Press Releases

Carmel, Calif. - April 20, 2005 - Gary Ibsen's Carmel TomatoFest® is offering $15,000 in cash and prizes to the winners of the amateur and professional categories for original tomato-based recipes. All entries will be judged on appearance, creative use, and of course, taste.

The competition will be broken into two segments, one for amateurs and one for professionals in seven categories: appetizers, soups, beverages, entrees, desserts, salads and condiments. Grand prizes for the amateur competition include a four-day vacation to beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, including airfare and VIP tickets to Gary Ibsen's 14th Annual Carmel TomatoFest®. The Grand prize winner in the professional category will receive $5,000 cash. Each recipe must include a product from one of the festival sponsors which include, Andy Boy Broccoli Rabb, California Tomato Commission, Challenge Dairy, Consorzio, Creative Salmon, McCormick, Mills Family Farms, Monterey Gourmet Foods, Mozzarella Fresca, and Skipstone Ranch. Other sponsors include Sunset Magazine and Vikin. You may enter as many recipes as you wish, as long as they are original and have not been previously published. Recipes must be received by July 1, 2005 and addressed to TomatoFest® PMB 8303, P.O. Box 5337, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93921. For further information on submitting your recipe you can email Gary Ibsen at recipe@tomatofest.com.

A judging panel of celebrated chefs will taste each finalist's culinary creation and select winners from all seven categories. First and second place prizewinners will be determined on July 24 at the Culinary Center of Monterey. A grand prize winner from both the amateur and professional segments will be notified by August 8. For a complete list of sponsors, rules, regulations and entry forms, please visit www.tomatofest.com.

Gary Ibsen's 14th annual Carmel TomatoFest® is being held on September 11, 2005 at Quail Lodge in Carmel, CA. General admission tickets to the event are $75 before May 20, and after May 21, tickets are $85. Special VIP/Hosted Entrance tickets are $150, and a Deluxe Package ticket including a dinner-dance on September 10 at Carmel Valley Ranch Resort is $220. Tickets may be purchased through the Website at www.tomatofest.com or by calling 1-800-965-4827. Net proceeds are donated to local youth charities. The event is a sellout every year, so interested persons are encouraged to buy their tickets early.

Gary Ibsen is an advocate of certified organic, sustainable farming and seed saving. He has grown heirloom tomatoes for more than 30 years and is currently growing more than 500 heirloom tomato varieties from seeds he has personally harvested. These seeds were originally sourced from family farms around the world. Tomato growers from Central California will also contribute to the selection of tomatoes showcased at the TomatoFest.