Unless you really, really like tomatoes.

Thousands turned out for the Carrboro Farmers' Market's annual Tomato Day on Saturday where local farmers offered samples of tomatoes, tomato jam, and a yellow tomato gazpacho.

By noon all 875 little paper cups of cookbook writer Sheri Castle's tomato sauce were long gone.

When the festival started over 10 years ago, the farmers sold only 15 varieties. Now, the market features more than 65 different "backyard" and heirloom tomatoes.

JoAnn Gallagher, a farmer from Snow Camp, was selling peppers, pasture-raised chicken and of course, tomatoes.

"This is the glut of tomato season," she said. "I think tomatoes, for a lot of us [are] our big summer cash crop."

Gallagher has been farming for five years and said she grows six to eight different tomato varieties in a season.

Although tomatoes were the main crop of the day, farmers sold other fruits and vegetables, flowers, spices, sausage, pastries and homemade soap.

Sarah Blacklin, the market manager, said the festival was a great day for the farmers and the customers.

"People absolutely love tomatoes," she said. "When tomato season peaks, it means summer is here."

Blacklin said all of the farmers live within a 50-mile radius of the market.

Elise Margoles from Elysian Fields Farms in Cedar Grove has been farming for eight years. She said wanting to work outside and becoming more health conscious is why she farms.

"Tomatoes are my favorite," she said. "They are challenging to grow but when you do it right, it is rewarding."

This year, Margoles tried something new by mixing different colored cherry tomatoes. The red, yellow and orange tomatoes looked like autumn in a box.

Castle said customers were allowed to take home tomato recipes this year.

"Some people just come to eat and some come for the recipes," Castle said. "There are so many people who have never had a fresh ripe tomato, and we think that is worth celebrating."

The market will post its recipes from the festival on its Web site at www.carrborofarmersmarket.com.