Tomato Sandwich Party

The last time I went to the Tomato Sandwich Party, I was 8 or 9 years old. There's not a lot I remember about that afternoon 17 years ago...but I do remember the first time I tasted a tomato straight off the vine. At that time, I wasn't "into" tomatoes. Regardless of this fact, my mother guaranteed me that this garden-fresh tomato straight off the vine would be better than anything I could imagine. Believing my mother, I pulled the little yellow pear tomato off the vine, put it straight in my mouth and bit down. As the little pear tomato popped in my mouth, all I could think about was just how much it tasted like a tomato! There, in the middle of the Grateful Tomato Garden, I spit out that little tomato immediately...and then made gagging noises...and then continued to spit. All my mother could say was "how rude" I was being, there was also something about "disrespectful" and "embarrassing" in there as well. Really, that's all I remember about my first Tomato Sandwich Party. Since then, I can confidently say that I am "into"  tomatoes and this time around, I will actually eat a Tomato Sandwich.

For those of you who don't have any Tomato Sandwich Party memories, let this year be the first year to make a memory. There are so many reasons to come...and so few not to.  Here are a few reasons we'll see you at the Tomato Sandwich Party:

-It's a free community event. Really, it's free. And what's free now-a-days? I'll tell you what is, the Tomato Sandwich Party.

-Free delicious tomato sandwiches made from locally made bread, tomatoes grown in our very own youth gardens and three kinds of homemade pesto.

-Free live music!

-Free kids activities. Your kids (or someone else's kids) will bring home everything they need to make a monarch butterfly garden.

The Tomato Sandwich Party. This Saturday, September 11th, from 11am-2pm at the Grateful Tomato Garden on 800 S 600 E. See you there!