kutulu

Have you noticed that the tomatoes that you see at the store all look perfect but when you get them home all you get is moisture and texture? They have almost no flavor at all. The only thing that separates a roma tomato from a beefsteak is the shape. They both have no flavor and little aroma.

This season I've been exploring heirloom tomoatoes. It has changed my outlook on the fruit. Everything is different about them. The first thing you notice is the visual differences. Sizes range from the size of a grape to larger than a grapefruit. Depending on the variety they can weigh over two pounds. Colors range from bright orange to dark purple. Shapes also vary from symmetrical globes to funky odd shapes.



When you taste them it is like seeing an HDTV for the first time. They had a bright flavor that catches your attention. I've been using them in soups, salads, on potatoes, anything I can. What sucks is that now I can hardly eat regular store-bought tomatoes.

They aren't cheap, I usually pay $4-5/lb for them but they are well worth it. If you see them, give them a shot.

snowy

I eat a lot of heirloom tomatoes. They're $3/lb at the farmer's market. My two favorites are the Brandywine and Persimmon varieties. I also really like Sungold grape tomatoes and the chocolate plum ones. We've been eating a lot of caprese salad.

This article from the NYTimes has some great ways to prepare tomatoes: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/22/di...tml?ref=dining

And Cooking Light this month had an entire article on heirlooms. This recipe: Heirloom Tomato Salad with Herbs and Capers Recipe - Fruits - MyRecipes.com is definitely on my to-try list.

I really can't imagine eating any other kind of tomato in summer. I do eat BC Hothouse tomatoes in winter, but they're a lot more flavorful than other possible choices. Not as good as an heirloom, but I can't go 8 months without fresh tomatoes.

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Charlatan

I would just about anything to get some good quality tomatoes right now. The kind we get here look like tomatoes but it's just a trick of the eye. They taste like a watered down cousin of the tomato. I met a chef recently who explained that while tomatoes can grow here, the tropical heat encourages them to grow very quickly. As a result they develop none of the sugars that a more slow growing North American or European variety does.

As for heirlooms... anything that preserves that kind of flavour over the industrially farmed varieties gets my vote. The few I have eaten in the past, were so bursting with flavour that I renewed my love of the tomato all over again.

Sigh.

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Anxst

I often cook with heirlooms. Getting a bunch of heirloom plum tomatoes, cooking them down a bit, throwing in a big handful of fresh basil, an onion, and a zucchini, and tossing it with some nice al dente pasta is one of my favorite summer lunches.

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Mister Coaster

Wow, Snowy. $3 a pound is a great price for heirlooms.

All I can add to this conversation is... If you like tomatoes, no matter what the cost is, BUY HEIRLOOM TOMATOES! You won't be dissappointed. My favorites are the Cherokee Purple, Mr. Stripey and Brandywine.

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Ayashe

I miss my garden, there is nothing like fresh plucked tomatoes from the vine. I could eat them just like an apple.