ROCHESTER, NY – Do tomatoes taste better in a BLT, in salsa, or in a Caprese salad? You can argue about why you prefer one over the others, but there’s really no dispute about when homegrown tomatoes taste their best. It’s when the summer sun has kissed them until they blush. That late-summer flavor is now and it’s the best reason to come to the Local Tomato Harvest celebration at all Wegmans Food Stores, on Friday August 10, 4-8 p.m. and Saturday, August 11, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
As customers shop, they’ll see clusters of red balloons throughout the store beckoning them to stop by for taste treats like the Heirloom Tomato Salad, Tomato Parmesan Bread, or Peppadew, Tomato and Hummus Naan Pizza. “Passports” distributed at the store’s entrance will map out stations and offer tomato tips and recipes for some of the dishes being sampled. Activity sheets for kids will also be available. Hungry for more? Go to wegmans.com/tomatorecipes.
Here’s a preview of what’s at tasting stations:
•Wegmans Mild Organic Salsa with Multi-Grain Tortilla Rounds – in store entryway
•Caprese Salad (slices of tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese, accented with a chiffonade of basil) – in produce
•Heirloom Tomato Salad (red and gold tomatoes with Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing) – in produce
•Ciabatta Baguette with Tomato Bruschetta topping – in bakery
•Peppadew, Tomato and Hummus Naan Pizza (perfect for the grill) – in prepared foods
•Roasted Tomato Basil Soup – in prepared foods
•European Baguette – (Euro-style sandwich with prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, sliced plum tomatoes and lettuce with a pesto mayonnaise) – in prepared foods
•Caprese Salad with Pine Nuts & Dressing (one of the popular “grab and go” salads that’s a great summertime dinner entree) – in prepared foods
•Salad-tasting selection, including Tomato, Asiago and Pasta; Caprese; Wegmans Greek Pasta with Feta and Tomatoes, and Asian Cucumber Salad – at Fresh Foods Bar
•BLT Sandwich with Beefsteak or Heirloom Tomatoes and Wegmans’ Applewood Smoked Bacon – in Meat Department
Tomatoes have become more popular each year according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which pays attention to what we eat. The USDA says the tomato is the nation's fourth most popular fresh vegetable, just behind potatoes, lettuce, and onions. The USDA attributes the nation’s growing appetite for tomatoes to the popularity of salads, salad bars, and bacon-lettuce-tomato (BLT) and submarine (sub) sandwiches, as well as an expanded emphasis on health and nutrition.
The Local Tomato Harvest is the third event Wegmans stores have hosted this year to encourage customers to taste vegetables at their peak-of-the-season flavors and learn new ways of enjoying them at home with easy, healthy recipes. Stores held a Grilling Harvest event in June, a Local Corn Harvest event in July, and wrap up with the Local Tomato Harvest.
Eating more vegetables is a good thing, nutritionists say. “Our ‘Half-Plate Healthy’ guideline can help people balance foods to feel their best,” says Jane Andrews MS, RD, Wegmans Nutrition and Product Labeling Manager. “Filling half your plate with vegetables and fruits makes it easier to stay at a healthy weight, have better blood pressure readings, and reduce the risk of certain health problems.”
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the next “Taste the Flavors of Summer” event, the Local Tomato Harvest, August 10 and 11 at all Wegmans stores.
Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is an 80-store supermarket chain with stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, and Massachusetts. The family-owned company, founded in 1916, is recognized as an industry leader and innovator. Wegmans has been named one of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ by FORTUNE magazine for fifteen consecutive years. In 2012, Wegmans ranked #4 on the list.
Source: Wegmans Food Markets, Inc.