101 Tomatoes to Try

Well, it clearly is supposed to rain, er..make that thunderstorm for my "Tomato bash" tomorrow.
C'est la vie.
When you grow food for a living rain happens sometimes when you would prefer it not too.
We shall forge ahead.
I've been busy since sun up and until sundown picking tomatoes.

Here's a few. or 101 you can expect to try when and if you brave the storm! In the order picked...

1. Clear Pink
2. Abruzni
3. Gezhante Buhrurkeel
4. Joe Pesch
5. Delores's Romanian
6. Pixie Striped
7. Lime Green Salad
8. Green Sausage
9. White Rabbit
10. Tiger Tom
11. Fargo Yellow Pear
12. Beams Yellow Pear
13. Flamme
14. Persimmon
15. Fablonelstyni
16. Pink Petticoat
17. Egg Yolk Cherry
18. Little Lucky
19. Green Doctors
20. T2
21. T4
22. Coeur de Boeuf de Nice
23. Phil's Fantastic
24. Zigan
25. Yellow Bell
26. Williams Striped
27. Grand Peche Rouge
28. Jaune Coeur de Pigeon
29. Wapsipicon Peach
30. Oxheart
31. Black Plum Cherry
32. Chateau Rose
33. Aunt Ruby's Yellow Cherry
34. Darby Striped Orange
35. Half Moon China
36. Sandy's Chocolate Cherry
37. Bali
38. Magnum Beefsteak
39. Roughwood Golden Tiger
40. Large Black Red Boar
41. Howard German
42. Black Giant
43. Miel du Mexique
44. Lillian's Heirloom
45. Goldman's Italian American
46. Bulgarian Triumph
47. Vintage Wine
48. Canadian Heart
49. Hartman's yellow Gooseberry
50. Golden Grape
51. Fuzzy Pink Boar
52. Evan's Purple Pear
53. Flame
54. Costoluto Fiorentino
55. Feuerwerk
56. Gold Rush Currant
57. Striped Cavern
58. Michael Pollan
59. Ella's Pink Plum
60. Sutton White
61. Cuban Yellow Grape
62. Korney's Jelly Bean
63. Joffre
64. Green Envy
65. Yellow Furry Hog
66. Giant Fiolet
67. Rose
68. Big Red Peach
69. Lizzotte (hyb)
70. Costoluto Genovese
71. Red Ruffled
72. Togorific
73. Schimmeig Striped Hollow
74. Anna Russian
75. Sink's Striped
76. Chucks Yellow Beefsteak
77. Ivory Egg
78. Italienne Noire
79. Ananas Noire
80. Punta Banda
81. Valenica
82. Stupice
83. Pink Dream
84. Golden Sunray
85. Black Ethiopian
86. Plum Black
87. Enormous Plum
88. Dingo Eye
89. Uribikany
90. Osu Blue
91. Purple Calabash
92. Velve Striee
93. Dr Carolyn's Pink
94. Sungold Select
95. Thompson Classic Green Grape
96. Marz Yellow Red Stripe
97. Bonnie Best
98. Elfin
99. Red Currant
100. Tuxhorn
101. White Currant

We'll be tasting them and I'll be asking people to vote for their favourites. I know what mine are...I ate SO many tomatoes today. Good tomatoes.

But I'm not sick of them. Far from it. I know fall is coming and the end of tomato season is rapidly approaching.

Stay tuned for the verdict!  

Heirloom Tomato Bash 2011-Sun,September 4

2010 heirloom tasting table.  ( Picture,T Mayer)

The date is finally set!


When I initially set the date for my " Heirloom Tomato Bash" this year, I had chosen August 21.  If you have one of my calendars, you can now just go ahead and scratch that date.  Put a big  "X" right through it.


The season messed me up a little bit, the spring being wet, and my clay being, well...clay. So the tomatoes went in a bit later.


 And other commitments have come into play.  I'm excited to be doing an event at THE GOOD EARTH on August 28th, and details about this major cool event will follow soon.


So..the date is a little bit later than I originally planned.


I sure hope people can make it. My celebration of heirloom tomatoes, and all things heirloom, will be Sunday September 4, from 1-4 pm in the afternoon. 


By then I am hoping to have the garden weeded, and know for sure there will be lots of great tomatoes to try.  Lots.

We'll have a garden tour, with the necessary sampling along the way, a tasting table set up so people can get a sense of the some of the incredible heirloom tomatoes available (tip of the iceberg, my friends) and some fabulous tomato treats to sample. Last year we had "tomato shooters", created by the incomparable Chef Mark Picone, tomato ice cream, tomato cake, tomato muffins and salsa of course. And perfectly paired wine.


This year I am delighted that Mark will join us again, and I have a few other special guests lined up, as well as a few select vendors.  My tomatoes and other produce will be available for purchase, as well as my remaining 2010 seed stock (cheap!), "No Guff Gardening" books and more.  All will be announced soon.


Cost is a minimum $10.00 donation to help me cover my costs. This  includes food, wine, fun, music and new tomato friends.   Any money that is raised in excess will be donated to Seed Savers Exchange, as it was last year.


You again will need to let me know if you plan on attending, and I can only accommodate a smaller crowd.
Please phone, (905)-386-7388, or email treeandtwig@sympatico.ca to let me know you intentions. 


I can't tell you how much I look forward to seeing people come out. As last year...we go rain or shine!

2010-yes, it rained!

Tomato of the week-Fablonelstyni... and life on the farm

Wow.

We've been busy this week.

Finally the clay is turning up the way it should, and the last 2 weeks or so have been a bit of a planting frenzy.

Tom Thumb lettuce in the raised beds

Tilling ..please don't tell me it is mid-June.

Without all the help, where would I be? Not where I am, that's for sure.
To me it is rather unbelievable that some very kind folks have given up many hours this week to come out and help with the tomatoes. Digging holes, pitching compost and planting.

It's back-breaking work and long, long days.  It is also honest work, satisfying work and true accomplishment when you can look over the field and see what has been done.

But wait till you come back.  In one weeks, two weeks, a month.  The change is going to be astounding.
No paper shuffling here. Food is a growin'!

Attitude is everything and the people who come to help are just so very inspiring. And likely too a bit amazed that this clay can grow things the way it does. Thank goodness it does.
But now they also understand why there aren't too many (any!) more vegetable farms in Wellandport.

For the "Tomato of the Week" I had to choose a special tomato because of course the time has morphed it into the "Tomato of the Week and a Half". Been really busy.

Fablonelstyni is the wonderful little tomato I'll talk about this week. Love it.

I must love it to be able to spell it without looking at the name on a piece of paper. Big name.
Great Russian tomato!

It is one of those very unique tomatoes that is truly unlike any other. First of all it is just extremely cute.
Each fruit on the plant resembles a little beefsteak tomato- but of course is more along the size of a cherry  tomato. There is some difference from fruit to fruit..each one is just a bit different.

The plants are huge, indeterminate types, but also huge producers.  The fruit is mild flavoured, sweet and pop in your mouth good.

One of the best things about being involved in the seed exchanges is to get to know other tomato lovers and growers around the world.  For many years I have relied on the wisdom of Bill Minkey, from Wisconsin who has grown out hundreds, likely thousands of tomatoes over the years.
Bill is wise in the ways of tomatoes, and I always love talking to him on the phone or by letters back and forth.

Bill is responsible for bringing many family heirlooms back from the edge of extinction.  It was Bill who introduced Aunt Ruby's German Green tomato to the fabulous Seed Savers Exchange many many years ago, the tomato having been grown for generations in the family of Ruby Arnold of Tennessee.  And of course Aunt Ruby is likely the best known green when ripe tomato.

And it is Bill's advice I rely on when I am looking for good ones to try here in the clay fields of Wellandport.  Bill who introduced me to Fablonelstyni quite a few years ago now, and Bill hasn't steered me wrong.  This little tomato is worth a try, and worthy of seed saving.

Bet you can't say it ten times...Fablonelstyni, Fablonesltyni, Fab...

2000s Archive: Gourmet.com "The Price of Tomatoes"

This is a great article...worth a read! Worth a LOT of thought.
The price people working on tomato farms pay for our off season tomatoes is clearly too high.



2000s Archive: Gourmet.com

Tomato of the Week- Stupice!

How many times, I'm sure you wonder, is this woman going to write about the Stupice (Stoo-peach-ka) variety of tomato? I make no promises this is the last time.  In fact it won't be because when they are ready this year (oh yes!) I'll be reporting about it.

I have about a hundred or so Stupice in one of the hoop houses now, fruiting and blossoming like crazy.

To say this spring has thrown off my planting schedule is a tad bit of an understatement. 

My general rule with the early Stupice is to seed them indoors on Feb 15th (check), transplant them in bigger pots March 15th (check), and plant them in the hoop house April 15th .

No check.

This year it was just too darn cold and it made more sense to keep them in the pots and keep them warm, than it did to risk total annihilation at the mercy of the elements despite the plastic protection.

I suppose I finally got them in the ground in the hoop house by May 1st or so.  

No matter. 

Now they are huge.  To wit....

Well, they are actually a bit bigger than this as of today, but Mollie has been using my camera a whole lot to take fabulous videos (see above).  So the battery is recharging right now.

Ahh, yes. Stupice. This is one charitable little Czechoslovakian tomato (rajce!). A giver. I've heard it said that it will set fruit in 38 degree F temperatures, I know it produces like mad all season, then carries on and takes just a bit more cool weather in our Canadian climate.  

It is a reasonably compact plant for an indeterminate tomato, about 4 ft tall and distinctive because of it's potato leaf, like the well- known Brandywine tomato.

I know it isn't fancy, fuzzy, stripy or anything but a simple small red tomato.  But I have huge respect and admiration for it. When other plants are thinking about growing, it surges to get that very fine flavoured fruit out to you. A workhorse. It makes me happy.   I anticipate that it will, as it is every year, be the first tomato I eat this year. It will also be the last.  There will be many in between, but truly none I enjoy quite as much.

Something about firsts.  First loves, first pets and first tomatoes.

There are other early tomatoes that I know people rave about. Latah, Early Wonder, Sophies Choice.  All good, I grow them all. 

I just like Stupice more.

My Stupice plants are sold out for this year.  Every year I grow more and more and it just seems to me that other people feel the same way as I do about them once they try them.

But tune back in again soon for a report on how the first tomato of my year tastes.  I'm anticipating rich, juicy and just darn good tomato-ey flavour.  Lots of green tomatoes...waiting for the red!


Stupice is a tomato to try.  Growing it this year?  Let me know when you bite into your first Stupice!

(AND, I still have tomato plants for sale..."lycopersicon for a loonie sale". Translated that is "a buck a tomato plant." )

Mollie's tomato poem

Tomato planting and growing tips!

It is tomato plantin' time!

Well, for some of you.

I'm waiting for my clay soil to dry up a bit more.
But even if you have your plants in, there are a few ideas I'd like to pass along for your consideration.

When I finally get out on my field, the first tomato planting rule I'll follow is :

PLANT THEM DEEP!

I remove all the lower leaves and branches, and plant them way down.  I dig my holes nice and deep, put in a good shovelful of my best compost, and sink the plant in as low as possible, sometimes even laying the stem down, and covering it up.  In another world, if I had a lot less plants, I'd water before I covered my plant up with soil to make sure it got a good drink where it is most important.

WATER THEM IN WELL, TILL ESTABLISHED!

Don't kill your plants with kindness, but get them established by making sure they are watered before they dry out. In the 2nd week or so after planting, give them a nice foliar feed...Mr Kelpman , a liquid kelp solution is always my first choice. In Niagara you can find it at Natural Insect Control, or mail order it through the fantastic Mumm's Sprouting Seeds in Saskatchewan.  When you see growth..

MULCH, then....

STOP WATERING!!

Yes, it's true, even in a dry year.
I read about "dry farming" tomatoes, and thought I'd give it a try last year.  It was something that had become pretty popular amongst tomato growers in California. It never rains in California, you know (it pours). Sorry for all the song references.
So both outside last year, and in the hoop houses, I stopped watering the tomato plants.
Outside the plants did well, but the hoophouse tomatoes were astounding!  They got no water from me, no natural moisture from the rain and the flavours were unparalleled. Intense and sweet and the plants were remarkably resilient. Sure in the middle of summer, some nights the plants were downright weepy.  But overnight they seemed to reconsider their sad state, and popped back to shape by morning.

If perhaps you are finding your tomatoes aren't as tasty as they should be, maybe overwatering is the problem.  You could be watering the flavour right out of them.  Consider how lacklustre the flavour of  tomatoes is in a wet year.  It is worth a try!

I like to tell the story of my little tomato plant that grew on my deck last year. Not in a pot.
In about a 1/2 " of dog fur and crud, between the cracks. A  little seed established itself...I didn't plant it.

The little tomato plant who could

It just grew, perhaps thrived on neglect. I didn't water it, and it wasn't even in full sun. It ended up being a currant variety and produced lovely little red cuties.  Finally the dogs noticed it and started playing a bit rough.  But its' will to survive was,  well...inspiring!

And the sucker or don't sucker debate..well I don't.

The stake or don't stake debate.....I don't again.  But I have LOTS of space.  If I had very little, I likely would stake.  But then, of course,  I'd have fewer plants and more time too!

(Next post up...a new series.....tomato of the week!  Can you stand the excitement!)

Tomato Tuesday- Succulent and Scrumptious Super Sweet Slicers

I'll start this off by saying sorry about the title.

I was looking in the thesaurus for an alternative word for "delicious" that started with an "s".

Well...I liked them all, and they all certainly describe perfectly, the perfect slicing tomato. So, what the heck.  Betcha can't say it ten times fast!

Lots of people come to the farm asking for the best slicing tomato I grow.  One that will cover a slice of bread and make the world's best sandwich.

It's tough to pinpoint what the best is when there are just so many good ones. If you come to my sale on May 21-22 you may be able to find hundreds of great ones.  But if not, these varieties are perhaps worth your consideration.

I'll talk red first, because there still are legions of people who look for reds, and can't move beyond that.

Well, yes.  I do have Beefsteak, Bush Beefsteak, Watermelon Beefsteak, Lescana Beefsteak, Magnum Beefsteak, Coeur de Boeuf de Nice, and Buckbee's Beefsteak.  They all have that wonderful rich tomato flavor, with a bit of an acid tang. Really what a lot of people are looking for, and I generally sell out of all the beefsteak varieties.

In Niagara too,  there seems to be regional preferences, and I sell more beefsteaks, per capita to fellow Wainfleet township folk, (Fleeters) than I do to other parts of the region. Do tell.

 Other awesome red slicers to consider are, of course, Glamour, Bonnie Best, Break O' Day, Mrs Bott's Italian Giant, Mortgage Lifter, Large Red, Lumpy Red, Stump of the World ,Oxheart, Cosmonaut Volkov, German Red Strawberry, Russian 117 and Debbie.  Abraham Lincoln is a good one, Box Car Willie and of course Delicious, which is a producer of huge tomatoes, and holds the world's record for the largest tomato ever grown. Believe it or Not is a good one too - I mean grow it for the name alone!

And there are more....lots more.

I actually grow more reds than any other colour of tomato.  People like their red tomatoes, and I guess I do too.

Brandywine is also a variety many people look for.  There is a Red Brandywine and Landis Strain, the pink, which is the best known, a few different strains of the pink-Sudduth and  OTV .  But also Yellow Brandywine and the Platfoot strain of that, Purple Brandywine, Black Brandywine and White Brandywine. Why not try the whole family for a tasty colourful slicing session ?

I have found when growing the Brandywine, that "Big Purple" is by far the most productive. And I do like the pink varieties. Superb, of course.

But in terms of comparable flavour and greatly increased productivity, Earl's Faux is unparalleled More bang for your buck.

I understand some people like to stick by their reds.  But you may be surprised to try some of the other colours on your sandwich too.  And find out, yes, they still do taste like tomatoes.

Years ago my mom introduced me to Persimmon, and since then the oranges are some of my favourites.
Sweet and fruity, I find many of them to have a nice juicy but dense flesh.  They are truly memorable.
Last year I renewed my love affair with oranges when I grew Maylor Roths Orange Brandywine. What an incredible tomato.  Large sweet and productive, this tomato has it all. Also just so delicious are Orange Russian 117, KBX, Dawson's Russian Oxheart, Hawaiian Pineapple and Orange Bull's Heart. Orange tomatoes might surprise you-they really are something special.

Bicolours too.  There are so many good big ones.  Big Rainbow, Old German , Striped German, Copia. Big Orange Stripe, Beauty King and Beauty Queen, amongst others.  These super sweet tomatoes add taste to a sandwich, but also their stunning appearance adds pizzazz to any dish.  I find every year I grow more and more of them, because in my opinion they are the most interesting category of tomatoes.  Stripes, zigzags, colour combinations.  They are exciting tomatoes to grow, but most importantly to taste.

Black, greens, whites and yellows come in slicing size too.  Paul Robeson and Carbon are two of my most popular blacks and of course who could ignore a tomato called chocolate?  Aunt Ruby's German Green has your sandwich covered, as well as Cherokee Green and Green Giant.

I know the whites found some new fans last year as people are asking for them now.  Big White, Grande Blanche and White Brandywine have people coming back for more.

Huge Lemon Oxheart was a massive producer of mild flavoured white-yellow tomatoes last year, Chucks Yellow Beefsteak, Manyel and the various strains of Golden Queen are worth your while.

So many to try, and such a short season.  Try a rainbow of slicers this year.  Your sandwiches will thank you!

TOMATO Days 2011, May 21-22, Updates

 For anybody and everybody who grows and gardens for a living in our neck of the woods, this is a busy time of year. When I call garden centres about their tomato orders, I can hear the rushed breathlessness in the voices. Getting ready...everybody is getting ready. Especially the customers who await the warm weather, the planting days, and just the plain excitement of another growing year.


It is hard to remember everything you have to do.  I write my aptly named "Totally Unrealistic Lists of Things to do Today" on pieces of paper, and then misplace the lists, finding them in with tomato orders, bills and recycling.


My husband says I should put this all on my computer,  but with my luck, I'd lose the computer.

But despite it all, it is with great delight and relief I am able to say that the tomatoes are finally all transplanted. It took 3 weeks of working 7 days each week to get them done, but yes they are happily nestled in their pots.
Should have been earlier, but it could just be that when you come to Tomato Days this year, you'll find even more selection.  In fact I know you will.

There are more tomatoes and more varieties of tomatoes, which I'm pleased about. But at my event, really, there never has been a risk of running out of tomatoes.  Some varieties do sell out, but I always tell people that if what you want is sold out, there are always lots of great substitutes to give a try.


And remember, they are all good!


This year you'll find there is just more of everything.  Last year I sold out of sweet peppers, cucumbers and ground cherries.  There are lots more this year.


There are fabulous hot peppers, including the scorcher Naga Jolokia. Huge selection of eggplants too.


There are melons, zucchinis, summer and winter squash, jelly melons, tomatillos, herbs (most notably basils, including the fabulous African Blue.)


I also have a big selection of brassicas...broccolis, cabbages, kales, cauliflowers, and my friend Tiffany's favourite ( grown just for her), brussels sprouts.

solanum atrourpureum

There are a few pretty cool ornamentals too, like the awesome "Five Minute Plant" (solanum atropurpureum).


And lots, lots more!


When you come, remember I am not a big fancy garden centre.  The plants are laid out in my driveway and categorized by colour and in alphabetical order.  I am working on a list to help folks understand what is what.


People helping are my family and friends and they are the absolute best!  They don't know tomatoes as well as maybe I do, but wow- will they ever try to help you find the treasure you want for your garden.


And this year I won't say I am your one stop shopping centre for everything...but you can pick up some very special baking from Cake and Loaf 
on Saturday, which is a great added treat. They are very special and supportive gals with incredible talent!


I will also have Steven Biggs and Donna Balzers' hot off the press "No Guff Gardening books for sale for $25.  And if you come Saturday, you will be able to meet Steve and perhaps get some practical down to earth gardening advice.


And this year, there are deals!  For each 10 tomato plants purchased, get one free (my selection). 


The sale runs from 8 am-4 pm both Saturday and Sunday, rain or shine.
My municipal address has changed for 2011, but I haven't moved!  The new address is 74038 Reg Rd #45, Wellandport, On.


If you get lost, check in with Sabir at the Esso Station in town, he knows how to find me. Also check out the excitement at the Wellandport Community Centre on Saturday - there is a community garage sale.


Saturday is always the busiest day of my event. You can park at the church across the road that day, if you wish. I have people who can help carry plants out to vehicles. If at all possible, bring flats and boxes to carry out your plants.  I have some, but will run out.


If you want to come and have more time to chat, Sunday is the best day. It is a much slower paced day. There are still tons of tomatoes, but more time to contemplate choices.


And once your plants are safely planted in that gorgeous warm and fertile soil, remember... I am very happy to accept pots and flats back so I can reuse them. 


Welcome one and all.  So looking forward to seeing everyone.

And watch for me...I'm the one with the "I "heart" Tomatoes t-shirt!

Tomato Tuesday- Wacky and Wonderful !

Does my hair appear a whole lot grayer this year? Yes, I know, I know.  I haven't been to the hairdresser for a cut for months and it is a frizzy mess. But the gray?  I am convinced that it is the weather this year that is turning it gray. I am a farmer.  I depend on good weather.  This is not good weather.


Who likes this cool, damp rubbish people are forced to call weather? Not me, not my hair and certainly not my thousands of sweet little tomato plants who are yearning for the sun.


There are always things beyond the control of anyone who works for a living.  Computers go down, new competition comes to town and costs go up.  But to have your livelihood depend on the whims of the weather is one of the downsides of farming. Especially these days when it just seems a little wackier than ever.


Which is a disjointed segue into the topic of wacky tomatoes.


Wacky hair, wacky weather and wacky tomatoes.


If you come out to the farm on the May 21-22 weekend, you will find some intriguing varieties.
They are just plain fun to grow because they are so different.  It is an anticipatory growers' high - waiting for the shapes, stripes and plant features to develop.

Michael Pollan

Unripe Reisetomate

There are tomato varieties whose fruits are not exceptionally unusual...but the plants are.
Micro Tom, an open pollinated variety, but not an heirloom, is a super-mini type tomato.  It only grows 6-8" tall, and produces very sweet and small red fruit. It will do just fine in a small pot for the season, and then in the fall just bring it in your house, pop it on your windowsill and expect a little bit of winter fruit. Micro Tom certainly won't satisfy any great cravings for tomatoes, but it really is a fun little novelty plant.


Another very intriguing plant is Stick.  It grows like one...a straight single stem, with rosettes of leaves at 6-8' intervals, and nice little red tomatoes on top. If you don't stake this one, down she goes.


Angora leaf tomatoes are something quite different.  They have a white fuzz on their leaves, and many also have a bit of peach fuzz on the fruit- like Roughwood Golden Tiger.  This very rare tomato is just all around cool. Angora leaf and oval fuzzy fruit, which is red in colour with gold stripes. Add great flavour and you have a winner.


Lutescent is another odd tomato.  In the garden, it looks like an unhealthy plant as its' foliage is yellow-green, not the deep vibrant green which signifies a healthy plant.  The blossoms are an unusual white in colour, and the tomatoes ripen from white-not green- to red.


Variegated is another interesting plant, which has lovely small red tomatoes, and of course variegated foliage.  Very pretty!  Silvery Fir has very pretty lacy foliage and produces a very good and early small red tomato.


Peach tomatoes are amongst my favourite varieties..  I love Red Garden Peach, and would definitely say it is without question  one of my most highly anticipated fruits of the season.  It is just so sweet , juicy and flavourful. Its' downside is its' upside though. It is fragile and needs to be eaten quickly.  I am happy to oblige.


Brad Gates from California has an amazing array of "created" heirlooms...that is varieties that are created by crossing two heirloom varieties and growing them out until they grow "true to type".  Michael Pollan is one of his more recent creations.  How fabulous to have a tomato named after you!  And what a fabulous tomato - prolific, beautiful and very unique.
There are tomatoes named after boars and hogs bearing stripes, fuzz and flavour galore. I've got a lot of them, and it is a very cool collection.


Tom Wagners' creations are equally stunning.  Tom, the legendary breeder of Green Zebra also came up with some other fabulous fruit.  Green Sausage, long green with yellow stripes,
T2, T4 and T5 are unique shaped reds with gold striping, with T4 being one of the truly weirdest ever.  It is a small pink fruit with green stripes and a waxy, nearly rubbery feel. But it is good!  Weird but good!


Stuffers  like Gourmet Yellow Stuffer, Green Bell Pepper (yes,it IS a tomato), Striped Cavern and Pink Zapotec Ribbed can add a nice little"je ne sais quoi" to an otherwise boring meal.


And for more weird appeal in the garden, there is always the very funky and unpredictable Reisetomate.  This lovely red acidy tomato appears like a bunch of cherry tomatoes fused together, and truly every fruit on the plant is different.  It really is fun to watch them develop.


And there are many, many more here on "Tomato Days".

And if you come ignore the hair, pray for the weather (well-maybe for the hair too!) and watch for the wacky tomatoes.  Have a bit of fun in your garden!

Tomato Tuesday- Groovy Greens and Wonderful Whites

When people come out to the farm to buy their tomato plants, there are inevitably some varieties that are not as popular as others.  


I know, for example, that I can never grow too many Stupice, Federle or Bush Beefsteaks. But there are two colours that many people prefer to skip when it comes down to choosing.


And those two colours are green and white. 


Maybe it is that people can't envision a green tomato that is actually ripe, or even what a white tomato could possibly look like, let alone taste like.
Is it a sickly sight- a fruit that perhaps looks like it has been grown without the benefit of the sun, like blanched celery stalks or asparagus?


Not at all! It is a thing of beauty- and many times (in fact most) sporting a pretty hint of yellow.

2010 tomato tasting and tour (T. Mayer photo)

The issue many people have with green, white and other differently coloured tomatoes as well is that they believe they won't know when they are ripe. It doesn't take too long to figure it out when you have grown the various colours for a while...you begin to know what to look for.  But the first few times test ripeness by the feel of the fruit.  If it is soft to the touch then it is ready to eat.


As the greens and whites ripen as well, they just don't look like unripe tomatoes.  They develop a bit of yellow, which again indicates ripeness.


Greens are actually one of my favourite colour of tomatoes, and not just because of the colour.  There is something totally unique about the taste of these tomatoes.  I don't think you can beat the taste of a fully ripe Aunt Ruby's German Green, or Cherokee Green that is still warm from the sun.  There is a bit of spiciness and zing to the flavour.  Something a bit different.  Something a bit different that is good.


Last year the green tomato that did the best in terms of production was..ready for it... Malakhitovaya Shkatulka.  This Russian tomato whose name means "Malachite Box" is just yummy. It is a large beefsteak, and yes, they can be green, with a distinct "melony" flavour.  The fruit just kept coming and coming.


Other greens you'll find plants for here at the farm are Lime Green Salad, a nice little determinate plant that would do well in a container, and produces zippy tasting 2" in diameter fruit. Gold n' Green is a similarly sized plant and fruit, with a lovely bronze gold colouring on the outside and a nice bright green flesh. Zowie!


Green Pineapple is a wonderful introduction to green fruiting tomatoes as well. It is a large very sweet and fruity flavoured tomato with yellowing towards the blossom end. 


Humph, Green Giant, Moldovan Green, Emeraude, Dorothy's Green and Cherokee Green will also make a big impression.


Most definitely, I love the green cherries.  Green Doctors is simply outstanding and this year I'm excited to try Green Doctors Frosted, which is supposed to look like frosted grapes. Aunt Ruby's German Green Cherry has a very unique, yet addictive taste.  For me the star of the show is Thompson Seedless Classic  Grape, whose original seed was given to me by Tom Wagner, tomato breeder extraordinaire when I met him in Iowa at the Seed Savers Convention a few years back. What fabulous taste and production.  Don't expect a small grape- this is about 1+ inches in diameter, and green with yellow tinges when ripe.


Lots more wonderful greens too!


The white tomatoes are unique too.  If you are looking for a tomato with  very little acid taste, these are the ones for you.  They are sweet and mild, and have a nicely balanced flavour.  Some of the larger ones include White Brandywine (aka Shah Mikado), Great White, Grande Blanche (don't assume they are the same) and Beaute Blanche du Canada. 


For me, I think last year was the year of the white tomato.  There were so darn many.  Did I really plant all those?  But not to despair.  What fabulous white salsa, spaghetti sauce and canned tomatoes we've enjoyed this winter.  


As with the green cherries, the white cherries are highly addictive.  Dr Carolyn's, Snow White and Super Snow White are just so good, as is the aptly named White Cherry.  White Currant is by far my favourite currant tomato.


I convinced a lot of people to try Ivory Pear last year, and I bet they'll be back for more. 
Then there is Peche Blanche, a fragile fuzzy skinned pale yellow 2" fruit,  and Isis, a small flattened beefsteak with just huge production.


Ivory Egg and Cream Sausage kind of surprise you when you see them in the garden.  Neat shapes, just as the names suggest, they are pretty unique paste type tomatoes.


And there's more, many many more.  


And finally the green and white tomato cheer...."green and white, fight, fight, fight"! For a place in your garden this year, of course.

2010 Tomato Tasting and Tour (T. Mayer photo)

Tomato Tuesday-Cherished Cherries and Precious Pears

Have a tomato and be happy!

Some of my very favourite heirloom tomatoes happen to be the small varieties. Nothing more wonderful than working in the garden and snacking on some sweet treats as you work.


There were a few last year that most people didn't get a chance to try...I ate the majority of them .  I can get pretty hungry out in the garden with all the physical work.


Perhaps my favourite cherry last year was Elfin, which you will find on my  tomato transplant listing , along with other perennial favourites such as Green Doctors, Brown Berry, Cuban Yellow Grape , Dr Carolyn's,Isis Candy Cherry and Snow White .


Red cherry types are not usually my favourite, but Elfin was exceptional.  It is a small grape shaped fruit, and was as sweet as candy.  The way I grew it could have resulted in a skin that was a bit thicker, but i also know the way I grew it made the taste maybe just a bit better.


All the tomatoes in my hoop houses last year were watered until they were established and I could see growth.  But then the water stopped.  I had read about this technique with tomatoes called "dry farming", and I guess it is quite popular in California. Obviously in Southern Ontario we get a bit more rain seasonally than California, so to mimic their results I did it in a rain free environment; my hoop house.


The flavour of the stressed plants under plastic was exceptional, far superior to the fruit outdoors which only received water courtesy of the weather.  Although they were good too-clay does improve the taste of tomatoes in my humble opinion.


But Elfin under these conditions was fabulous. And amazingly, the deprived plants didn't die, but carried on.


Withholding water is something to consider trying this year.


Back to the tomatoes however.  If you manage to make it out to my sale on May 21 and 22 there are more wonderful small fruiting tomato plants to check out.  Or if you're not in the area, these varieties may be worth finding.


Striped Black Cherry- A nice sweet and very attractive fruit, black/ brown with green striping. I always find the skin is a bit thick, but nonetheless a great bite.


Piedmont Pear- I love this tomato. A small pear shaped fruit, pale yellow and a red mottling.  So sweet and attractive.

Aunt Ruby's German Green Cherry- A nice small green when ripe cherry with a distinctive taste. Yum.


Thompson Classic Seedless Grape- Seeds for this exceptional tomato were given to me by Tom Wagner, it's creator, when I met him at an SSE convention in Iowa several years ago. A bit bigger than a cherry, it is a smallish plant, green in colour with a bit of a yellow sheen when ripe, and unbelievable flavour.


Capuchino-Lovely sweet brown cherry...as is.....
Chocolate Cherry- and...
Sandy's Chocolate Cherry.


Cinnamon Pear-Small brown pear shaped fruit, deliciously sweet. I also have Ivory Pear, a few different strains of yellow pear, and a few different strains of red pear.


Dr Carolyn's Pink- Lovely pink cherry, mild flavoured and sweet.


Cerise Orange-a tangy and distinctive orange cherry


I'm starting to run out of descriptive adjectives now.  Can I just say they are all exceptional or I wouldn't grow them?


People love Cuban Yellow Grape. You get tons of small sweet little yellow grape tomatoes.  Then we have the currants....yellow (Gold Rush), white and red (Sweet Pea).  My favourite is white...it has a very distinctive taste, and of course is....what else? Sweet !


Also look for Golden Grape, Fablonelstyni (a flattish, cute as a button tiny beefsteak), Mirabelle (prolific small yellow grape), Yellow Ping Pong, Amy's Sugar gem (red), Ceylon (cute, small ruffled fruit), Korney's Jelly Bean, Red Pearl, Red Supreme, Red Robin and yes, there's more.


Don't know what to try?  They're small... try them all!