GREAT FOOD BEGINS WITH QUALITY INGREDIENTS: RIPE & JUICY TOMATOES, CRISP LETTUCE, BERRIES BURSTING WITH FLAVOR. QUALITY PRODUCE IS ONE OF THE CORNERSTONES OF ANY GOURMET EXPERIENCE, whether it’s the Spaghetti Squash Primavera at Frankie Bones, or a slice of veggie pizza from Giuseppi’s. And, just as good food is built on the best ingredients, the best ingredients come from one thing. “It’s the dirt,” said Larry Tuten of Tuten Farms. Part of three generations running the family farm in Hampton, SC, Tuten produces a bounty of different crops from his fields – tomatoes, lettuce, squash, watermelon, blueberries, you name it. And each delectable fruit and vegetable is planted with the same care as a chef puts into each dish.
“THIS DIRT HAS A GOOD FLAVOR TO IT. IT’S RICH.”
It’s not just the soil that Tuten pours his heart and soul into that makes his produce so marvelously fresh. 26
A true family farmer, Tuten raises his crops the right way, without artificial pesticides, herbicides or fungicides “I stay away from the ‘cides,’” he said with a laugh. It’s a natural approach that Tuten came across, appropriately enough, organically. “I didn’t realize how close to organic farming I was,” he said. “We’d use copper, pot ash, magnesium and calcium nitrate mined from the earth... it’s easy for a small farm to be organic.” Yet despite its relatively small size – Tuten Farms uses roughly 24 of its 33 acres for planting – this powerhouse of local produce puts out an astounding variety. “I’m pulling rainbow carrots every week... last year we picked 8,000 pounds of just orange cherry tomatoes,” he said. You start with good dirt, you nurture the planet with healthy natural care, and you get delicious produce. From there, turning it into a mouth-watering gourmet experience almost seems easy.