The tomato festival is just another excuse to celebrate the crop that thrives in west-central Florida, where they really grow more than they can eat.
By JAY CRIDLIN
Published April 30, 2004
RUSKIN - The tomato is both a fruit and a vegetable.
This dichotomy is no mere quirk of science. It's the law. No less an authority than the Supreme Court of the United States ruled as such on May 10, 1893, in the case Nix et al. vs. Hedden.
"Botanically speaking," opined Justice Horace Gray, "tomatoes are the fruit of a vine, just as are cucumbers, squashes, beans and peas.
"But in the common language of the people, whether sellers or consumers of provisions, all these are vegetables which are grown in kitchen gardens."
To lawmakers, the tomato is a vegetable. To scientists, it's a fruit. The tomato is, in a manner of speaking, all things to all people.
Such is the passion Americans feel when it comes to the tomato. And in Florida, nowhere is this passion more evident than in Ruskin, which this weekend will host its eighth annual Ruskin Tomato & Heritage Festival.
The community's annual salute to the tomato runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Whether you say to-may-to or to-mah-to, the festival has plenty of fried green tomatoes and tomato sandwiches - that's mater sammiches to locals.
After all, Ruskin lies in the heart of Florida's tomato-growing industry. According to the Florida Tomato Council, eight counties in west-central Florida, including Hillsborough, produced 654-million pounds of tomatoes between December 2002 and May 2003, more than half the state's crop.
In all, Florida shipped nearly 1.3-billion pounds of tomatoes out of state during the 2002-03 season. Since Americans eat more than 18 pounds of tomatoes each year, that's more than enough to feed the entire populations of California, Ohio and Texas for a year, with Idaho thrown in for good measure.
But whereas Idahoans have embraced the tomato's perennial partner in verse - the potato - Ruskinites remain solidly committed to the tomato.
"These tomatoes have a very unique flavor due to the unique soil conditions here," said Charlie Riddle, organizer of the Tomato Festival. "The farmers started growing tomatoes years ago, and it's still one of the top farm-produced products here in the area."
Traditionally, the Tomato Festival has staged a recipe contest for the best tomato-based concoction. This year, though, organizers had to squash the competition due to a lack of sponsors and participants.
But if you're worried about missing out on today's top tomato recipes, fear not. Brandon Times has compiled a selection of unusual tomato recipes unlikely to compete for the top prize in this or any festival.
Some of these dishes may taste divine. Others may have been best left on the vine.
No matter which camp you're in - fruit or vegetable - enjoy.
- Staff writer Letitia Stein contributed to this report. Jay Cridlin can be reached at 661-2442 or cridlin@sptimes.com
IF YOU GO:
The eighth annual Ruskin Tomato & Heritage Festival is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at E.G. Simmons Park, 2401 NW 19th Ave., Ruskin. General admission is $3; children enter free. Saturday's events include the Miss Ruskin Tomato Festival Contest and several bluegrass bands. Sunday's lineup includes a plant show, an antique tractor show and more music. A car and truck show takes place both days; admission is $10. For more information, call 645-8077.
