food

Tour Hope Farms — and its 40 Tomato Varietals — on June 1. Tastes Like Summer!

Tour Hope Farms — and its 40 Tomato Varietals — on June 1. Tastes Like Summer!

FOR MANY, NOTHING shouts summer more than a fresh, farm-grown tomato. What you find in supermarkets just can’t compare. Oh, the tender flesh warmed by the sun. The savory delight of the tangy juice drizzling down one’s chin. Homegrown tomatoes bring us to our knees with their juicy flavors! BLT, anyone?

Just in time for the turn of the season, Hope Farms is boasting 40 varieties of the popular “love apple” in its fields. The urban farm, located minutes from Downtown Houston, has begun to harvest the dazzling variety of heirloom and cherry tomatoes, which are on offer at Saturday markets and through subscription farm shares. Proceeds from produce sales benefit Recipe for Success Foundation, which founded the farm in 2016.

“I L.O.V.E. tomatoes,” gushes Recipe for Success founder Gracie Cavnar. “They are the ultimate umami flavor to me. We usually grow about two dozen kinds, but this year, we are experimenting with some new varietals as well as offering our classics. From home cooks to our top chefs, everyone is waiting to get their hands on these lovelies, and they sell out early on Saturdays.”

Ever tried a Lemon Boy, Sunrise Sauce or Mr. Stripey? How about a Red Torch or Ella Bella tomato? The Hope Farms Tomato Tasting and Farm Walk on June 1 is your chance to learn about all the flavor and texture nuances and find your preference. Other varieties that Hope Farms has planted include Chefs Choice Bi-color; Celebrity, Sunny Boy, Big Beef and more. This crop was planted after Houston’s last winter freeze, a season which is typically ready for harvest in the late spring.

Donors to the Recipe for Success Annual Fund are rewarded with an invitation to the event, where guests can sample dozens of varieties and pick their favorite. (Here’s a link to becoming a donor and securing an invite!) Alternatively, from now until the heat knocks them down, tomato lovers can get their fill at one of the Hope Farms Market Days (9am-1pm on Saturdays; 4-7pm on the first Wednesday of each month) or through a Seasonal Farm Share, which is delivered weekly to subscriber’s homes. Don’t miss out on the short but sweet Texas tomato season.

Sungold tomatoes are one of 40 varietals grown at Hope Farms (Photo by Daniel Ortiz)

Sungold tomatoes on the vine

Saturday Market at Hope Farms

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
Food
promoted

With Expertise in Blondes, Extensions and More, the Janelle Alexis Team Is a Go-To Salon

Al Torres
With Expertise in Blondes, Extensions and More, the Janelle Alexis Team Is a Go-To Salon

YOU CAN'T LIMIT Janelle to one title – Hairdresser. Her career and business has been established and built on a strong foundation. Using her two business degrees + one more in-process, this enables Janelle and the team to deliver not only a customer-focused experience, but a foundationally solid business. There is much more than meets the eye, and in sharing a little bit about Janelle, she was not only an international hair extension educator for over 14 years, but brings extensive expertise to blondes. She rounds this out with her previously launched namesake cosmetic line, which is a perfect complement to her belief that “Beauty is our Business”.

Keep Reading Show less
promoted

Fall Philanthropy Report: Easter Seals of Greater Houston ‘Impacts Where People Need Us the Most’

What year was your organization launched? Founded in Houston in 1947, as the Cerebral Palsy Treatment Center, the organization provided services to individuals with disabilities living in Houston and Harris County. In 1989, the organization changed its name and greatly expanded its services to meet the needs of its clientele. Today as Easter Seals Greater Houston, the organization provides multiple outstanding service programs to children, adults, veterans, and service members with all types of disabilities and their families in Harris and sixteen surrounding counties.

Keep Reading Show less
promoted

Leadership in Action: John Kuykendall Traded Newcaster Dream for Success in Luxury Retail

John Kuykendall, Showroom Manager, Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove

How did you get to where you are today? Growing up I had envisioned myself as a news anchor, living in NY and enthusiastically saying into the camera “Good Morning America!”. To this day, I am still a news/political junkie. My mother owned fur salons so specialty retail, luxury retail was in my blood through the family business. Eventually, mom shuttered the stores and I was recruited to a large specialty retailer. Over the next 30 years, I was in commissioned sales on the sales floor, became a department manager, worked my way up to buyer and store manager. Although I never became a newscaster, I did live in NYC for a few years. But Texas is home and with aging grandparents, I felt the pull to come back to my roots. A headhunter approached me. I never envisioned myself in the high-end appliance market, but there are so many similarities. Clients want a memorable experience; whether shopping for diamonds and fur or remodeling their kitchen.

Keep Reading Show less