Beautiful Tomatoes

I just don't understand it when people call heirloom tomatoes ugly. I find the odd shapes, unique colors and varied sizes to be enticing. They taste sweet, and sometimes tart, especially when a little green. When they are still warm from the sun, its even better. Tomatoes from the garden smell earthy. They are heavy and bend and break the stalks that try to hold them up. Even with the support of cages, stakes and string, they pull and bend the plants down to the ground.

This year I have several types of cherry tomatoes which I love to eat directly from the vine and keep in a bowl in my kitchen window, adding more every single day. They are great in salads and to snack on throughout the day.

mixed Cherry Tomatoes

Green Zebra and Cherokee Purple

The Green Zebra are new this year and the plants are producing a lot. They transform from green and dark green tomatoes to a ripened yellow and green striped bulb. They are meaty and yellow on the inside.

Brandywine

 
The Brandywine tomatoes grow to be largest at a hefty weight of more than a pound. They slice up beautifully for sandwiches and salads. I'm looking forward to using more for soup in a next few days.

Katherine's Speckled Roma

My friend shared a Speckled Roma plant with me, which surprised me with these huge deep red colored Roma with yellow veins. I think these are great for pasta sauces, but I have yet to try it.

Brandywine and Green Zebra

I've been cutting my tomatoes off the vine and bringing them inside to ripen in the window because of bird attacks. Earlier this year, I would watch as the green tomatoes would begin to show some color. And just as they began to darken, I'd come back to find large holes pecked through the flesh. I did once see a pretty guilty looking robin fly away from a plant and I think it's safe to say that the birds love to eat my tomatoes. After the birds had gotten several big juicy ones, I decided it was safer to pick them green and let them ripen indoors, instead of letting the birds eat them all! I'm really not sure if the taste is different, but they do ripen to deep colors and keep their sweet, juicy insides. Just please don't call them ugly!