One of the many staples in my pantry are tomatoes and grains. You’ll always see them in my kitchen since they’re very versatile and great in so many different dishes. I try my best to purchase local BC veggies whenever possible as it adds super fresh colour and nutrients to the meal.
Village Farms has a variety of tomatoes that grow right here in British Columbia – among them are Heavenly Villagio Marzano®, True Rebel Mix ®, Cherry No. 9 Fall in Love Again®, Lorabella Blossom®, and Cabernet Estate Reserve®. Each has its own unique taste but all of them are full of sweetness.
Lorabella Blossom® is bright orange and plump, full of sweet flavour, making it great right out of the box as a snack. Probably the sweetest out of the line up in my opinion. If you’ve never had an orange tomato before, you’ll want to try this variety.
Cabernet Estate Reserve® is easily identifiable by its rich dark crimson colour, round shape and green stem. It is a great tomato if you want a beautiful presentation. It has a milder flavour, not as sweet as the Lorabella Blossom®, but would work well for roasting or incorporating in a sauce.
Cherry No. 9 Fall in Love Again® is similar to the Cabernet Estate Reserve® but it is smaller and vibrant in colour. You can incorporate this in salads where you eat the cherry tomatoes whole to keep the juicy fresh and sweet flavours intact. When you bite into this, there is a refreshing snap when you chew down.
Heavenly Villagio Marzano® is best known for its slightly elongated shape. It’s one of the most readily available tomatoes in the produce aisle in British Columbia. I use it a lot in making salads.
True Rebel Mix ® is stunning and contains a variety of cherry and grape tomatoes in each carton. There are different shapes, colours and slight flavour profiles that work together in harmony. It’s a great way to see and taste tomatoes that you might not normally choose.
BC Greenhouse Veggie Days are here this week and you can even visit a few greenhouses to meet local growers and see local produce being grown like cucumbers, pepper, and lettuce.
With Village Farms as one of 42 greenhouse growers in the Lower Mainland, you can feel proud that this produce was grown right in British Columbia by people like Leesa who just might be your neighbour!
From the assortment of amazing local tomatoes I decided to make a Farro Grain Bowl using the Village Farms Heavenly Villagio Marzano® tomatoes in celebration of BC Veggie Days.
Farro is an ancient grain with a nutty earthy flavour with good texture that would pair well with vegetables to add more bite. This grain is high in fiber, iron, magnesium and protein, which make it nutritious and great in any dish.
Check out this beautiful Farro grain bowl for a taste of Spring.
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Makes 2 bowls
Ready in 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup uncooked Farro, rinsed
- ½ Cucumber, sliced
- ½ cup Village Farms Heavenly Villagio Marzano® tomatoes
- 1 cup Chickpeas
- 1 cup Arugula
- ½ Avocado, sliced
- 1 Round Radish, sliced
- 2 tablespoon Red Vinegar
- 3 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 5 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- Pinch of Salt and Pepper
Directions:
- Rinse and drain farro. Place in pot and all 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 30 minutes. Drain any excess water. Let cool to room temperature.
- Start with a base of arugula in a bowl. Add farro, cucumber, chickpeas, round radishes, avocado, and Village Farms Heavenly Villagio Marzano®
- In a bowl, combine red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.
- Pour dressing on top of bowl and enjoy.
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This blog post was sponsored by Village Farms but the opinions are all my own.
