It’s been a long wait, and for all of us tomato enthusiasts, finally it’s time to celebrate. Vine-ripened, locally grown tomatoes are here. And, for my money, for the best taste, heirloom tomatoes can’t be beat. Unlike commercially developed varieties (often hybrid), heirloom varieties have more flavor, so distinctive, so delicious, they can turn a tomato skeptic into a tomato fanatic.
At a busy farmers market, it can be overwhelming to choose an heirloom you think will best suit your palate. Heirlooms can be green, pale yellow, bright orange, deep red, purple, or even chocolate brown. Varying in size and shape, some are small and smooth, and others are large, lumpy, and lopsided.
I selected a few types of slicing tomatoes that are most likely to be found at the farmers markets. These are perfect for caprese salad, tomato sandwiches, or quartered with your morning scrambled eggs. A fun idea for a summer supper is to slice a variety of heirlooms on a charcuterie board and invite guests to sample and compare the subtle taste differences.
The heirloom tomatoes pictured were grown by Mike and Tammy Zavels. The Zavels Family Farm in Corryton has an extended family who can be found manning their booths at farmer markets all around Knoxville, including Maryville Farmers’ Market. Most area markets have a few vendors, like the Zavels, who grow heirloom tomatoes.
Pictured on page one, clockwise: “Empire” tomato with a sweet, mildly acidic flavor; “Cherokee Black” with a sweet, acidic, and savory taste, often described as having earthy and smoky notes; “German Pink” with a sweet, full flavor; “Cherokee Purple” with a rich, sweet, and earthy flavor; and “Pineapple” with a sweet, mild, and fruity flavor with a touch of citrus tang.
I visited with Blackberry Farm’s Master Gardener John Coykendall in his home a few weeks back. John is an acclaimed seed saver and an evangelistic proponent of saving, propagating, and sharing heirloom seeds to prevent losing these tomatoes that are part of our heritage forever. I asked John about the distinct qualities and taste of different varieties of heirlooms that set them apart.
“The tomatoes referred to as blacks, of course, they aren’t black. It is sort of a greenish mahogany color. One of our fellow seed savers described the Black from Tula (Tula is a town in Russia), and he described that tomato as being the ugliest, best-tasting tomato he’d ever had. So, some of them aren’t really attractive, but the flavor is superior.
Now, you take a modern bred tomato, they all look exactly the same because they are all exactly the same. Put them in a bowl on the table for a pretty display. You can’t eat ‘em! It took me a while for the obvious to dawn on me, and that was why there are so many young people who don’t like tomatoes. Well, if the only thing any of us had ever eaten was one of those ‘styrofoam’ tomatoes, we wouldn’t want a tomato either. None of us with some age on us would want to eat a tomato if that’s the only thing we ever had. The obvious finally dawned on me. We take it for granted because we grew up when they had real tomatoes.
The main thing with heirloom tomatoes is that great flavor. It can’t be matched. And I really do feel that it’s up to the individuals. You know, you can have 10 people taste the same thing, and you might get 10 different descriptions. And another thing, too, when we have tomato tastings up at Blackberry Farm, some of them are in their 30s, and they come down and taste those tomatoes, it’s like the first time they ever ate one. They’ve been eating tomatoes, but didn’t know what a real one was. But, you know immediately when you taste one of those good heirlooms.”
Amy Campbell is the creator of The Tennessee Farm Table, a weekly podcast & radio show featuring the people of the state of Tennessee who produce, prepare, and preserve foods and agricultural products. John Coykendall is a frequent guest. Tennesseefarmtable.com
The main thing with heirloom tomatoes is that great flavor, it can’t be matched.