After last week's request to our readers asking for garden fresh tomatoes, it seems that time of year has finally begun. This is the season I love, when we get to reap the benefits from all the long, hot days of planting and weeding in our home gardens. Nothing beats a warm, never-been-refrigerated garden tomato. This year's tomato crops have taken some time to get going, according to what some gardeners have said. I have spoken to others who are still just seeing green ones on the vines. Whether you're overwhelmed with ripe tomatoes or you're still waiting for them to turn, keep 'em coming if you've got more than you know what to do with. We will be sure to put them to delicious good use!
This week - and likely most of August - we will be featuring our caprese salad. Although we recommend it as a cold, light appetizer on the menu, this dish can also be enjoyed as your meal or alongside your entrée course. Made with fresh pulled (in house) mozzarella, chiffonade of basil, olive oil and cracked black pepper, this dish features warm, juicy wonderful organic heirloom tomatoes. Trust me, this salad is just not the same with commercially purchased tomatoes!
So what are heirloom tomatoes? These tasty treats can be found in a wide variety of colors, shapes, flavors and sizes. They also generally have a shorter life span than other tomatoes. These rather odd looking fruits have a ton of flavor. In the past, we've brought in nyagous, yellow plum, azoychka and black prince tomatoes from a local organic gardener.
Nyagous are Russian black tomatoes that have a dark, mahogany color with a sweet, meat and rich flavor. Yellow plum are a little larger than grape tomatoes but also have a rich flavor. Azoychka are a meaty yellow tomato that has a sweet, citrus flavor. Black prince are juicy, rich and fruity with a purple color to them.
Come taste summer and these delicious tomato flavors! Be sure to stop in soon... because they will be gone before you know it!
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