Harvest Green Turns Red for June 18 La Tomatina Padre

Tomatoes will be squeezed, tasted, cooked, blended and even tossed during Harvest Green’s inaugural La Tomatina Padre Tomato Festival and Father’s Day Tomato Throw, June 18.

The Fort Bend farm-centric community pays tribute to the fruit’s versatility and launch capacity from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Harvest Green model home park, located at the intersection of Harvest Green and Harlem roads. The event is open to the public.

“La Tomatina Padre will be a unique event utilizing fresh and seasonal produce from Harvest Green’s Village Farm,” said Sylvia Morgese, lifestyle director for Harvest Green. "We will have chef’s demonstrations, a tasting station, a Bloody Mary bar and a farm stand. Plus, children will have the opportunity to pelt their dads with overripe tomatoes – in a loving manner, of course.”

The tomato throw is in the style of the Spanish “La Tomatina,” a food-fight festival held near Valencia where everyone gets bombarded with the juicy fruit. Harvest Green’s version will be more sedate, with only willing fathers participating.

Attendees not wishing to sample tomatoes on the fly will be able to stop by a tasting station set up by Harvest Green’s professional farmers who have been growing different varieties on the community’s four-acre farm.

“Our farmers will be sampling multiple types of tomatoes for people to try,” said Scott Snodgrass, Harvest Green’s head farmer and co-founder of Edible Earth Resources. “Tomatoes vary by acidity, sweetness and flavor. We have a pretty good range that we should be tasting.”

In addition, Snodgrass said, the public will have an opportunity to learn more about the fruit’s culinary versatility. Houston chefs Jason Kerr, recently seen on television’s Chopped, and Brandon Silva will demonstrate how to prepare tomato-focused dishes, while Beaver’s Gastropub will bring its craft cocktail experience to bear at the festival’s Bloody Mary bar. Whole Foods will host a fresh mozzarella cheese demonstration. Ripe Cuisine Food Truck will offer tomato-themed brunch items for purchase.

Morgese expects a large turnout for the event, given the popularity of the farm-to-table movement and curiosity about Harvest Green. The community’s Earth Day Farmers Market attracted more than 400 people in April.

“The Farmers’ Market was a huge hit,” Morgese said. “Several of the residents walked or biked over — I am sure they appreciated the convenience. La Tomatina Padre is going to be another great opportunity for the public to get a taste — literally — of the lifestyle here at Harvest Green.”

Harvest Green is the Houston-area’s first development centered around a community farm. Spanning 1,300 acres in Richmond, Harvest Green features a range of home choices priced from the $200,000s. Upon completion, the project will have two farms, 30 acres of lakes and waterways, 280 acres of greenbelts and open spaces, 50 acres of parkland, a walkable trail system and recreation center with a pool, fitness center and an amphitheater overlooking the lake.