Sliced samples of Ruskin's red treasures will be ripe for the picking at the Ruskin Tomato and Heritage Festival this weekend. Juicy red tomatoes, famous throughout the South, rule in this small agricultural community that skirts Tampa Bay.
Tomatoes are the main attraction, but the annual celebration at E.G. Simmons Park also will feature entertainment: Jack Sigler and Paul Carr and the Swamp Stompers, a Miss Ruskin Tomato Festival Contest, a car show, a Star Search Karaoke Contest, a dog show and a Kids Zone.
Food, including fried green tomatoes, will be plentiful. One tent is scheduled to feature a Farmer's Market complete with fresh fruits and vegetables.
Cuisine and treats from My Mother's Garden, Ruskin Redneck Trading Co., Williams Family Farm, the Little Manatee Chocolate Factory, Sanwa Growers, Artesian Farms, Anita's Breads, Morgan Farms and Sundance Growers will be available.
A tomato cookoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Sunday. The best tomato recipe will earn the winner $100. Register at the Porch Cafe and Tea Room at 102 W Shell Point Road, the Ruskin Chamber of Commerce, the Ruskin Library or at the Bread Stand at the Farmer's Market on Saturday. You can slice 'em, dice 'em, mash 'em or mush 'em, but all recipes must include fresh tomatoes.
