Tomatofare fuels sweet, acidic tastes

CRESCENT BAR -Whether you say "tomayto" or "tomahto," the countless heirloom varieties have been flooding the restaurant and market scene for the past decade.

Regional growers showed off more than 100 varieties of heirloom tomatoes including the wares of organizers Martin and Jennifer Ringhofer, of Soap Lake.

"It's much more than tomatoes," Martin said. "A lot of work goes into it, but it's also a lot of fun."

The couple views it as a labor of love rather than making money.

"It's not a profit," he said. "It's actually the reverse."

Even though the first crop the couple planted yielded 800 pounds of tomatoes from 30 plants, Martin said they sink several thousands of dollars each year into the project.

As Jennifer explained, hundreds of varieties of the fruit - or vegetable, depending on your definition - have been handed down generation after generation until they've stabilized.

Hence, of course, the descriptor "heirloom." They generally have better flavors than the hybrid version available at the grocery store, she said.

Tomatoes were on sale for $1 per pound, which is much less than the $8 per pound heirlooms go for in Western Washington.

Those types of seeds can then predictably grow the same types of tomatoes each year they're planted, with each variety having a different flavor

"The yellow ones are going to taste different from the purple ones, and they will taste different than that," Jennifer said, pointing out to several varieties on display. "Why? I don't know. That's just the variety that it is," she said.

Some experts say that the amount of lyocene, a vitamin usually found in tomatoes, controls acidity in the vegetable.

But different varietals may tastes sweeter, spicier or flatter than others.

"It is like wine. People's palettes are all different," Jennifer said. "It's just how your tastebuds process the flavor."

And speaking of wine, White Heron Cellars winery owner Cameron Fries said he was glad to host the event for the fifth time.

"Wherever you can grow grapes, you can grow tomatoes," Jennifer said, referring to the arid climate of Grant County. "That's why we like to pair up this event with a winery."

Fries, agreed saying Tomatofare was a perfect fit for his business.

"We make a relatively dry style of wine, which pairs well with foods," he said.

This was the first year that local chefs donated their time and ingredients to pair with the heirlooms.

Soap Lake's Sundial Bistro and Ephrata's Tequila's restaurants were both represented with tomato-infused delicacies.

The volunteer chefs received crates of tomatoes each.

Martin Ringhofer started the event more than six years ago when a cardiac condition forced him to quit work.

He and Jennifer began to garden as a hobby, and grew toward the heirlooms.

The Ringhofers also hold a separate tomatofare in Soap Lake during Labor Day weekend.

Soap Lake Mayor Raymond Gravelle said he was more than excited about the idea.

"It would be a very cool thing to bring this to Soap Lake, where we are, and where we came from," Martin, a Soap Lake resident, said.

In fact, when the couple had a trial run for the first Tomatofest at their home, more than 400 cars pulled up around their home, Martin said.

The couple are taking the tomatoes to some of the best restaurants in Seattle to get Grant County's name out in the gourmet food business.

"Some of the chefs actually came out to some of the growers we have, and they go through and pick this, pick this, pick that, and take them back," Martin said. "It promotes Grant County.

"I'm taking tomatoes by some of the people here and selling them to some of the best restaurants in Seattle. Not for money, but just to spread the word."