Sunday evening Jenn (my fiancée, for those who don’t know me yet) and I went to Tomato Fare, an event by the Edmonton Regional Tourism Group. The event showcases local cuisine, arts and crafts, music, and – of course – lots of tomatoes.
The event was held at Country Road Greenhouses, just south of Sherwood Park in Strathcona County, a short 20 minute drive for us from the east side of the city. We wandered the site and partook in the Tomato Tasting, sampling such goodies as tomatillos, garden peaches, green zebras, sun bolds, and black klims. We got to take home three fresh tomatoes each as part of that. There was also tomato putting (like mini-golf, but with tomatoes), which sounded like fun, but wasn’t really my cup of tea.
Attendance picked up quite a bit by the time we got ourselves a couple of drinks – I’d say there were a good couple hundred people there. Jenn opted for a couple of wine samplers from Barr Estate Winery, a glass of raspberry wine and a glass of rhubarb wine. From my quick taste test, I found the raspberry wine was a bit tart but had good flavour, the rhubarb a bit less tart, and surprisingly flavourful. I liked the rhubarb wine the best, myself. I opted for a Charlie Flint’s from Alley Kat – always refreshing on a nice evening.
For food, we both got the Spring Creek Ranch Beef with Tomato Salad and Ricotta from Culina, and shared a plate of the Tomato Zucchini Salad with Basil and Black Currant Vinaigrette and a plate of Dill Garlic-Roasted Baby Potatoes, both from Prairie Gardens and Adventure Farm. The food was all very fresh and delicious. After we finished those, we were still a bit peckish, so we each tried a Roast Turkey and Havarti Panino with Sundried Pesto & Aioli from Salvatores Mediterranean Grill, which was also quite tasty.
For desert, we decided to give the Callebaut Chocolate Enrobed Bacon a try, as well as a Callebaut-dipped Strawberry, both from Dandee Confections and Cakes. The chocolate bacon was interesting, and tasty in that sweet-and-salty way. The bacon was a bit tough, but that comes with the challenge of having to keep it cold for the chocolate to stay solid I guess. There’s not much else to say about the chocolate strawberry, except that it is also always a refreshing treat, and Callebaut chocolate is always delicious.
We wandered the grounds for a bit longer while I took some photos, and then we headed home.
It was a fun event with a great atmosphere, and a great sampling of local veggies, cuisine, drinks, and culture. I will definitely consider returning next year.
