Solo...Heirloom Tomatoes

Let's talk about those funny looking tomatoes you see at the grocery store that are 2-3X more expensive than the standard romas, $4-6/lb. I saw these tomatoes for quite a while and the financial food side of my brain said, "these must be the Ferrari of the tomato world" but I was curious what they tasted like. The compassion side of me thought about how the other tomatoes must make fun of them for having random bumps and ridges and a mixture colors. I'm a big fan of Tyler Florence's cooking and he talked about these tomatoes in one of his shows so I finally gave them a try.

I did a little research and there's not much of a standard to qualify tomatoes as heirloom tomatoes. However, in general, they're a variety of tomatoes that have been around for a long time, such as 50 years or more. In the "good ol' days", they would have been passed down through families. Apparently, there's hundreds of different types, with funny names like Green Zebra and Mortgage Lifter tomatoes.

I'm sure there's some great recipes out there for these but I haven't looked for them. I think I've only had these one way, sliced up, on a plate with salt and pepper and a little olive oil. Its simple, quick, can be used as a side, an appetizer or a "while you cook" starter. Another "while you cook" starter is a beer or glass of wine. I'll usually slice them about 1/4" thick so you have something to stick a fork in. If you have some fresh herbs, like basil, dill, oregano or thyme, add a little on top. They have different flavors depending on the type.

Next time you're at the store, pick up a couple of these, just get a couple small tomatoes if you don't want to make the commitment. In the first batch I ever bought, one looked like a little round watermelon and the other one was a blended yellow and red color. Heirloom tomatoes might be the outcast of the tomato world, but they are beautiful in God's eyes and I love them.