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and a dash of black pepper. It turned out to be the hit of the party (not to degrade the deliciousness of the grilled burgers and dogs, by any means, though!)
For such a simple dish, the compliments piled in. When a tomato tastes that good on its own, it's hard to accept praise--but I did anyway :)
For my next foray into "UGLY" food prep, I'm thinking of chopping up that very concoction and adding it to a slice of toast topped with a basil leaf for some fresh bruschetta. Or chopping it up and tossing it with some fresh mozzarella to make my own version of an UGLYRIPE salad. I think they'll be doubly impressed when I show up with a similar, but equally as "summer-tomato-goodness-y" dish around Christmas time...
My new secret to creating praise-worthy pot luck dishes is relying on excellent ingredients. If you've got a great tasting base (such as an UGLYRIPE) to begin with, there's little room for error!
By the way, if anyone has any suggestions on improving or adding to my "recipes," We'd all love to hear about it!
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Tomato Technology
Although I’ve never gotten involved with genetically modified produce, and don’t particularly plan on it, I find it very interesting to read about some of the developments others are making in that realm.
This topic, particularly with regard to tomatoes, came to mind this week after reading an article online about tomatoes being genetically modified to smell like roses. Take a look:
GM tomato has floral, fruity smell
25 Jun, 2007 / 0223 hrs / STlAFP
PARIS: Israeli researchers say they have genetically engineered tomatoes to give hints of lemon and rose aromas that have done well in testing on volunteers.
The transgenic tomato includes a gene from a variety of lemon basil, Ocimum basilicum, that produces an aroma-making enzyme called geraniol synthase, Efraim Lewinsohn of Newe Yaar Research Centre and colleagues report.
Read the full article here.
I can appreciate advances in “tomato technology.” In fact, I’ve made it my life’s work to advance the flavor of tomatoes. I also don’t think researchers and growers can really hurt anything by offering something new and innovative. But personally, I think this particular tomato is doomed to fail.
Why?
Tomatoes were never meant to smell like roses. Or taste like “lemon basil.” Tomatoes should taste like tomatoes.
Sometimes I think that some of the “traditional” tomatoes that you get at the grocery store don’t really taste like tomatoes either. But that’s for another post…
The motto we stand by at Santa Sweets is “Focus on Flavor.” But I’ll take this opportunity to clarify that the flavor I speak of is not rose or lemon or peppermint or blue raspberry—It’s that unmistakable juicy sweetness you get when slicing into a perfectly ripe homegrown tomato. That should be the aim of tomato growers.
Can your taste buds transport you to the glory days of summer when backyard heirlooms abound and you’re never short on slices to top burgers, toss into a tomato mozzarella salad or blend into gazpacho? I sure hope so, because that’s the experience I’m aiming for, for my customers.
This topic, particularly with regard to tomatoes, came to mind this week after reading an article online about tomatoes being genetically modified to smell like roses. Take a look:
GM tomato has floral, fruity smell
25 Jun, 2007 / 0223 hrs / STlAFP
PARIS: Israeli researchers say they have genetically engineered tomatoes to give hints of lemon and rose aromas that have done well in testing on volunteers.
The transgenic tomato includes a gene from a variety of lemon basil, Ocimum basilicum, that produces an aroma-making enzyme called geraniol synthase, Efraim Lewinsohn of Newe Yaar Research Centre and colleagues report.
Read the full article here.
I can appreciate advances in “tomato technology.” In fact, I’ve made it my life’s work to advance the flavor of tomatoes. I also don’t think researchers and growers can really hurt anything by offering something new and innovative. But personally, I think this particular tomato is doomed to fail.
Why?
Tomatoes were never meant to smell like roses. Or taste like “lemon basil.” Tomatoes should taste like tomatoes.
Sometimes I think that some of the “traditional” tomatoes that you get at the grocery store don’t really taste like tomatoes either. But that’s for another post…
The motto we stand by at Santa Sweets is “Focus on Flavor.” But I’ll take this opportunity to clarify that the flavor I speak of is not rose or lemon or peppermint or blue raspberry—It’s that unmistakable juicy sweetness you get when slicing into a perfectly ripe homegrown tomato. That should be the aim of tomato growers.
Can your taste buds transport you to the glory days of summer when backyard heirlooms abound and you’re never short on slices to top burgers, toss into a tomato mozzarella salad or blend into gazpacho? I sure hope so, because that’s the experience I’m aiming for, for my customers.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
And we're back!
Greetings, tomato lovers and connoisseurs! We're back! Thanks to everyone for the positive comments you've left while we were away from our computers. We've been busy growing more UGLYRIPES to meet the overwhelming demand!
This is my first personal post and I hope you'll be patient while I get more familiar with blogging. But I promise to keep the site updated with posts about what's on my mind and address what's on your mind--your comments and questions--as best I can. In addition to my posts, some of the staff here will also be keeping the site updated with news, articles, commentary and other things that we think you'll find interesting.
So I'll take my first stab at answering some of the comments that have appeared. For our readers who have been inquiring to availability of UGLYRIPES, our time off from blogging has served you well. I'm pleased to report that we have built up our supply of both conventional and organically-grown UGLYRIPEtomatoes in the time since the USDA ruled in favor of taste over beauty-enough to make sure that every grocery store that wants them has them.
So if you're missing UGLYRIPES in your neighborhood, we have 'em. Just ask your grocer to stock them. If you still can't find them, post a note here with your city and state and I'll make sure that we personally track down the closest location where they are currently available.
The Santa Sweets crew and I look forward to a summer filled with tasty, juicy tomatoes and the assurance that after the summer passes, we'll finally have a fall and winter free of the Florida Tomato Committee's shape restrictions that will allow us to enjoy flavorful backyard-style tomatoes long after the summer has passed. You no longer have to settle for tomatoes that look great but taste bland in the winter.
I'd also like to encourage your participation on the blog and encourage you to use the comment section to start a conversation! Got a favorite tomato recipe to share? This is the place. Want to tell us your beef about someone's beefsteak? Let us know. So now it's your turn. Let us know what's on your mind!
Joe Procacci
This is my first personal post and I hope you'll be patient while I get more familiar with blogging. But I promise to keep the site updated with posts about what's on my mind and address what's on your mind--your comments and questions--as best I can. In addition to my posts, some of the staff here will also be keeping the site updated with news, articles, commentary and other things that we think you'll find interesting.
So I'll take my first stab at answering some of the comments that have appeared. For our readers who have been inquiring to availability of UGLYRIPES, our time off from blogging has served you well. I'm pleased to report that we have built up our supply of both conventional and organically-grown UGLYRIPEtomatoes in the time since the USDA ruled in favor of taste over beauty-enough to make sure that every grocery store that wants them has them.
So if you're missing UGLYRIPES in your neighborhood, we have 'em. Just ask your grocer to stock them. If you still can't find them, post a note here with your city and state and I'll make sure that we personally track down the closest location where they are currently available.
The Santa Sweets crew and I look forward to a summer filled with tasty, juicy tomatoes and the assurance that after the summer passes, we'll finally have a fall and winter free of the Florida Tomato Committee's shape restrictions that will allow us to enjoy flavorful backyard-style tomatoes long after the summer has passed. You no longer have to settle for tomatoes that look great but taste bland in the winter.
I'd also like to encourage your participation on the blog and encourage you to use the comment section to start a conversation! Got a favorite tomato recipe to share? This is the place. Want to tell us your beef about someone's beefsteak? Let us know. So now it's your turn. Let us know what's on your mind!
Joe Procacci
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