Barbara Hollingsworth and David Hunsaker of Village Garden on their farm (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
“I can’t understand why people haven’t celebrated the tomato more,” says David Hunsaker, half of the duo behind Village Garden, a small farm in Atlee that grows heirloom tomatoes and chiles.
While it's easy for the Hanover farmer to speak of the summer fruit with an unwavering, almost parental adoration, he hopes to instill that same love in diners with an upcoming chefs’ series of meals.
With the first dinner kicking off on June 23, the six-week tour of the tomato season — dubbed Supper Summer Somm — will feature a collection of dinners held at restaurants across the region dedicated to showcasing Village Garden’s tomatoes and accompanied by wines from Barboursville Vineyards.
Hunsaker’s home, shared with his partner, Barbara Hollingsworth, is a festival of heirloom tomatoes, their backyard lined with rows of varieties from around the world, from the ribbed tlacolula pinks to elongated striped green sausages that ignite excited shrieks from Hollingsworth upon spotting them while walking around the farm.
And when picking the crops, it’s not unusual for the two to enjoy a glass of rosé, which is where Barboursville Vineyards sommelier Jason Tesauro steps in, joining the partners in bringing the gospel of tomatoes to the public. While each dinner will have wine pairings, Tesauro says he is more focused on letting the tomatoes speak for themselves.
“The wine is taking kind of a supporting role; it’s about the tomatoes and the chefs, and the wine and the somm will be in the background,” he says. “They’re all tomatoes, but what don't they have in common? … I want the wines to also show off what they can do texturally.”
Wines will range from a Vermentino with high acidity to a floral Fiano, a rosé made from Nebbiolo grapes with skin contact and the vineyard's lush-bodied Viognier.
“I'm not toiling so much over, 'Will this alcohol level and note go with that if the raw materials are good and the people crafting it know what they’re doing?' ” Tesauro adds. "What happens when you take this ingredient and put it on a pedestal and you invite all of these artists and artisans, and how do you express it?”
The bill for the nearly summerlong showcase includes Richmond-area restaurants Common House, Lemaire, Midlothian Chef’s Kitchen, Metzger Bar & Butchery, Alewife, Lillie Pearl, Saison, and The Lobby Bar, as well as Palladio Restaurant at Barboursville Vineyards and The Pink Grouse in Charlottesville. The three couples who attend the most dinners will be invited to a grand finale outdoor cookout at Village Garden free of charge.
While the menus have yet to be solidified, sneak peeks of dishes include a tomato sorbet and braised lamb with tomato-anchovy sherry from chef-owner Brittanny Anderson of Metzger Bar & Butchery, as well as Virginia oysters served with a mignonette, tomato pulp and horseradish, and squid noodles with tomato-lemongrass dashi and soy-cured meats from Bobo Catoe Jr. of Alewife.
Less structured and formal, much like the light-hearted attitudes of the trio organizing it, the series will allow chefs the culinary freedom to craft the layout of each dinner however they desire.
“If they want to do three courses and serve a tomato sandwich … go for it,” Hunsaker says. “If someone wants to do seven courses and light it up, then absolutely.”
“I hope someone gets rustic with tomatoes, really, really rustic,” Hollingsworth chimes in.
“Tomatoes can do both,” Tesauro adds matter-of-factly, noting that versatility is what the series is all about. “How do we rally around something that feels completely accessible and familiar and yet, we’re dressing up in a way. Yes, the chefs know the tomatoes, but can’t the public be let in on this sort of secret, too?"
Although the series is centered on exploring the potential of the tomato and local chefs’ creativity, it also marks a milestone for Village Garden. The farmers celebrate a decade spent in the fields with their hands in the earth, navigating weather and frost and losing plants along the way, showcasing heirloom varieties and the importance of keeping them going, and forging relationships with chefs and the local restaurant community. What better way to commemorate their journey than with an ode to their labor of love?
“There will be 35 to 40 or more tomato dishes from people that are very talented,” Hunsaker says with a smile. “I think we’re going to see everything, and I’m so excited about that because I think we’ll see stuff that [people] have never done with a tomato before.”
To learn more about each dinner, visit the participating restaurants’ websites and stay tuned for more details.
