Summer's heirloom tomatoes are in season, and Kevin Binkley wants to celebrate.
From 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 13, Binkley's Restaurant will host an heirloom tomato dinner, featuring 10 different heirloom varieties, courtesy of local farmer Bob McClendon.
The six-course tomato-palooza costs $95 per person, plus an extra $50 for optional wine pairings with each course. But, of course, Binkley being Binkley, there's always more -- including passed hors d'oeuvres, amuse bouche, dessert amuse bouche, and mignardises (the bite-sized complimentary sweets at the end of a meal).
The heirloom varieties McClendon will supply and Binkley will put to delicious use include Brandywine, Arkansas Marvel, Marvel Striped, Aunt Ruby's German Green, Cherokee Green, Cherokee Purple, Amana Orange, Punta Banda, Granny Cantrell's German Pink, and Pruden's Purple.
That may not mean much to you now, but if you attend the dinner, you'll begin to pick out favorites, guaranteed.
Here's what the menu will look like:
Punta Banda raw, peeled, bomb, jam, flash frozen, basilChilled Tomato Shish Kabob charred onion, sweet peppers, olive & corn quinoa, molasses goat-ham (goat cured like ham), balsamic
Yellow Tomato Bouillabaisse shrimp, clams, crab, leeks, fennel, celery, carrot, crostini, rouille
Charred Pruden's Purple Tomato caramelized onion & Italian sausage-stuffed squash blossom, chanterelle mushrooms, horseradish
Tomato Gratin eggplant, croutons, confit garlic, Crescenza cheese
Aunt Ruby's German Green Tomato Granité cherries, lime, honey, white chocolate
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