Valley Bounty: Heirloom Tomatoes

We did it everyone, we made it to tomato season. Every new crest in the tide of seasonal foods has its own particular excitement, but there’s something unique for me about walking through the farmers’ market on a Saturday morning and seeing multicolor displays full of heirloom tomatoes; that’s when it really starts to feel like we’re at the peak of the harvest. Someone more knowledgeable than me would be able to explain to you the differences between the varieties of tomato we lump together under the umbrella term “heirloom”. I can only encourage you to do what I do, fill a bag with as many different colors and shapes as you can fit and see what you can turn them in to when you get home.

Having a bowl full of heirlooms on the kitchen counter makes me want to try to squeeze tomatoes into everything I eat: sliced on a sandwich or a burger, chopped into a salad, diced in eggs, etc. Oftentimes, if I’m feeling inclined to share, I’ll throw together a quick and easy salsa with tomato, onion, lime juice, jalapeño, and cilantro, or chop up some heirlooms, toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and basil, and serve with fresh mozzarella (or it’s creamy cousin burrata).

Valley Bounty is written by Brian Snell of CISA (Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture)