Tomato Tasting Results

O.K., so the tomatoes were a little lacking in the flavor department (as our Moms said), but they were still distinguishable. We inhaled them. Nothing like a little bruschetta for lunch! Is this cheating? Probably, but I never sit down and eat a hunk of tomato all on it's own, that is what those little cherry poppers are for. My slicing tomatoes go in something, or with something. So, the tomatoes were sliced into large chunks and tossed with a splash of good olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt, pepper, and Pistou Basil before being generously heaped onto our little toasts. Hubby and I did not agree on our favorite, though his first choice was my second. Good enough!

First I laid out the tomatoes and labeled their spot and seed collection jar.

(I wrote down the names as listed when I was at the farm so I would not forget.)

They were sliced across the equator and into the jars went the juice and seeds.

Funny how different the pulp is in color, this heirloom stuff is gorgeous!

Clockwise from top left: Green Zebra, Purple Stripey, Red Stripey,

and Costoluto Genovese.

My husband like the Costoluto Genovese best. This tomato had a nice, clean, fresh, true tomato taste. It was my second favorite and one I now plan on growing. The shape when sliced was as pleasing to the eye as the flavor was to the palette, a great combination. I was delighted by the Green tomato. It's flavor was bright and crisp- a bit of lime maybe? What ever it was it clearly stood out from the rest. LOVED IT! Must have more. The remaining two tomatoes did not stand out so much. I was expecting more spice and smoke out of the Purple Stripey as this is how it was described at the farm stand. Must be where the 'watery tasting tomatoes this year' comes into play. It smelled more complex than it tasted.

It would be nice to still live right down the street (as our parents still do) from such a fun tomato vendor so I could do a tasting every week and know what I was eating. The markets down here just say "Heirloom" above the basket of mixed tomatoes, and the choices are no where near that of Kimball Fruit Farm. http://www.kimballfruitfarm.com/ Kimballs, oh how I miss you already. (On a side note the musk and watermelons we picked up were the best we have ever had. All the rain certainly didn't ruin those melons!) Edit: after checking the link I discovered a great video on heirloom tomatoes on their site, go over and check it out if you 8 or 9 minutes to spare.

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Here is an updated picture of the garden taken today. The bed in the far left corner used to house the tomatoes. After amending the soil with too many things to mention I sowed more spinach and a row of bunching onions. The cold frame will go in the other half of the bed this week. ( I am thinking lettuce.) The winter squash are covered with row cover. I am hoping this extra bit of insulation will allow me to get some mature fruit of them. What is there seems to have stopped growing. I will trade lack of continued pollination for a few good squash. (FYI- The ugly row cover in full view is the down side to having a front yard garden. Sorry neighbors.)

Just outside the fence on the left is my recovering grape vine. I still need to cap the posts with copper and add a second wire for the trellis. I just hope everybody leaves it alone this winter and I get some grapes out of it in a couple of years!

O.K., time to get back to work. A bag of Ginger Crisp apples and a slew of mashed potatoes are waiting for me to make something delicious with them. I am thinking Cottage Pie and Apple Crisp.