Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Tomato Tasting

I picked out several varieties of tomatoes at the farmers' market  with the idea of a little taste testing.



My daughter came over for dinner, and dinner was a mini tomato tasting.




It was over 100 degrees again today,  and  neither of us were very hungry. So this was dinner. Warm bread sticks, a little wine, and tomatoes.


We tasted  these heirloom tomatoes: Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Green Zebra, and  Old German.
I also threw in a beefsteak tomato, not heirloom.

The above Cherokee Purple was our favorite. It was sweet and had the clear tomato flavor one expects. 

Brandywine was our second favorite. It had a stronger, more acid flavor, yet still sweet. 



The first taste of Green Zebra was a surprise. It was kind of sharp and sour. My daughter said it would be good in Mexican food, salsa etc. Then she salted it and tried it again. We had not salted any of the tomatoes. Wow! It really changed the flavor of Green Zebra. Now we described it as tangy and crisp in flavor. We really liked it. 

Neither of us liked the Old German  at all, It had no flavor, but to be fair, it was less ripe than all the others. But I think it still might be too mild for our taste. 

I didn't even take a photo of the beefsteak tomato. By itself it was not that flavorful, but it works great for sandwiches, and with mayo and good old white bread, it is perfect.


The above tomatoes all came in one box, and I don't know what they are. Except, since we liked the plum shaped ones the best (see location at 12 and 6 above). I did some research. They are also an  heirloom Russian black plum tomato. Blackish purple on the inside, they taste a lot like the Cherokee Purple. 

What tomatoes do you like? Do you grow heirloom tomatoes? I would really like to know what ones you think are good.
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14 comments:

podso said...

Whjat a good idea for a light supper! The zebra ones looked especially enticing!

Athena at Minerva's Garden said...

I am now so hungry for tomatoes from our garden, but alas, they are still green. I am growing a couple of Cherokee Purple and Brandywine, and I am glad that you enjoyed them, because we like them as well. I had the same impression of yellow tomatoes as you did--they tend to be lower in acidity, and to me they had less flavor than the red tomatoes. Wonderful dinner idea--can't wait to do that soon!

Ann from On Sutton Place said...

I love tomatoes but I don't know one variety from the other. My favorite thing to make is tomato caprese on thick french bread. I use Rachael Ray's balsamic drizzle. Your dinner looked delicious. Well done!

bj said...

I don't know one tomato from another...just know that I like our home grown so much better than those in the super market. :)
I love your light dinner...especially when shared with a daughter. :))

Jenny said...

I love growing heirloom tomatoes. The yellows & oranges are my favorite. My husband likes the darker German tomatoes best.

I think the farmer's market must have labelled your yellow tomato wrong? I've never seen a yellow old German. All of the old Germans I've grown have been dark red, purple to black.

I've also grown the zebras & I liked them but my husband didn't maybe we should have tried salt on them.

Anonymous said...

There is nothing better than a home grown tomato! These all look so delicious and I think that's a perfect summer time meal!
Thank you so much for popping in to see me.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Honey at 2805 said...

Gorgeous tomatoes! Thank you for sharing at Potpourri Friday at 2805!

Barbara said...

Oh, these look delicious! What a great idea for dinner. That would be perfect for me. I just love tomatoes!

All The Pretty Dishes said...

Your tomatoes look amazing! I can almost taste them!!

Jane@Cottage at the Crossroads said...

Hi Pat,
We grew most of the varieties that you mentioned in our garden this year except for the German one. And I would agree with you-the purple Cherokees are absolutely the best tasting! Another really good one is the Lemon Boy, which is a yellow tomato. Sadly, our tomatoes are just about all gone now. My husband pulled up a lot of the plants this evening.

Kathy said...

What a lovely idea - I believe my daughter would enjoy this - salt does make a fantastic difference - enhances flavor! I appreciate you sharing your lovely post with Home and Garden Thursday,
Kathy

Anonymous said...

Hi Pat! Thanks for popping in and liking my olden canisters.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Babs said...

I'd think I'd died and gone to heaven to see all those heirloom tomatoes at a farmers' market. How beautiful! I've grown heirlooms before with mixed results. The Cherokee Purple is one we grew this year for the first time, and I agree with you, it's delicious.
Your light supper sounds perfect for a hot summer night. Hope you get cool weather soon.
Babs

Shannon@Cozy Home Scenes said...

Pat, don't hate me, but I am one of those rare people who doesn't like tomatoes. I can eat a yellow tomato on a salad or burger because they are mild flavored. Tomatoes are pretty and I love seeing all the different shapes and colors. How nice to enjoy even a simple supper with your daughter. Have a great week!-------- Shannon