In season: tomatoes

Cooking demos:

4 – 8 p.m. Thursday, July 30. Chefs Sarah Dodge of The Preserving Place or Philip Meeker of Bright Seed demonstrate dishes using market produce. East Atlanta Village Farmers Market, Atlanta. http://www.farmeav.com/

4 – 8 p.m. Friday, July 31. Chef Lorie Vait will demonstrate Grilled Watermelon and Peach Salsa. Lilburn Farmers Market, Lilburn. http://www.lilburnfarmersmarket.org/

10 a.m. Saturday, August 1. Chef Brian Horn of JCT Kitchen. Peachtree Road Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.peachtreeroadfarmersmarket.com

4:30 – 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 5. Chef Kate Christian of Three Squares Kitchen. Decatur Farmers Market, Decatur. http://decaturfarmersmarket.com/wordpress/

Many markets offer chef demos on an occasional or regular basis. Check your market’s website or Facebook page for more information.

FOR SALE

Just coming into season: Asian pears, spaghetti squash

Vegetables: arugula, Asian greens, beets, blackberries, blueberries, carrots, chanterelles, chard, collards, corn, cucumbers, dandelion, edamame, eggplant, fennel, garlic, green beans, herbs, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, Malabar spinach, melons, mushrooms, mustard greens, Napa cabbage, okra, onions, peaches, pecans, peppers, potatoes, radicchio, radishes, raspberries, rhubarb, shallots, sorrel, spinach, summer squash, tomatoes, turnips

From local reports

Don Mitchell loves homegrown tomatoes and so do the people around him. For almost 12 years, he’s been growing enough tomatoes for his own household, as well as what he calls his “giant” family of seven brothers and sisters and their families, all of whom live nearby.

But he’s not growing his tomato plants in the ground. They’re growing outdoors in 5-quart and 5-gallon containers, all part of one of the two types of hydroponic systems he set up to feed his family’s passion for tomatoes.

“It was like a big science project for me. I wanted to grow tomatoes differently because I hate weeding so I began experimenting with hydroponic systems. There’s a huge difference in flavor,” said Mitchell.

Each year he expanded the number and variety of plants he was growing. Along the way, he met Ken Tuck, who sold rain barrels at local farmers markets. Tuck suggested they join forces and sell Mitchell’s vegetables as well. Now Mitchell and Tuck are “Grayson Grown,” selling hydroponically grown tomatoes, lettuce and cucumbers, as well as designing systems for capturing rainwater.

Grayson Grown can be found on Wednesday at the Grayson Farmers Market, on Thursday at the Flowery Branch Farmers Market, and on Friday at the Lilburn Farmers Market.

Mitchell and Tuck grow 12 varieties of cherry and plum tomatoes and a half dozen or more varieties of larger tomatoes, a mixture of heirlooms and hybrids. “We are always experimenting, looking for varieties that grow well and produce tomatoes that look good and taste great. We grow a lot of different colors that we mix together and sell in containers at the markets.”

Their mixed containers are so appealing that they sell out at almost every market. “The colorful mixture does a great job of getting people over to the table, and then we can tell them about our tomatoes,” said Tuck.

One story they love to tell is about their best-selling variety, Goose Creek. “It’s by far our most popular variety. A medium-sized pinkish-red variety, it has a flavor unmatched by any other tomato. Seeds for Goose Creek were brought to this country when slaves from the Caribbean immigrated to the low country in South Carolina over 100 years ago. Goose Creeks are still grown today in what is known as the Gullah region of South Carolina,” said Mitchell.

Their tomatoes grow in coconut fiber which they say offers the ideal combination of moisture retention and excellent drainage. One system, used in commercial hydroponic tomato, strawberry and herb growing systems, allows them to grow two tomato plants in a single 5-quart container. “Using pumps and timers, the plants are drip fed a liquid nutrient several times a day. We also spray them weekly with a certified organic fish/seafood liquid fertilizer,” said Mitchell. This is the system they use for determinate, or bush-type, tomato plants.

The other system is modified from those used in large greenhouse operations. This is how they grow their indeterminate, or vine-type, varieties. The overhead trellis feeds the nutrient solution to each tomato in its five-gallon bag. The plants grow taller and taller as the season goes along and continue producing right up until frost.

Tuck and Mitchell are happiest, as are their tomatoes, when the forecast is for dry weather and sunny days. “Our biggest concern is rain. We don’t want rain in the garden because it brings disease. We wouldn’t care if it never rained on the garden,” said Mitchell.

How do these tomato lovers enjoy their harvest? Tuck’s favorite is to cook down the cherry tomatoes into a sauce for pasta, or to slice the large ones into a bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato sandwich. “Sometimes I just leave off the bread and put it all in a bowl with some mayonnaise.”

Zeb Stevenson’s Tomato Pie

Stevenson, executive chef at Watershed, has created a tomato pie with a biscuit-like crust and a layer of cheese that keeps the crust crisp but doesn’t overwhelm the bright tomato flavor. It’s a far cry from the soggy, mayonnaise-filled pies you may have tried before.

The recipe basically has you creating your own self-rising flour. This is perfect if, like at the restaurant, you don’t want to take up room storing something that isn’t often used. Instead of stocking up on self-rising flour, just make your own. Of course, if you have self-rising flour in the pantry, substitute 2 cups of that for the flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

2 cups White Lily all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes and frozen

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, sliced if large, cut into wedges if small

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

1/4 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons crumbled saltine crackers (about 3 crackers)

6 large basil leaves

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt until mixed. Add butter and pulse just until mixture resembles coarse sand. Remove flour mixture from food processor to a medium bowl. Stir in buttermilk and mix until just combined. Dough may be sticky. Cover dough and refrigerate 30 minutes.

While dough is chilling, in a colander toss tomatoes and remaining tablespoon salt. Let colander sit in a bowl or in the sink for 30 minutes.

When dough has chilled, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dust work surface with flour and turn dough onto work surface. Dust top of dough with additional flour. Roll dough out to 1/4-inch thickness, using additional flour if needed. Lay the crust in a 9-inch pie pan and trim to fit. Crimp edge and line crust with a sheet of parchment paper that hangs off the sides by at least one inch. Fill paper with dried beans to weigh down the paper. Bake 20 minutes or until bottom crust is cooked and edges have nicely browned. Remove from oven to cool.

In a small bowl, combine cheddar, mayonnaise and crumbled saltines. Spread mixture over bottom of baked pie crust. Remove tomatoes from colander and pat dry. Discard any liquid that came off tomatoes. Arrange tomatoes over cheddar mixture and bake pie 45 minutes. Remove from oven and top with basil and oregano. Let pie cool one hour before serving. Serves: 8

Per serving: 410 calories (percent of calories from fat, 62), 9 grams protein, 31 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 29 grams fat (15 grams saturated), 64 milligrams cholesterol, 563 milligrams sodium.