Tomato Festival set Aug. 9 at Lewes farmers market
The Historic Lewes Farmers Market will host the Eighth Annual Tomato Festival from 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Aug. 9, at the Lewes Historical Society Complex, 110 Shipcarpenter St. in Lewes. The HLFM is the largest producer-only market in Delaware.
HLFM vendors will have an array of delicious local tomatoes just picked and ready for the table. The bumper crop of tomatoes is offered in addition to a multitude of other fresh, local fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, chicken, freshly laid eggs, baked goods, milk, yogurt, ice cream, plants, herbs and fresh flowers. There will also be tomato pie, tomato basil sauce, tomato jam, tomato chutney, tomato hot pepper jelly, tomato basil soup, tomato tarts and other tomato-based offerings.
Patrons will have the opportunity to taste over 40 different varieties of ripe, juicy Delmarva tomatoes including many heirlooms. Tastings will be held at various vendors’ tents.
The Great Tomato Recipe Contest is from 9:30 until 11 a.m. Contestants have submitted their recipes and will bring to market their entries. There are three contest categories: Appetizers/Soups, Entrees (Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner) and Desserts/Drinks. A $100 gift certificate will go to the market as First Grand Prize. Second Grand Prize is a $75 gift certificate to the market. Third Grand Prize is $50 gift certificate to the market.
Five local chefs will serve as judges: Bill Clifton (Henlopen City Oyster House), Aaron Berg (The Buttery), Ian Crandall (Kindle), Jay Caputo (Espuma Restaurant and Martini Bar, Rose & Crown and Water Ice Shack) and Denise Clemons (Cape Gazette food editor). Winners will be announced when judging is complete, shortly after 11 a.m.
The winner of the Guess the Number of Cherry Tomatoes contest will receive an official HLFM T-shirt and a No Farms No Food baseball cap.
For young tomato lovers, Maureen Miller from the Lewes Public Library will read, "I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato" by Lauren Child during the Children’s Reading Hour in the School House at 9 a.m. Children will be treated to face painting beginning at 9:30 and the market's version of Corn Hole - Tomato Hole - as well.
The HLFM encourages market patrons to wear red to celebrate this year’s fabulous crop of tomatoes and the Historic Lewes Farmers Market Tomato Festival.
Saturday is the next chance to enter the raffle for the free bicycle the HLFM gives away every year. The bike this year is a 2014 Phat Sea Breeze Deluxe, Black Cherry Red Single Speed Cruiser; it comes with an easy-release basket that can be taken to market. The winning ticket will be drawn Saturday, Aug. 30 (Labor Day weekend). Market patrons can enter every Saturday.
The market continues to process SNAP (EBT Food Stamps). To help lower economic barriers to local, healthy food, the HLFM will match up to $10 with HLFM Bonus Bucks. SNAP participants can go to the SNAP Information Tent to redeem the Bonus Bucks incentive.
The HLFM has adopted a policy that pets (with the exception of service animals) are not permitted at the market.
This year, American Farmland Trust has a new I Love My Farmers Market Celebration to raise national awareness about local farmers markets and support family farmers. For more information, go to www.farmland.org.
To receive the HLFM newsletter, email historiclewesfarmersmarket@comcast.net to be added to the HLFM subscription list.
The Board of Directors of the HLFM is committed to supporting farmers and emerging farmers who grow local fruits, vegetables and produce, a real farmers market. More information about the market is available at www.historiclewesfarmersmarket.org. Find it too on Facebook.
