News > News > tomato_fest

Tasty tomato treats make last day of summer sweet

THE time's almost ripe for the fourth annual Fremantle Tomato Fest on February 29, featuring pomme d'amour galore.

A special event, featured as part of the Fremantle Village Art Market in Kings Square, it’s a chance to celebrate these juicy “love apples” (as the French say) and the sensational sauces made from them.

From 11am, there will be plenty of free tastings and demonstrations on how to make the best pasta with Fremantle Mayor Peter Tagliaferri on hand to dish out the goods from 12.30pm.

There’s also a tomato-throwing competition and entertainment from the Flying Carpathians and the Commedia Academy’s Antonio and Giovanni, plus free tomato seeds, making a grand finale for the last day of summer.

“The annual Tomato Fest is just like a taste of Italy right in the heart of the port city – plenty of red, ripe luscious tomatoes are the flavour of the day,” Market Coordinator Kylie Wheatley said.

“There’s an extra special vibe in the air, as we celebrate the diversity and flavour of one of our most popular staple foods.

“Every year, the Tomato Fest attracts hundreds of people wanting to try out a taste test while enjoying a grand day out as part of regular market day.”

Fremantle Mayor Peter Tagliaferri said he always looked forward to the opportunity to meet and greet people as he helped to dish out various types of pasta sauces.

“This is the sort of unique, fun and eclectic event that Fremantle is renowned for,” he said. “How else can I describe it other than ‘simply bellissimo!’?”

The Fremantle Tomato Fest is supported by Cicerello’s, the Fremantle Garden Centre, Organic Collective, Galati & Sons and the City of Fremantle.

All the latest information about what’s coming up at the Fremantle Village Art Market and how to get involved can be accessed at www.villageartmarket.com. It runs every Thursday and Friday until the end of April, 2008.

• For more information, contact Market Coordinator Kylie Wheatley on 0405 307 129 and e-mail kyliew@fremantle.wa.gov.au or kylie@redtentevents.com.au 

FAST TOMATO FACTS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

* There are at least 10,000 varieties of tomatoes with different shapes, sizes and colours. The smallest species are less than 2cm in diameter.
* China is the largest producer of tomatoes in the world, producing more than 16 per cent of all tomatoes.
* In botanical terms, the tomato is actually a fruit, although people treat it as a vegetable.
* The highest concentration of Vitamin C in tomatoes comes from the jelly-like substance around the seeds. They also contain Vitamins A and B.
* The first tomato plants were planted in Greece by Friar Francis in 1818, in the gardens of a Capuchin monastery at the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates (built 335 BC) in Athens.
* Tomatoes are a natural source of the antioxidant lycopene, which may help prevent heart disease. According to scientists, more lycopene is absorbed by the body from cooked tomatoes than from fresh tomatoes.