Provence Marinaside’s Tomato Festival Celebrates the Taste of Sunshine

Provence Marinaside’s Tomato Festival Menu
Celebrates the Taste of Sunshine

Some are larger than a hand and come in neon shades of yellow, red or almost black, others are striped like crazy zebras, while others are tiny multi-coloured gems; regardless of the size or the colour, what these heirloom tomatoes share is the taste of sunshine. August is peak tomato season in BC – a time of year when there is no such thing as over-dosing on these juicy flavour bombs.

From August 1 to 31 (and maybe spilling over into September), Provence Marinaside celebrates all things tomato with its annual Tomato Festival. Working with local suppliers and farmers, Owner/Executive Chef Jean-Francis Quaglia and his talented chef team have crafted a three-course Tomato Festival Menu value-priced at $79. This height-of-the-season menu is sure to delight even the most addicted tomato-holic.

“We are fortunate to have local producers, like Cropthorne Farm on Westham Island, supplying us with amazing heirloom varieties. Even though each variety has a different flavour profile, all are very intense. The heirlooms taste so much better,” says Sous Chef Mohit Chauhan.

Chef Quaglia adds “growing up in the south of France, we ate a lot of raw tomatoes as a snack – just like any other seasonal fruit. I also love them baked as it concentrates the flavour. A few years ago, I was visiting my brother in Provence, and his neighbour invited us over for l’apero. He made a tomato, cheese, and Dijon mustard tarte. That flavour profile stayed with me. In the South of France, Pissaladière is a regional favourite, so inspired by it, and the tomato tarte from my brother’s friend, we created the Pizzetta that is one of the starters in this year’s Tomato Festival Menu. There are so many ways to use heirloom tomatoes – they’re incredibly versatile.”

To complement each dish, Asst. Wine Director Ryan Johnson has thoughtfully created an optional pairing of wines selected from the south of France. “Southern France, with its warm climate and rich agricultural heritage, is perfectly suited for growing many different types of heirloom varietals, as well as, many different varieties of wine,” comments Johnson. “The sweet-tart balance of more than 150 different heirlooms plays perfectly with the abundance of varietals and styles of wine found in the south of France ranging from vibrant rosés to textural whites, and elegant reds. The bright acidity of heirloom tomatoes helps balance their sweetness.”

“High acid wines like our Picpoul de Pinet can handle that challenge. The tart citrus flavours with underlying melon qualities are a perfect complement for Gazpacho,” continues Johnson. “Ripe heirlooms have a subtle, alluring green herb quality so we’re pairing an heirloom tomato and fennel salad with grilled sea bream and prawns with Roussillon Blanc – full of tension, salinity, minerality and complexity. The complex earthiness of tomatoes is a great pairing with our Bandol Rosé which is among the richest of French rosés. It’s earthy, smoky, floral and beautiful. Perfect with the Heirloom Tomato Pizetta. Juicy sweetness is the hallmark of an heirloom tomato. Cooking can accentuate this, as it concentrates and caramelizes sugar while reducing acidity. Our Cinsualt from the Languedoc-Roussillon paired with heirloom tomato gnocchi and seared duck breast in heirloom tomato and lavender jus will complement each other wonderfully. Pineau des Charentes offers rich flavours of ripe fruits, honey, and nuts and provides a subtle warmth to complement the Baba au Rhum.”

The optional wine pairing is available for $48.

In addition to its regular menus, Provence’s Tomato Festival Menu will be available every day for lunch, dinner and Happy Hour.

Summer in the city doesn’t get any better than this – heirloom tomatoes accompanied by beautiful wines. Reservations are always a good idea to secure your table in the dining room. Or, depending on the timing of your arrival, you might just be able to snag one of the coveted patio tables overlooking the False Creek Seawall and Quayside Marina. It’s easy to imagine yourself on the Côte d’Azur.