Stout Oak Farm heirloom tomatoes

Day 10 of 10 days of tomatoes…

Heirloom tomatoes are plants whose seeds have been passed down for many generations. They tend to have stronger, sweeter flavors, and come in many sizes, colors and shapes, unlike hybrid which all tend to look alike and are grown more for shippability and storage than taste. (i.e. they need to survive the road trip from California without getting bruised or mushy.)  

The Chefs Collaborative, through a program to renew America’s food traditions (RAFT),  is trying to help heirlooms make a comeback in New England, including the Trophy tomato. Don’t be scared off by heirlooms which don’t look as “perfect” as the commercial tomatoes, and which may be green, pink, yellow or even purple when they’re ripe.  The heirloom varieties work well on small farms because unlike hybrid, they’re not all ready for harvest at one time.

With heirlooms, all you really need to do is slice them, drizzle on a good Extra Virgin Olive Oil and some balsamic vinegar, sprinkle some salt and pepper and you almost have a meal.

For more on “tomato week” check out Maria Rodale’s blog for some more easy recipes and planting tips:

http://www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com/tomato-week-easy-tomato-recipes-tomato-plant-harvesting-tips/comment-page-1/#comment-15591

I appreciate the feedback I got this week and all the wonderful tomatoes I bought from local farms.  I also really enjoyed the gazpacho from the Soup Guy at the Barrington Agricultural Fair which was made with tomatoes from Warren Farm. He also uses Clementine oranges in his gazpacho. He said this was very popular in Spain where they would serve gazpacho as a small side dish to help cleanse the pallet during the meal. Keep an eye out for him at the winter markets.  Meanwhile must figure out what to do with the 10 lbs of tomatoes I got from my CSA, Willow Pond Farm today… maybe in October I’ll feature six days of squash…

See you at the market…