For those who appreciate a tomato’s simplest, most delicious form, the arrival of summer’s exquisite heirloom tomatoes is a yearly delight. They’re being harvested now, and you can look forward to the wonderful colors, shapes, sizes and flavors of these beauties arriving at your farmers’ market soon.
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Local farmers have told us at the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association that heirloom tomatoes are scheduled to arrive right on time this year. The rain we had this last winter was a boon to production and growth, leaving farmers to begin picking a bountiful crop.
What is an heirloom tomato exactly? Any form of heirloom produce is generally considered to be a variety passed down through several generations because of its valued characteristics such as flavor, growth habits and ease of production. Tomatoes of this variety are “open-pollinated,” as opposed to today’s hybrids.
Types with long histories include Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Green Zebra, Jubilee and German Green. Each variety is truly unique, with sometimes contorted, fun shapes and gorgeous colors and ranging in size from tiny heirloom cherry tomatoes to gigantic Cherokee Purples.
Heirloom tomatoes do not usually travel well because of their thin skins. They also have a shorter shelf life than conventional tomatoes and are hence ideally suited for local farmers to grow because they can be quickly brought to market once they’re ripe.
You’ll find only the best and most flavorful heirloom tomatoes at your local East Bay farmers’ markets, with so many varieties and so many gorgeous colors from which to choose!
Make a caprese salad with big slabs of Brandywines, tomato pie with German Greens or try oven sundried tomatoes (see recipe below) made with a colorful heirloom cherry variety.
Debra Morris is a promotions coordinator for the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association. Contact her at debramorris@pcfma.org.
Recipe: Oven Sundried Tomatoes
ingredients
two to three pints of yellow, orange, red and purple heirloom cherry tomatoes
a pinch of fine salt or garlic salt
olive oil
instructions
Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat on low to 225°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil. Cut the tomatoes in half and arrange them cut-side up, closely together, in a single layer. Sprinkle lightly with salt. You can also sprinkle with dried basil and garlic salt instead of regular salt. Go easy on salt, as the tomatoes get saltier when dehydrated!
Bake for four to five hours. Check toward the last half-hour to see if the tomatoes soft, shriveled and leathery. Let cool thoroughly. Pack them in a jar and fill it with enough olive oil to cover the tomatoes. They should last two to three weeks in the refrigerator.