“Too Many Tomatoes”

Grand Tour Magazine
August 2004
Deborah Fabricant

Nothing can compare to a perfectly vine-ripened tomato...

So, every year you plant too many tomatoes and end up throwing them away, right? Why not try something different and romantic this year? Heirloom Tomatoes! Nothing can compare to a perfectly vine-ripened tomato, room temperature, with sea salt.  It’s almost like biting into a “love apple”, which, by the way, is the name the French gave to tomatoes.  This versatile fruit (yes, fruit) is also a fairly recent addition to Italian cuisine. Spain discovered the tomato along with the discovery of the Americas in the 15th century. The Aztec civilization revered the tomatl as more precious than all of their gold!!  Originally, the French would not use tomatoes in their cuisine and the British remained carefully reserved for centuries longer, supposedly being afraid of the tomatoes poisonous reputation—the stems and leaves are toxic, and its closest relatives are the hallucinogenic jimson weed and the deadly nightshade. I guess that may lead you to hallucinate about what to do with all of those tomatoes! Enough of the history lesson.

An Heirloom Tomato is generally considered to be a variety that has been passed down through several generations in a family because of its valued and unique characteristics. Over the past few years Heirlooms have become very popular, showing up in your local supermarkets, however one would be hard-pressed to find a real heirloom in the bunch…it just doesn’t exist.  Reason? Virtually all tomatoes sold today are hybrids that have been bred to favor growers’ pocketbooks rather than the consumers’ palate. Unfortunately, in developing the traits that make an Heirloom easy to grow and transport, the flavor has been overlooked.  BUT, help is on the way.  All you need is a small garden space, some real Heirloom seeds and you are on your way to growing the most delicious, flavorful and beautiful tomatoes on earth. With more that 3,000 varieties, some dating back to the mid-1800’s your selection is vast, with “Moneymaker”, an English variety being the oldest at about 300 years old.

So you want to grow Heirlooms? There really aren’t any tricks. Everyone talks about mulching, compost and manure and providing lots of care and attention when there is a much simpler answer: Tomatoes are one of the easiest fruits to grow, so don’t kill them with kindness!

Resources:

Santa Barbara Heirloom Seedling Nursery  805.968.5444
Seed Savers Exchange  319.382.5990

Try dressing your late summer table with a tablescape of Heirloom Tomatoes and serve my favorite salad…
For the table: Because Heirlooms are so rich in color, let the tomatoes themselves be the color on your table.  Vibrant in colors of pale yellow, celadon green, pale red, plum and pink, your choice of colors to put on the table is unlimited. Try mixing colors, or use all one color…the creativity is yours. When I think of tomatoes, I think Italian and that leads me to this tablescape idea of a basic background highlighted with the colors of the Heirlooms. So often we overlook the beauty of Nature and “over-do” a table.  In this case, let the tomatoes dictate the beauty of your tablescape.

  • White cloth
  • Low, narrow, flat baskets piled with tomatoes and rosemary
  • Clear glass votive candles interspersed along the length of the table

and juxtaposed with larger Tuscan-style candlesticks.

  • Wooden chargers
  • Golden yellow plates
  • Celadon green napkins topped with a small cherry tomato and sprig of rosemary
  • Amber glassware

And what to do with all of those tomatoes?  Well, try….
Deb’s Favorite Salad:

  • Thick slices of Heirloom Tomatoes
  • Sliced Burrata cheese (located at your favorite cheese store, Bristol Farms or Gelsons)
  • Sliced avocado
  • ¼” slices of peeled navel oranges
  • Pitted Nicoise olives
  • Basil leaves
  • A drizzle of Truffle Oil

Arrange the tomatoes, cheese, avocado, oranges, olives and basil on a platter and a drizzle of Truffle Oil. Serve at room temperature.

So there you have it…Be hip and cool, my friends, and serve Heirloom Tomatoes at your next dinner party. Grown in your own backyard, served at the peak of ripeness, and used as a decorative accessory on your table. Most people don’t think to use vegetables or fruits on the table, but the truth is they add so much more than the obligatory “bouquet” we all tend to use. Let yourself go…use your imagination and have fun with flora and fauna on the table. 
Now, I know you are asking: what do I do with the tomatoes on the table? Make a marmalade!!! Or a killer pasta sauce and freeze it for later!