heirlooms

i think one of the best things about summer is the tomato. it represents the season perfectly: juicy, sun-warmed and red. they’re in abundance. big ones. fat ones. small ones. round ones. catch me near the stand and i’m like one of those creepy guys at a bar leering at all the hot chicks. ok, maybe not the best analogy. but you get the picture.

then, there’s the heirloom tomato. these little beauties have been a hot ticket for quite some time. when they’re good, they’re really good. but this year, i’m not sure i agree. i’ve been to my local farmer’s market the last few weeks and they all look a little…well, odd. and by odd i mean completely deformed, misshapen—and not in a good way. they look diseased rather than appetizing. is it me? is everyone else enjoying their succulent heirloom tomatoes and i’m just the schmuck who doesn’t recognize greatness when i see it? or am i the little boy in the emperor’s new clothes that points out the king is nude?

because heirloom tomatoes are open pollinated and not genetically altered, they are probably more subject to disease. that may explain their less than tasty appearance lately. but, as the saying goes, looks can be deceiving. the taste is what counts. anything fresh and unadulterated will taste markedly better than their counterparts on the supermarket shelf that have the overall consistency of the business end of a snow shoe.

i’ve highlighted this web site before. but if you’re looking to find local connecticut farms that grow and sell heirloom tomatoes, go to http://www.buyctgrown.com/. they list all the farms in the area and map them for you.

enjoy what the season has to offer. all too soon it will disappear…