Central Market Tomato Harvest is Red, Red Heaven

No one wants to be a real sad tomato, a busted valentine. Hell, no one wants to see a sad tomato, not even when they leave the metaphors of that Stan Kenton classic – especially not when they’re trying to cook up a fine array of nightshade’s sweeter cousin for some perfect summertime noms.

The folks of Central Market are well aware of that. And that’s why both Austin locations of the popular grocery store are featuring what we’d reckon are the happiest tomatoes around – definitely among the tastiest and freshest available in the city. And of course – this is Central Market we’re talking about, right? – there’ll also be an amazing diversity of tomato-based products and tomato-infused foods throughout the stores’ aisles, from that well-stocked produce department to the doughtastic bakery with its aromatic pantheon of breads.

Problem: What kind of recipes do you use tomatoes in? How might a person at home best prepare the flesh of such a wonderful, sun-ripened fruit?

Solution: The Central Market Cooking School is offering a class – on Wednesday, June 19th – with award-winning chef and cookbook author Virginia Willis, a class that includes a five-course menu with tomatoes in every dish, served up while Willis drops knowledge on tomato history and demonstrates how to capture the fresh flavors of summer on a plate. (C’mon – we don’t have to remind you what a great program that cooking school has, do we?)

So, yes, unless your most dire nightmares are based on that one festival for which the Spanish city of Buñol is famed, citizen, you’ll probably want to check out the excellent pomme d’amour action at Central Market all this month – through June 25.