Bye Bye BLTs!

As the days get cooler, fall approaches and the end of the first annual BLT Bonanza is upon us! Tomorrow will be your last chance to snag one of these tasty treats from most of the participating restaurants-- that is, except for Uncommon Ground. They will keep serving their awesome BLT as long as their rooftop gardens keep producing heirloom tomatoes.
We'd also like to send out a huge thanks to all those restaurants who decided to put their resources toward an important cause and join the Bonanza! They have helped us start what will hopefully become a tradition, supporting and endorsing healthy, eco-friendly and obviously delicious local produce that's available in Chicago. We could not have done it without them.

Bonanza from the Blogosphere

With the help of Tastespotting.com, I searched around to see what variations on the BLT have been making their way around the foodie world. Here were some of the most interesting.

Some were semi-traditional sandwiches:

The BLAST (Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, Shrimp, Tomato)






The Classic





The Fried Green Option:






Some were veg-friendly:

The TMT (Tempeh, Matche, Tomato):





Some interesting tomato-less (boo!) ones for those who've been victims of blight:

Is That Watermelon?




Plums and Bacon!!





And some did away with the sandwich idea entirely:

Savory BLT Cheddar Pancakes



BLT Salad






Here is the full list of results. Enjoy!

Uncommonly delicious

I went over to Uncommon Ground tonight to sample their tasty Uncommon BLT appetizer!



Here it is, two perfectly toasted pieces of bread with homemade herb aioli, crispy organic pork belly, two thick slabs of heirloom tomato and a little heap of unbelievably fresh herbs (basil, parsley and chives, I think) on top. The flavors complemented each other so perfectly-- the richness of the pork belly and the aioli was well balanced with the bright, fresh tomatoes and herbs. It was exactly what I was hoping for on a nice summer night!




My first bite.. carefully including every ingredient! (Those are their sweet potato fries in the background, served with goat cheese fondue-- also worth a taste.)




I'm a proud member of the BLT clean plate club.


This BLT app. is available for $10 on the dinner menu at Uncommon Ground. It is very good-- especially when paired with one of their unique cocktails, like the zippy Palmer on the Porch (Ginger-infused vodka, flowering fruit iced tea and lemonade). Check it out!

Carnivale's BLAT in pictures

Becker lane organic pork belly, Spring Valley Green Zebra Tomatoes, Kinnikinnick Farms oragnic Arugula, and avocado all for $10? I think I have a man crush of Chef Mark Mendez of Carnivale...



Up close:


A tour of the kitchen revealed 200 lbs of local tomatoes:



Including these beauties:

The menu:

As I left, Chef Mendez said he was psyched to be part of the event because "I am a freak about tomatoes". Holding a box of Klug Farm blackberries, which he identified as being "ridunkulous" he added "Well, I am a freak about a lot of things". Indeed. Thanks for a great addition to the lunch time offerings of our Old School Blt Bonanza.

Spotlight on Uncommon Ground

Chef Brian Millman over at Uncommon Ground has taken it upon himself to create two BLT variations for the Bonanza-- both featuring crispy braised pork belly from Slagel Family Farm! The $13 Uncommon BLT is a delicious sounding sandwich available for lunch, using heirloom tomatoes from their very own rooftop gardens or Harvest Moon Organics, and put together with Green Acres arugula, herb aioli and sourdough bread! For dinner, a tasty $10 BLT appetizer is available, made with that crispy pork belly, heirloom tomatoes, herb salad, crostini and e.v. olive oil. Delicious and accessible. Sounds phenomenal to me.

Spotlight on Cafe Spiaggia: Double the BLT Deliciousness

Chef Sarah Grueneberg has truly risen to the TomatoFest challenge, serving two wonderful variations on the BLT at Café Spiaggia. The first is a lunchtime BLT pizza-- or rather, a PLT, with the P standing for house-made pancetta. The pork is tastily organic, hailing from Becker Lane Organic Farm in Iowa. Those irresistible heirlooms (cherokee purples, sungold cherries, orange blossoms and black princes) come from Nichols Farm. For dinner, Grueneberg will bust out the PLT crostini, featuring Capriole goat cheese and arugula.
I, for one, cannot wait to try these treats out. Congratulations to Chef Grueneberg: creator of the BLT Bonanza double feature!

BLT TwitPic Contest!

Tomorrow is the big day-- the very first in a month of Old School BLTs!

To celebrate, Damien has cleverly offered a bottle of some excellent wine from Candid Wines to one lucky winner of the BLT TwitPic contest. Simply visit one of the participating restaurants, order that BLT, snap a photo of it from your trusty camera phone and tweet it with "@tomatofest" in your text. The winner will be chosen at random.

Looking forward to seeing you all enjoying those tasty sandwiches!

Old School BLT Poster Contest Finalists

Help us select the winner of our poster contest. Some creative and cool entries came into Chicago TomatoFest headquarters from art students around the city, and we have selected two finalists. Both posters might be tweaked, but we want your opinion as to which artist should be the winner of the First Annual Chicago TomatoFest Poster Contest Winner! Please leave comments below to help us decide.

Our first finalist is a collaboration between Chicago based artists Emily Szopa and Paul Slayton. There is something about the bright colors and folksy feel they have evoked that seems to scream "grow something!"

Finalist # 1 : The Plant


Our second finalist is from freelance artist Debi Nafis (http://www.debinafis.com/). Look carefully at this one. We found it creative and rich in texture, and we loved the subtle inclusion of the Chicago skyline. Well played!

Finalist # 2 : The Sandwich

So what do you think? Please tell us quickly as we are deciding by Sunday, August 14th at noon.

Sixteen's Frank Brunacci joins bonanza fun!

Yes, it looks like Chef Frank Brunacci of Sixteen is also a BLT fan and has signed up to participate in the Bonanza! In this interview, Australian-born Brunacci says, "Chicago, to put it bluntly, is definitely in the top three in the country for dining. Chicago has got the cosmopolitan aura of San Francisco but the sophistication and city life of New York, with a Midwest mentality... I’ve been in the United States for 10 years, and this is my seventh state, and it is the first time I’ve felt at home since I’ve been here." A great observation-- I agree that the grounded, Midwestern attitude is wonderful to encounter in an urban space (especially when you're a Chicago newbie, like I am!). And what better way to repay the city's kindness than to help promote local agriculture?
Welcome aboard Chicago TomatoFest, Chef!

Phillip Foss & Lockwood join the BLT Bonanza

We asked the 312 Dining Diva to name a dozen chefs that had to be part of anything as fun as our BLT Bonanza and she gave us some of the best in town. The first results are in and we are thrilled to announce that Phillip Foss of Lockwood is joining forces with Chicago TomatoFest.

We can't wait to see which farms he'll use, which varieites of heirlooms he favors, and of course, what he'll create as a BLT.

Chef Foss has a wonderful blog over at : http://thepickledtongue.com/ Check him out! The restaurant is here: http://www.lockwoodrestaurant.com/chefs_ourchef.aspx

Osteria Via Stato Summer's Eve Dinner!

The BLT Bonanza will begin with a bang at Chicago's own Osteria Via Stato, on Sunday, August 23rd. Executive Chef David DiGregorio has put together an incredible menu of tomatoey/baconey delights, including mini-BLTs with applewood smoked bacon, caprese salad with hand-pulled mozzarella, house made tomato focaccia, and baconcello (bacon infused vodka!). Candid Wines will be providing excellent wine, and special guest David Cleverdon of Kinnikinnick Farm will give an informal chat on the midwest tomato season.
Tickets are only $35, and part of the proceeds will benefit Slow Food Chicago! This will be a great evening with wonderful food and interesting discussion, so contact Osteria Via Stato's Events Manager Allison Galese at 312-642-8450 for reservations, or go here for more information.

UPDATE:

This event sold out in 48 hours! Stop by Osteria Via Stato for a taste of their Old School BLT's. From the OSV website:


Pizzeria Via Stato is a proud participant of the 1st Annual Slow Food Chicago Tomato Fest and Candid Wines Old School BLT Bonanza.

Here's Executive Chef David DiGregorio's version of the classic
BLT: SLAGEL FARM HICKORY SMOKED BACON, FRESH ARUGULA & SPRING VALLEY HEIRLOOM TOMATOES with HOUSEMADE PESTO MAYO $8.95

Chef David also suggest a glass of Seedling Farm Hard Cider ($7.00) as a perfect pairing.


(BLT Bonanza is for lunch only & only available while locally grown heirlooms are ripe!)

Chicago TomatoFest Closing Ceremonies at Socca!

The closing night of the BLT Bonanza promises to be beautiful and elegant at Socca, the "sleek but homey" bistro on 3301 N Clark. Chef Roger Herring and Chicago TomatoFest have invited some favorite BLT chefs (who will be serving their delicious inventions) and farmers. This September 20th event will benefit Slow Food Chicago, and will be a wonderful opportunity for farmers, chefs and food lovers to kick back and enjoy the last tomatoes of the summer!
More details on purchasing tickets to follow shortly.

Statement of Purpose: TomatoFest 2009

Chicago TomatoFest is Slow Food Chicago’s celebration of local heirloom tomatoes, promoting the people who grow, cook, and eat them.

Chicago TomatoFest celebrates the arrival of locally grown heirloom tomatoes with an annual potluck and, for the first time in 2009, The Old School BLT Bonanza. The city’s best chefs will promote local farmers by reinterpreting this American classic and making these summery creations available on their respective menus from August 17th to September 20th.

Restaurants participating in The Old School BLT Bonanza will sign a two-part pledge, promising to: a) use local heirlooms and (should they choose to use bacon) locally and sustainably raised pork, and b) publicly promote the farmers from whom they sourced these ingredients.

Chicago TomatoFest believes that a rising tide lifts all ships, especially when it comes to preserving our local food supply. We aim to:

1) Encourage individuals to plant their own food through our heirloom plant sale.
2) Create an annual event that will provide a sustainable market for heirloom varieties, encouraging more local farmers to plant them.
3) Facilitate relationships between farmers and restaurants to improve the accessibility of local products.
4) Promote biodiversity.
5) Generate media/public interest in heirlooms and other endangered tomato varieties on the Slow Food Ark of Taste by exposing Chicagoans to their unbeatable quality.
6) Promote Chicagoland restaurants that commit to our BLT pledge by buying from and endorsing local farms.

New Kid in Town

Hello, TomatoFest followers! My name is Alana and I was recently taken on by Slow Food Chicago as the official TomatoFest Coordinator. I will be posting articles featuring TomatoFest participants, ways for you to get involved and updates on the Old School BLT Bonanza (Damien Casten's tasty plan for exposing Chicagoans to the delights of the heirloom tomato-- more details to follow). You might see me taking pictures and chatting with people at farmer's markets or happily sampling some of the wonderful food this city has to offer (I have yet to try this deep dish, Chicago-style pizza everyone keeps raving about!). Needless to say, I'm very excited to be here, working for such an important and delicious cause.