Tomato Favorites

I thought, being this is the month many New Englanders are starting seeds for this year's garden, I might list some favorite tomatoes.

I tend toward heirlooms (with one exception) because of their exceptional flavor and myriad of colors and forms. Hybrids are okay, but I buy only organic seed or seeds from environmentally responsible companies. I don't like to think of the chemical fertilizers and pesticides raining down on parent plants to provide billions of seed packets to the populace. These pollutants get into the ground, and drain toward the ocean. Once they hit the ocean, they contribute to ocean acidification (lowering the pH of the entire ocean is not a good thing) and general pollution and poisoning of the food chain (which ends up back on our plates - google "bioaccumulation" just for funsies).

But I digress. I could talk environmental science all day.

Today's "Favorites" post is all about tomatoes. Not chemical run-off.

Cherry

A cherry tomato is just that - a tomato that is not much bigger than a cherry. Some are smaller. They tend to grow in dense clusters. I've read they originated in South America, and have been cultivated since the 1800's. Neat!

My favorite varieties are:

 Sungold Hybrid - I was first given a packet of these by an ex-lover. When I popped that first fully grown sungold tomato into my mouth, I found myself sinking into a juicy, tangy euphoria. Summer Lovin', is what these little tomatoes whispered to me. What I thought would be just a summer fling ended up almost being a unrequited love story. The one that got away and all that. I spent years trying to find these tomatoes in heirloom vegetable magazines and in the organics shelves at the garden stores. When I discovered that they were a hybrid variety, my heart sank a little. But no relationship is ever perfect. I had sworn off hybrids because I like saving seed from year to year. I would have to make an exception for this perfect salad topper. Though, honestly, many of these do not make it inside my house. I usually end up eating them as they ripen on the vine.

Mexico Midget -These are teeny-tiny bundles of taste explosion. Good things really do come in small packages. I received this as a transplant one year from Seed Savers. This, and the Cherokee Purple I received, were my favorite in the bunch. I had no idea so much tomato flavor could be packed into such a tiny tomato. Last year, I did not get to plant any. AND I MISSED THEM. This year, that has been remedied. Because they are so prolific, plenty of them made it inside the house to be used in salads.


Paste

Paste tomatoes are fleshy without being juicy, and are nearly seedless. This makes them a great base for sauces and canning.

Amish Paste - I love this tomato. It's a large, meaty, Roma-type that is oxheart shaped and sweet to taste. This tomato is excellent for cooking, sauces, and for canning. Yet, I will often slice them up for salads and sandwiches, as they are good enough to eat plain. I plan on growing three plants this year (I usually only have one.)

San Marzano - This is an Italian paste tomato that is heralded as the best paste tomato in the world. It has a thick flesh with few seeds, and a strong, sweet flavor. I will grow two of these plants this year. I love making tomato paste, pasta sauce, pizza sauce, and canned whole tomatoes. Roasted is delicous, too!


Beefsteak

Beefsteak tomatoes are usually big and juicy, and are wonderful to eat straight from the garden. This type of tomato is popular sliced for veggie and meat burgers, or for the top of salads. Some people really like to use them for salsas, too.

Cherokee Purple - This is my favorite of all. It's large, very juicy, sweet-tasting, and dusky in flavor. I also love it's dark color, which permeates all through the flesh. The plants are prolific, unlike many other beefsteak heirlooms. Can't wait to slice these up with a little salt and pepper. Some days I would just bite into one like it was an apple. Yum yum.

Brandywine - Second favorite beefsteak type. Wonderfully sweet with just enough acidity to offset the sweetness. The plant isn't very prolific, but the tomatoes are awesome enough to grow at least one plant anyway.

Black Krim - Third favorite. Nom nom nom  nom. All this talk of all these delicious tomatoes is really gearing me up for summer. As of right now, these are all simple sprouts under grow lights in the basement! Anyway, Black Krim has a fantastic, intense flavor with a slightly salty taste. If you're looking for a beefsteak variety that's not too sweet, this is the tomato to turn to.

This year, I am growing Yellow Stuffer, Pink Zapotec, and Green Zebra, as part of the search to discover a favorite stuffing tomato. Tell me, what are you growing, and do you have a favorite? Why?