A Blast from the Past...Heirloom Tomatoes

Have you ever tasted heirloom tomatoes? We're actually trying to grow them in our garden this year, the ones pictured here are not mine, I bought these beauties from Whole Foods the other day, I just couldn't resist that fluted one! Normally a whopping $5.00 dollars a pound, the day I was there they were just 2.99! Such a deal!!

Heirlooms are grown from seeds handed down through generations, somewhere between 50 and 100 years old. There's no genetic modifications, they are cross- pollinated, and they are not cookie cutter hybrids.

They come in all shapes and sizes, lumps and bumps, hundreds of varieties, with almost every color of the rainbow to choose from.

Heirlooms generally have much more flavor than hybrids, it's that good old fashioned taste of a real tomato I remember as a kid. Don't get me wrong, I have tasted some duds, but that was mainly because of where they were grown.

When you see them popping up at the farmers markets ask to taste them, you'll quickly pick out your favorite ones. Or better yet, trying growing your own if you can!

I loved how the fluted one looked after I cut into it, I didn't want to hide it with a bunch of cheese. They look beautiful on a platter dressed up with the simplest of ingredients, don't you think?

With some good crusty bread, a glass of wine, you can make a meal out of these, they're that good!!

Have an enjoyable weekend, and Buon Appetito!