6th Annual Epicurean Tomato Fete

The Eastern Native Seed Conservancy holds its 6th annual Epicurean Tomato Fete at Eastover Resort in Lenox on Sunday, September 8 at 2 p.m. This year’s event features several renown chefs from Maine—Melissa Kelly from Primo in Rockland, formerly of the Old Chatham Sheepherding Company in Columbia County, NY; and Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier, chef-owners of the acclaimed Arrows Restaurant in Ogunquit, Maine. To complement the list is chef David Reynoso of Cafe Louis in Boston. Just named one of the top 25 restaurants in Boston by the Boston Globe, Cafe Louis is overseen by George Germon and Johanne Killeen, famed owners of Al Forno in Providence. According to Chef Kelly, "I'll drive six hours to be part of this event simply because it’s one of the most beautiful New England celebrations and it’s about preserving some of our best resources. As a chef I'm proud to be a participant."

From New York City, world famous restaurant Daniel will be represented by Chef Alex Lee, complemented by the renowned Floyd Cardoz from Tabla, Michel Nischan from Heartbeat, located in the Hotel W, and Peter Hoffman from Savoy. And from eastern Long Island will be Chef Robert Gurevich from Alison on the Beach.

The list of restaurants from the Berkshire region is formidable, representing some of the best chefs to be found in any rural setting outside of Europe. Chefs include William Webber of Verdura, Dan Smith from John Andrews and David Lawson of Aubergine in Hillsdale, NY, plus other great chefs including Shawn Boyle from Bistro Zinc, Jeff Waite from Old Inn on the Green, Chris Brooks from Blantyre, and more.

From nearby Northampton is the Pioneer Valley's best restaurant, Del Raye, featuring Patrick Shannon; and from the Hartford area will be Chef Chris Prosperi of Metrobis, one of Connecticut's premier restaurants.

Eastover is a brick Georgian Mansion built in 1910 on 1,500 acres of land as a summer home for a New York stockbroker. Sixty-five servants cared for the family from June to October, in addition to stables and formal gardens. Today Eastover is a conference and resort center on 1,000 acres and includes a Civil War museum and a herd of buffalo.

The Eastern Native Seed Conservancy, a nonprofit plant conservation organization, initiated the Fete as an outgrowth of its Heirloom Tomato Field Project. The Conservancy's mission links people with plants while preserving the rich diversity of our food plant heritage.

The Fete is a unique gathering of great chefs, each of whom prepares a dish based on one or more heirloom tomatoes and personally serves them to our guests. The Fete exemplifies the links between farmers, chefs, regional agriculture, plant conservation and great cooking. In this elegant setting chefs and farmers alike get to sample new and unique varieties, exchange ideas, and bask in the recognition of the fruits of their labors.

This year the Conservancy is growing out most of its historical tomato collection, which will be featured at the Fete. These are very rare varieties with documentation, formerly featured in historical plant catalogs, and popular with the public from the mid 19th to the early 20th century. Lawrence Davis-Hollander, the Director of the Conservancy, says that "this is a remarkable opportunity to view and eat tomatoes that were popular 100 years ago or more. And for most people that's probably a once in a lifetime experience. Plus it’s a lot of fun."

This event serves as a fundraiser for the Conservancy's Tomato Field Project, but it is much more. Each year farmers from around the region bring some of their best heirloom tomatoes as well as other foods, along with dozens of unique varieties grown by the Conservancy, to fill up banquet tables with many varieties of colorful tomatoes. Last year over 100 varieties were available for sampling at the magnificent banquet display, in addition to unique garlic and potato varieties. Several regional wineries will be pouring tastes of their wines, including Westport Rivers Winery of Massachusetts, Millbrook Vineyards from the Hudson Valley and Sakonnet from Rhode Island, along with ales from Buzzard's Bay Brewing.

The Tomato Project specifically focuses on heirloom tomato varieties. Its purposes are to conserve these food resources for the future, maintain our rich food plant heritage, enhance regional cuisine, increase the diversity of available food stuffs, and promote regional agriculture. Funds raised from the Fete support continued plant evaluations, seed collection and preservation efforts.

The Conservancy also works to preserve many types of food plants, including lettuce, squash, cucumbers, melons, eggplants and peppers. One of its most uniquely significant programs is the conservation of rare Native American crops from the Northeast, and over the years it has reintroduced these resources back to Native Americans throughout the Northeast and beyond. Currently the Conservancy is working with Native people to identify their needs around gardening and farming in order to revitalize traditional agriculture and provide self-reliant food sources to Native American communities.

Tickets are $40 in advance or $45 at the door; for more info call Lawrence Davis-Hollander at 413-229-8316, or 413-229-1218. Tickets may be purchased at Domaney's in Great Barrington, or by mail to: Eastern Native Seed Conservancy, PO Box 451, Great Barrington, MA 01230.

For a glimpse of the Tomato Fete, check the Conservancy’s website at <enscseeds.org>, or read the feature in the September 2002 issue of Yankee Magazine.