No, it's not Joe Camel. It's my ugly tomato.
If the tumescent, scarred pink-and-green fruits in your garden are enough to make you reconsider the merits of modified-atmosphere-ripened genetically engineered tomatoes, it might help to commiserate with other growers of ugly-ass produce at Saturday's Ugly Tomato Festival & Contest.
A celebration of locally grown tomatoes, with tastings, live music, cooking demos and an ugly tomato pageant, the free event is 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Farmers' Market. Ugly tomatoes must be registered by 1 p.m., and winners will take home a market pack.
(My money's on Joe Camel, pictured above. He's getting uglier every day, and I love him more and more. And yet, I will eat him—possibly diced on a salad, but most likely sprinkled with kosher salt, with tomato juice dribbling down my chin into the kitchen sink. Sorry, Joe.)
