ELIZABETHTOWN — By the standards of some poeple, the “true southerner” is one who considers the following statement accurate: “The tomato sandwich is one of life’s sublime pleasures, and the first one of the season is downright worthy of tribute.”
The people at Lu Mil Vineyard are of that mindset, so much so that they want to share the experience with likeminded folks.
“Nobody has any local tomatoes around here, and that’s what the public is looking for,” said Ron Taylor, owner of Lu Mil and Taylor Manufacturing. “They’re looking for good, locally grown fruits and vegetables without a lot of chemicals, so we planted, and, lo and behold, they’re yielding.”
Not only are they yielding, but they’re yielding in abundance.
“We’ve been trying to figure out how to use them in every different recipe you can imagine,” said Taylor, “I take out my pocket knife and keep salt in the car, in the house, and in the barn — everywhere. We’ve got so many that we decided to give the public free tomato sandwiches.”
On Saturday, Lu Mil Vineyard will host its first-ever Greater Tomato Sandwich Day from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. They will carry a variety of tomatoes, including heirloom tomatoes grown from original seed, German Johnsons, and greenhouse tomatoes, which, Taylor said, are good for slicing and putting on sandwiches. Tomatoes will be served with Duke’s Mayonnaise and fresh white bread, free of charge. Oak Run, a local performance group, will be supplying music, and Taylor will be offering rides on his double-decker bus.
Taylor said that growing tomatoes has enabled him to “get an education” about the fruit, and he thinks he may have figured out the keys.
“The type of soil you use and the attention that you give them can’t be compared (to mass produced tomatoes),” he said. “We grow them the original way, without all kinds of chemicals to make them grow faster, and that way, they have the best taste.
“Everybody likes good, fresh tomatoes, and there’s nothing better than a locally grown tomato sandwich,” added Taylor, “so come on out and get them.”
Chrysta Carroll can be reached by calling 910-862-4163.