California farmers say heirloom tomatoes are on track to arrive on schedule this year.
For those who love tomatoes in their simplest and tastiest form, the arrival of summer’s exquisite heirloom tomatoes is an annual treat. They are currently in harvest season, and we can look forward to seeing these beauties of fantastic color, shape, size and flavor arriving at farmers’ markets very soon.
Local farmers told us at the Pacific Coast Farmers Market Association that heirloom tomatoes are on track to arrive this year. Rains last winter benefited production and growth, allowing farmers to get started on a bumper crop.
What exactly is an heirloom tomato? Any heirloom variety is generally considered to be a variety that has been passed down through generations for valuable characteristics such as flavor, growth habit, ease of cultivation, etc. These varieties of tomatoes are “open pollinated” as opposed to today’s hybrid varieties.
Some of the long-standing varieties include Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Green Zebra, Jubilee, and German Green. Each variety is truly unique, with fun, sometimes twisted shapes and beautiful colors, and they range in size from tiny heirloom cherry tomatoes to gigantic Cherokee Purples.
Heirloom tomatoes have thin skins that make them less suitable for shipping, and they also have a shorter shelf life than conventional tomatoes, making them perfect for local farmers to grow because they can be shipped to market sooner once ripe.
At your local East Bay Farmers Market, you’ll find only the best, most flavorful heirloom tomatoes, with plenty of varieties and beautiful colors to choose from.
Try making a Caprese salad with plenty of Brandywine, a tomato pie with German greens, or try these oven-dried tomatoes (see recipe below) made with colorful heirloom cherries.
Debra Morris is promotions coordinator for the Pacific Coast Farmers Market Association. She can be reached at debramorris@pcfma.org.
Recipe: Oven-dried tomatoes
material
2-3 pints of yellow, orange, red, and purple heirloom cherry tomatoes
A little salt or garlic salt
Olive oil
Instructions
Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat over low heat to 225°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Halve the tomatoes and arrange them cut-side up in a single layer with no gaps. Sprinkle lightly with salt. You can also sprinkle with dried basil and garlic salt instead of regular salt. Use salt sparingly as tomatoes become salty when dried.
Bake for 4-5 hours, checking the tomatoes in the last 30 minutes or so to make sure they are soft but not shriveled or leathery. Allow to cool completely. Pack into jars and top with enough olive oil to cover the tomatoes. Keeps in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
