Tomatoes With Character Edge Out Supermarket Beauties

Many fruits and vegetables are in their prime for harvesting: apricots, berries, beans, cantaloupes, cherries, cucumbers, rhubarb and strawberries.

This past week at the there were also onions, beets, kale, herbs, spinach, lettuce, and heirloom carrots and tomatoes. Especially beautiful, colorful and diverse, heirloom tomatoes are sweet, unprocessed and irresistibly fresh. The abundance of the harvest demands pies, tarts, jams, jellies and salads. The culinary possibilities are endless.

A zesty temptation, an heirloom tomato has been defined as one whose seeds have been passed down for several generations through a family or farm (family heirlooms), but are also classified into commercial, created and mystery heirlooms, said Dagma Lacey, owner of tomatofest.com.

Heirloom varieties are inherently unique, with equally unique names and properties: single stripe, yellow taxi, green zebra and many other exotic varieties. These tomatoes are open pollinated, or naturally pollinated by insects, birds, wind, etc.

By contrast, closed pollination takes place in a controlled environment in which growers control the desired traits of the fruit.

When open-pollinated plants produce new plants, their traits may vary widely because it is uncontrolled and the pollen source is unknown. Open pollination creates a diversity in crops that protects them and perpetuates their existence.

It is important to protect heirlooms that have adapted and survived well for centuries. The genetic makeup of each variety has naturally evolved to resist harmful environmental factors. If tomatoes continue to be hybridized, their resistance may be compromised because there will be no differing genetic factors.

Maybe you have noticed the slow theft of flavor and texture in supermarket tomatoes. They are beautiful, symmetrical and have a longer shelf life. However, that sweet flavor with a tangy finish is missing. The juicy, mouth-filling texture is gone, and we are left with a pithy flavorless tomato-like product. 

I made the following recipe for the Fourth of July, and it was big hit. Light, fresh and flavorful, it screams summer. Great pastas are available at and in Town and Country and and in Manchester. Whole Foods also carries a variety of olive oils and tomatoes that have not been genetically modified. Ask your farmers market or Whole Foods salesperson to recommend the best tomato they have for salad—something zesty and tangy with a dollop of sweetness.

Lemon Pasta Salad

Ingredients
1 pound pasta (tricolor spiral, penne or farfalle)
1 pound broccoli (about three crowns), separated into florets
2 teaspoons salt*
2 large heirloom tomatoes, any variety, seeded and diced
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespooms extra virgin olive oil (try Spanish or Kalamata olive oil)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips (chiffonade)
salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon, juice and zest of

*Salting the water for cooking pasta is important for flavor. Seasoning the accompanying sauce or pasta after cooking does not infuse the actual pasta with flavor. Salting the water for cooking broccoli has the same effect. In addition, the salt bursts the cell walls of the broccoli, which gives it its bright green color.

Method:

1. Bring a large pot of water and 2 teaspoons of salt to a boil.
2. Add broccoli to water and cook until just tender and bright green (about 3 to 4 minutes). Remove broccoli with a slotted spoon and cool.
3. Add pasta to pot used for the broccoli and cook in boiling water according to package directions. Drain and cool to room temperature. Set aside.
4. Warm two tablespoons of olive oil in a small saute pan. Gently cook the garlic in the oil and add to pasta.
5. Add diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup olive oil, broccoli and basil to pasta as well.
6. Season generously with salt and pepper.
7. Just before serving add the lemon juice and zest to the salad. Do not add it ahead of time.