"heirloom tomatoes" news and stories

If you build it, they will come. They will; we promise. Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's tomato tower elevates one of the most straight-on, delicious combos simply by stacking it. Take one astoundingly ripe tomato (heirloom or brand-new variety; your call). Blanch it (see the recipe at blogger/photographer ulteriorpicture's post), slice it, layer it with olive oil and fresh basil leaves. Drizzle with ulteriorpicture's tomato vinaigrette to up the tomato ante. Repeat. Eat. Swoon.

A cool presentation of tomato towers might use a variety of colors and flavors: big red Early Girls, striped Green Zebras and maybe throw in some Yellow Brandywines. And, tomato fiends, here's an event you won't want to miss: The Tomatomania seedling sale is coming to Arcadia, Calif. starting today as well as to Lothian, Md; and Litchfield, Conn., in May. See the Tomatomania website to explore all the varieties available for planting.

Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot of having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.

Heirloom tomato salad. Photo: Eric Diesel

If you're lucky enough to live near a farmers market, don't forget to thank your local farmer and gardener for that sparkling-fresh produce, especially those who grow heirloom vegetables and fruits. In addition to growing delicious produce, they're cultivating history, right on the vine.

Though there are some differences of opinion about its exact definition, an heirloom variety of fruit or vegetable is generally agreed to be one that has been cultivated for at least 50 years. Beans are an heirloom veggie ever-growing in popularity, but the food that truly sings of summer is the tomato.

Heirloom tomatoes are beginning to appear in gardens, at roadside stands and lining produce aisles. In honor of the unique flavors and colors of these beauties, beyond the jump is an original recipe for a summer tomato salad: history you can eat. But remember to save some seeds -- preserving them is the least we can do for these species that give so much to us.

• Toronto is a great city, but it's even better when you discover the myriad of great beer bars in the city. All of my favorites are on there, although Abbot on the Hill should've gotten more than just an honorable mention.
• The ins and outs of Mill St. Organic Lager.
• They may look asymmetrical, but heirloom tomatoes are a great tomato find.
• Montreal poutine hits Toronto with Cafe du Lac.
• Recipe: Escabèche-style Scallops.
• Give TLC to the sapodilla fruit.
• Recipe: Fried Grouper with Parsley Sauce.

Melissa Clark can't resist bringing home bags of tomatoes from the farmers market this time of year. She offers up a tomato recipe for every night of the week (plus one to grow on) including Multi-colored Tomato Tartlets, Baked Stuffed Tomatoes with Goat Cheese Fondue and Green Tomato and Lemon Marmalade.

Eric Asimov searches for a beer that can cool you down without leaving you feeling weighted by the heaviness of hops and too much alcohol. The winner? A Belgian Pale Ale.

An evangelical Christian and a Kosher meat packer work together to further humane and sustainable farming practices. Mark Bittman cooks the perfect steak and shares secrets of the dry rub.

Frank Bruni reviews Rayuela. You can learn to cook in Paris without spending your whole vacation in front of the stove. You can feel safe eating all the deep-fried Oreos you want at the Indiana State Fair, as they are now cooked in trans-fat free oil.

Around these parts (and across most of the United States) tomatoes are setting, ripening and exploding with deliciousness at every turn. I took a visit to the largest seasonal farmers' market in the Philadelphia area this afternoon, and there were tomatoes everywhere I looked. Mountains of heirlooms, rows of red and orange cherry tomatoes in pint boxes and tables of perfect, round, red New Jersey tomatoes.

I left with a large shopping bag full of fresh, local, mostly organic produce, including a pint of sweet cherry tomatoes and several nice-sized yellow heirlooms. First thing I did when I got home was slice a bunch of the cherries in half and toss them with a little chevre. I drizzled the tomatoes and cheese with a little good olive oil and showed it a couple of turns of pepper. Then I dug in. The near-sugary flavor of the tomatoes coupled with softness of the cheese lifted my mood and made me wish that it could be summer all year round, so that there would never be a time when tomatoes like these weren't available.