4 Varieties, 12 Recipes: Get Tomato-ly Inspired!
Tomato season is knocking on our doors, and whether you’ve planted your own or you’re heading to the farmers market, the varieties of tomatoes are no longer limited to bright red, perfect globes. Here are some great varieties to try in your favorite recipes… or my favorite: plain with just a drizzle of olive oil and sea salt.
Plum Tomatoes
Plum tomatoes, with a relatively small amount of pulp, are perfect for canning. You can also use them in salads where tomatoes remain sliced, like caprese salad, as the thick flesh of the tomato holds together well. Try them in:
Beefsteak Tomatoes
The huge beauties you see at farmers markets are beefsteak tomatoes. With their odd shape and size and great flavor, they’re best plain. Because they’re available in several colors, they also make for a beautiful salad or bruschetta. Use them in:
Cherry Tomatoes
These tiny tomatoes are available all year, but the flavor in season is really incomparable. They’re impossibly sweet, like candy, which makes them perfect for snacking or appetizers. Spear one cherry tomato on a toothpick with a tiny bocconcini ball, and serve with balsamic and olive oil for dipping. Also, try them in:
Kumatoes
Kumatoes, also known as black tomatoes, have a distinctive dark brown color when ripe. Their skin is a bit tougher than that of other tomatoes, which makes them great slicing tomatoes. They also offer a great color contrast with other red, yellow or orange tomatoes. Use them in:
Of course, the best way to pick tomatoes is by asking your local farmer what he suggests. Try them in a variety of ways… we have a long summer season coming up! To inspire you, here are a few of our very own Organic Authority recipes:
- Organic Heirloom Tomato and Red Ruffle Basil Salad
- Herb-Baked Tomatoes
- Roasted Tomato and Zucchini Salad
- Warm Tomato and Cucumber Salad
Image: Izik
