"heirloom tomatoes" news and stories

While the name gets thrown around a lot, especially with the ever-increasing discussion of shopping at local farmers markets and avoiding conventionally grown, mass produced produce, many consumers still wonder what heirloom tomatoes really are.

While some feel that a set, defined time limit of 50 or 100 years must be included in the definition of an heirloom plant, the short definition of an heirloom tomato is that it is an open-pollinated tomato plant, meaning that it is naturally pollinated by exposure to birds, insects and animals. Hybrid plants, the commercially grown tomatoes, do not always produce reliable, viable seeds due to the fact that some (if not most) of the crosses used to generate the plants were done artificially.

The more traditional tomatoes, those that are often seen in supermarkets and the majority of restaurants, have been bred to enhance certain characteristics besides flavor. For example, many have been selected for disease resistance or for having a slightly thicker skin, which makes them hold up better during shipping. Most of these conventional tomatoes are close to spherical and very red in color. Their flavor is ordinary, with little "wow" factor.

When is a tomato not a tomato? When it's an heirloom and goes by its own name, like "Brandywine" and Marvel "Stripe." Recipes are for: Cavatelli with Cranberry Beans, Warm Spinach Salad with Bacon & Potatoes, Bruschetta With Fresh Ricotta & Cherry Tomatoes, and Sliced Heirloom Tomatoes with Buttermilk Dressing.

The Grande Dame of Mexican cuisine, Diana Kennedy, shares recipes for Tamales Cernidos con Rajas y Queso (Tamales filled with Poblanos & Cheese) as well as an accompanying Salsa Verde.

Edna Lewis' classic The Taste of Country Cooking has been reissued, Scala's Bistro in Union Square has re-opened with a new look and a new menu, Etoile, Domaine Chandon's restaurant has reopened, and Bistro 1689 in a new French-California place in Noe Valley.

Heirlooms may not always present the archetypal tomato in terms of physical appearance, but their bold stripes and unusual shapes have a certain elegance to them, not to mention that they hold the promise of a truly delicious fruit (or vegetable, of you prefer). The Heirloom Tomato Cookbook is a beautifully photographed collection of 50 recipes that all use heirloom tomatoes. The most basic way to enjoy one of these is plain, or with a bit of salt, because the flavor of the tomato itself is so wonderful. But even the most ardent tomato fan can get bored with plain tomatoes, so the recipes for gazpacho, salsas and even jams in this book can help to take full advantage of the summer's tomato crop.

The one caveat about this book is that many of the recipes call for specific types of tomatoes. Don't feel bound by that, though it will give you something to go on if deciding to grow your own or purchase them for the first time. Each tomato may have a slightly different flavor, but they are all tomatoes. Try different kinds and figure out which ones you like best. The odds are good that you won't be disappointed whether you end up with Brandywine or Purple Ball tomatoes.

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