Heirloom potatoes (pictured left)

Purple Cherokee, Arkansas Traveler, Marvel Stripe, Mortgage Lifter, Brandywine. With their evocative names and gorgeous colors, heirloom tomatoes make a theatrical entrance, stealing the summer produce scene. Their charm is truly irresistible. Just the sound of the word "heirloom" brings on a warm, snuggly, bespectacled grandmother knitting socks and baking pies kind of feeling. And just like grandmother's pie recipe, heirloom tomatoes are a part of our heritage.

To be considered an heirloom, a tomato must have been grown from seed that has produced the same variety of tomato going back several generations (at least until 1940).

And then there's the sheer variety — large, small, oval, round, yellow, green, red, orange and nearly black — serving to remind us that nature still has a bit of influence in a world of uniformity and predictability. In fact, one of the factors that make an heirloom an heirloom is that it must be open pollinated in nature.

But what really sends people to the market in droves during the summer, bushel baskets in hand, is the taste of these full flavored beauties. Heirlooms stand out for their complexity and variety of flavor. Some are rich and sweet, others tart and refreshing. Some are quite juicy while others are firm and meaty. Color really does predict flavor: orange and yellow tomatoes taste sweetest because they are lowest in acid; dark red and black tomatoes usually have a good balance between sugar and acid, while green and white tomatoes will taste more tart because of their high acid content.


Heirloom tomatoes are a joy to cook with because their very different characteristics lend themselves to a variety of preparations. Come summer, no matter how you slice them, crush them, stack them, sandwich them or toss them, you're sure to have some luscious heirloom tomato experiences.

Above info from Whole Foods Market Website

Storage: If your tomatoes smell fragrant and yield slightly when squeezed, they are ready to use. If not simply leave them out, unwashed, at room temperature away from direct light for a few days. Do not refrigerate tomatoes! Refrigeration dulls their flavor and makes their texture mealy.

Handling: If serving tomatoes raw or lightly cooked, give them a quick rinse and slice, chop, or cut them into chunks as desired. To remove the skin, score a small X in the bottom of each tomato and place into a pot of boiling water (or, pour boiling water over the X’s); the skin will loosen and peel back slightly.


Preparation and use:

• Slice juicy, tomatoes into thick slices, add a little salt and a drizzle of olive oil and enjoy them at room temperature-a happy gift from nature.
• Cut tomatoes into bite sized pieces and toss them directly into a skillet with pasta, garlic, oil and herbs just before you slide the pasta onto the plate. The hot pasta will coax out the tomato's tangy juices without cooking or breaking them down.
• Cut sweet corn off of the cob into a salad bowl and toss in diced tomatoes, basil and cubes of salty, tangy cheese, such as a fresh Pecorino Romano, Provolone or Jack. Add a little olive oil and a dash of mild vinegar or lemon for a quick, garden fresh salad.
• Drizzle olive oil onto a baguette, and add thick slices of tomatoes along with a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Crumble a little fresh goat cheese onto the tomatoes, tuck in a few leaves of arugula and you have a summer sandwich of perfect simplicity. You might want to eat this one over the sink!
• Salsa, pasta sauce, soups, and salads are also good uses of tomatoes.

Baked Stuffed Tomatoes

• 4 large ripe tomatoes
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• Salt, pepper to taste
• Stuffing (see below)
• Buttered cracker crumbs

Stuffing:

• 1 onion
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 2 to 3 cups bread crumbs or cooked rice
• chopped tomato centers

Cut slices from stem ends of tomatoes, scoop out centers. Chop and save centers for stuffing. Pour soup into a shallow baking dish; set tomatoes in soup. Sprinkle tomato cavities with salt and pepper. Stuff (stuffing directions below), sprinkle with buttered bread crumbs, and bake at 350° for about 30 minutes.

For Stuffing:
Cook chopped onion, green pepper, and celery in the margarine for 5 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally.

Creole Style Corn, Okra, and Tomatoes
Adapted From VeganChef.com.
Serves 6-8

• 1 1/2 cups onion, diced
• 1 cup green pepper, destemmed, deseeded, and diced
• 1 cup red pepper, destemmed, deseeded, and diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, destemmed, deseeded, and diced
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 10 oz. sliced okra
• 2 T. garlic, minced
• 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
• 2 cups tomatoes, deseeded, and diced
• 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
• 2-3 tsp. Creole Seasoning, to taste
• 1/2 tsp. salt

In a large non-stick skillet, saute the onion, green pepper, red pepper, and jalapeno in olive oil for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the okra and garlic, and continue to saute for 5 additional minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.

Homemade Tomato Sauce Recipe
Yield: 8 servingsFrom About.com

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled, coarsely chopped (2 cups)
• 1 large carrot or 2 small carrots, peeled, coarsely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
• 5 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped (4 cups)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• Coarse sea salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. In a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onion and carrot for 2 to 3 minutes, reduce the heat to medium, cover and sweat the vegetables over medium heat for about 25 minutes or until soft and golden.
2. Add the garlic, stir well, cover and sweat for 5 minutes more or until softened. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes to blend the flavors.
3. Push the cooked sauce through a food mill or blend in a food processor and push through a sturdy, small-holed strainer into a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. The sauce can be cooled and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or frozen up to 3 months.

Variations

• Add 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil at the very end of cooking.
• Fry 6 to 8 fresh sage leaves in olive oil until golden brown. Gently crumble the sage over the pasta just before serving.
• Add 6 ounces of fresh goat cheese to the sauce.
• Add additional olive oil.
• Add 2 ounces of good-quality balsamic vinegar.

Tomato Paste Recipe

from Cuisine Du Monde
Basically tomato paste is tomato that has been reduced, reduced again, and then reduced some more! It's ideal to make on a cold day over the gentle heat of a coal range.

• 24 large tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons salt or to taste
• olive oil

First score a cross on the bottom of each tomato using a sharp knife. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water, then drop into ice cold water. After this the tomato peel should almost fall off. Pull the remaining peel off the tomatoes. Cut the core out and remove all the seeds. I keep the peelings for making homemade stock and the seeds for adding into stews etc. Chop the flesh and measure what you're left with which would normally be around 4 litres. Add ½ teaspoon of salt to each litre. Place the tomato and salt in a large pot and simmer over a low heat for around 1 hour, stiring often to prevent any catching and burning. Remove from the heat and press through a fine sieve or process through a food mill. Return the tomatoes to the pot and continue to cook very slowly until the paste holds its shape on a spoon, approximately 2 to 3 hours. Stir occasionally to prevent any sticking.
Spoon into hot sterilized jars, leaving 3cm (1 in) at the top. Slop on a little olive oil to cover and seal. Ensure the lids have vacuum sealed, or the paste will spoil. Alternatively you can fill and freeze ice cube trays and free flow cubes of paste in freezer bags for use later.

The two following recipes are from Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt On Vegetables: Seasonal Recipes and Stories from a Community Supported Farm by Farmer John Peterson & Angelic Organics (Gibbs Smith Publisher). Available at bookstores. Additional recipes, charts, signed copies of this book, and quantity discounts available at www.AngelicOrganics.com.

Fried Green Tomatoes with Crispy Cornmeal Crust
Green tomatoes are surprisingly wonderful but very different from ripe tomatoes. Bacon drippings were traditionally used to fry green tomatoes, but now only the most diehard Southerners—and a few inspired cooks—do it that way. Angelic Organics Kitchen.
Serves 4 to 6

• 1/2 cup milk, or 1 egg beaten with 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup cornmeal or flour, or a combination
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
• mild-flavored vegetable oil
• 4 large firm green tomatoes, cored, cut into 1/4-inch slices

1. Line a plate with paper towels.

2. Put the milk or the egg-water mixture in a shallow bowl; set aside. Put the cornmeal or flour in another small, shallow bowl and stir in the salt and pepper.

3. Fill a large skillet 1/4-inch deep with oil. Heat over high heat until the oil just begins to smoke, about 3 minutes.

4. Dip each tomato slice into the liquid, then into the cornmeal or flour. Carefully place the tomato slices in the oil and cook until golden and soft (but not mushy), 3 to 4 minutes on each side (working in batches as necessary). Adjust the heat as necessary to prevent burning.

5. Transfer the fried tomatoes to the paper towel– lined plate to drain. Season with more salt to taste. Serve immediately.



Roasted Tomato Basil Pesto
This variation on pesto is so delightful it’s amazing that it’s not more common. The roasted tomato flavor is superbly highlighted by the sweet aromatic basil—but a very ripe regular tomato will work well too. Don’t limit this pesto to just pasta; try it on pizzas and roasted potatoes, in an omelette, or over grilled vegetables. You can make an equally delicious variation by using cilantro instead of basil. Shareholder (adapted from the Seed Savers Calendar, 1998).
Serves 2

• 2 pre-roasted tomatoes or 1 large fresh tomato
• 2–3 cloves garlic, peeled, halved
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup fresh whole basil leaves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine the tomatoes, garlic, pine nuts, and oil in a blender and process until just combined. Add a handful of basil and process again briefly; continue adding the basil in small amounts until all is combined.

2. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.