Somerset Pinks: Backyard Farms and Nebo Serve Up the Newest in Tomatoes

Members of Influence Central attended a press lunch at Nebo restaurant in Boston to sample the new Somerset Pinks and facilitate this review.

For over two years, the tomato growers of Backyard Farms have dedicated their time and know-how to perfect the growing of Somerset Pink, their newest tomato. This full-flavored gourmet beefsteak tomato is a favorite among connoisseurs and its delicate balance of acidity and sweetness with a smooth texture makes it an essential addition to the kitchen of any produce lover.

The Somerset Pink tomatoes prove the perfect complement to any salad or sandwich, but their lingering sweet taste stands on its own with just a drizzle of olive oil, mozzarella, and some fresh basil. These tomatoes prove difficult to grow, so it’s no wonder that it took the experienced farmers of the incredible Backyard Farms brand to make this happen.

Backyard Farms operates out of 42 acres of state-of-the-art greenhouses in Madison, Maine, growing fresh, ripened-on-the-vine, summertime tasting tomatoes year round. With its socially responsible agriculture practices, Backyard Farms takes care of all factors that go into growing great tasting tomatoes – their farmers, the planet, and the produce itself. All of their tomatoes are grown in Maine without GMO seeds, handpicked by experts, and available on the East Coast from Maine down to the Washington, D.C. area.

Influence Central sampled the brand new Somerset Pink tomatoes at an incredible tasting event at Nebo, a simply terrific cucina and enoteca (a wine repository) in downtown Boston run by the Pallotta sisters. These sisters, experienced chefs offering classic Italian recipes, use Backyard Farms tomatoes in their dishes and are part of the Backyard Farms Chef Network.

The delicious, gourmet sampling began with the Somerset Pink Tomato with burrato, saba, and extra virgin olive oil. We also tried Nebo’s starchy Italian bread with a vine ripened gingery tomato jam, all pictured below.

The yeast for this wonderful bread has been kept alive by the Pallotta family for over 100 years!

With just a bit of balsamic vinegar, the Somerset Pinks have a unique taste of both sweetness and spunk that lingers after every mouthwatering bite.

The Pallatta sisters continued to amaze with a spaghettini dish featuring Backyard Farms cocktail tomatoes, capers, olives, and extra virgin olive oil.

Then, a main course of baby clams imported from Italy became a focal point of the entire lunch, also using the Backyard Farms cocktail tomato and fresh finicchiona salami.

Last up was the pizza blanco using the company’s beefsteak tomato, prosciutto, ricotta cheese, mozzarella, arugula, and parmigiano.

We left thinking of only our happily full bellies and how we can next use the Somerset Pinks and other Backyard Farms tomatoes in our kitchens, so the savory tomato dishes we tasted at Nebo can become a year-round flavor at home.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Shutterstock