Did you know that the tomato had a difficult beginning, one shrouded in mystery and suspicion? Although celebrated in countries like Italy, where the first cookbook featuring tomatoes was published in Naples in the late 1600s, and in France, where the tomato was considered to be an aphrodisiac, others didn’t find it so enjoyable. John Gerard, an early English cultivator, wrote in the late 16th century that the tomato was poisonous. His influential words took hold, and the tomato was considered inedible for years in England and the North American colonies. It wasn’t until Thomas Jefferson, who originally grew tomatoes as ornamentals, brought them into the kitchen in the early 19th century that the humble tomato’s reputation was finally restored.
Today, we grow heirloom tomatoes for their spectacular flavors, not to mention their curious names and the stories associated with them. What exactly is an heirloom, you ask? It’s a variety of fruit or vegetable — in this case the tomato — that has been grown for years, the seeds are preserved by gardeners and handed down through generations. Heirlooms are what we refer to as “open pollinated,” or allowed to pollinate naturally in the garden.
You see, with heirlooms comes the freedom of choice; in this case, the choice is deciding on the best-flavored tomato that you’ve grown, choosing the best, strongest plant that grew them, and saving the seeds. This process not only preserves some of the genetics of the plant, but it also allows you to improve the variety with a natural selection that evolves over time.
You can actually create your own version of your favorite tomato over years by saving seeds from the tomato with the best flavor that grew the hardiest, right in the micro-climate of your own garden. By allowing cross-pollination to occur, there is always the chance of producing that one really great, yet different, tomato with a distinctive flavor, shape or other characteristic that becomes a new variety for you. Simply share the seeds from this tomato with other gardeners, and a new variety is born.
With the commission of the factory farm system, the breeding of vegetables shifted from flavor to other characteristics such as uniform shape, the ability to ripen at the same time or to be tough enough to withstand being shipped across the country to different markets. Along the way, it seems, taste was forgotten. In order to have uniform plants with uniform characteristics, plant breeders began hybridizing, a process where pollination is carefully and completely controlled. In essence, they hand-pollinate plants with pollen from the same plant, weeding out the weak and deformed, until all the plants produced are identical. They then begin crossing plants from one identical line with another and grow the seeds until they hit on a new variety that is superior. Thus, a hybrid is born.
Hybrids grow vigorously, but only in the first generation of seed. If you were to try to save the seeds from one of these hybrids, the plants you would get would all be different, none carrying the genetics of their parents. In order to grow the same hybrid variety again, you would have to buy new seed each year. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing if you live in an area where disease is prevalent, and you need a plant that is resistant, or if you live in a different climate and need a plant bred to accommodate that climate. But what happened to that wonderful flavor? This brings us back to heirlooms.
To grow the best taste in a fruit or vegetable, we first need to recognize that not all varieties taste the same. Try growing some varieties that are known for their taste and, well, taste them! Then try new ones. Don’t be afraid to experiment — not all varieties will turn out to be winners for your table, but you can make that choice. To get the best flavor, plants must have healthy leaves. Without healthy leaves, photosynthesis, the process in which the plant converts water and carbon dioxide to sugars, cannot occur.
Begin by paying attention to and building great soil. Soil contains nutrients, moisture and oxygen and is teeming with beneficial micro-organisms that grow healthy plants. Attention to air circulation is also important. Without good air circulation, diseases can result; disease is the enemy of photosynthesis because, it can inhibit the plant from taking up proper moisture or nutrients and can cause defoliation, which also impairs photosynthesis. Keeping moisture even is key — excessively-soggy soil creates a bland, watery taste, while too little water can make tomatoes bitter. And finally, make sure your plants get at least six hours of sun a day.
A tomato’s flavor consists of texture, aroma and taste. To capitalize on this, harvest at peak ripeness when the color is uniform and the fruit is firm. A crisp, smooth texture combined with a sun-ripened aroma and a great basic taste will provide you with tomatoes of superb flavor.
We’ll be celebrating the wonderful flavors of summer’s favorite fruit at the Garden Home Retreat on July 24 with the Tale of Two Farms Heirloom Tomato Festival. Guests will have the chance to taste a number of heirlooms grown at the garden; tour the Garden Home Retreat; and enjoy live music before sitting down to a garden-fresh feast. A leader in the local food movement, chef Joshua Smith of Roanoke’s Local Roots Café—the city’s first farm-to-table restaurant—will join me in preparing a five-star dinner featuring sustainable poultry and fresh-picked heirloom tomatoes.
Space is limited for the Tale of Two Farms Heirloom Tomato Festival. For reservations and more information, e-mail gardenhome@pallensmith.com or visit PAllenSmith.com/tale-of-two-farms.
Recipes
Tomato Sandwich
1 large slicing tomato
Fresh lettuce-leaf basil
Mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
Bread
Peel the tomato and cut it into thick slices. Place the slices on a plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside for a few minutes to allow the flavors to mingle.
Toast the bread. Freshly-baked, crusty bread is, of course, going to taste best, but I've found that if the tomato is good, any toasted bread will do because this sandwich is all about the tomato.
Spread a layer of mayonnaise over one of the pieces of bread. Add the tomatoes and basil. Top with the remaining piece of toasted bread and you're ready to eat!
Tomato Artichoke Pie
1 ready-made pie crust
1 can artichoke hearts, drained
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2/3 cup freshly shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 to 3 tomatoes, peeled and thinly-sliced
Handful of fresh basil leaves
Bake piecrust according to directions on package. Mix together mayonnaise, cheese and artichoke hearts. Place peeled and sliced tomatoes on baked piecrust. Layer basil leaves on top of tomatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Spread mayonnaise mixture on top of tomatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 17 minutes. Serve warm.
Baked Cherry Tomatoes with Basil & Parmesan
1 quart cherry tomatoes (about 4 cups)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup basil, chopped
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Place the tomatoes, olive oil and garlic in an 8-inch square baking dish. Toss everything together to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Bake in a pre-heated, 400-degree oven for 20 minutes. The tomatoes should be plump and soft, but not mushy. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and top with Parmesan and basil. Serve hot or warm with crusty slices of bread, focaccia or crackers.
