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Get thee to your local farmers' market and fill a bag with these beauties before it's too late!

Monday Aug 28, 2006.     By Julia Steinberger

Lifestyle Feed

I had an entirely different column planned for this week. But I decided that it's urgent we have a little talk about heirloom tomatoes, which are at their peak right now and will soon disappear. If any of you missed out and had to wait until next year, I don't think I could forgive myself.

Tomatoes seem to be a very under-appreciated fruit. Nearly everyone loves them cooked or in their saucy form (and, one bite into a spicy blanket of sauce on a deep-dish pizza, I'd agree). But so many people, including myself until a few years ago, turn their noses up at eating these gems uncooked and undressed.

That's likely due to the sorry quality of most conventional grocery-store tomatoes. Grown en masse, bred to be uniform in size, color and flavor and shipped thousands of miles, these poor excuses often arrive pale-fleshed, mealy and quasi-tasteless. Anyone who's savored a homegrown tomato can tell you that when they're done right, they're an utterly different food.

I learned my tomato lesson woefully late. I was 21 and receiving a crash-course in food and wine via my job waiting tables at a North Shore Italian restaurant. As I went through my tableside spiel, my eyes lit up when I hit the appetizer descriptions.

"Do you know what heirloom tomatoes are?" I asked the guests. "Well," (dramatic pause) "they are tomatoes grown from seeds that are never genetically modified for mass production; they're old varieties that you rarely see anymore, and they are pollinated naturally by insects, birds or the wind. These tomatoes—oh, you have to see them—come in varieties like the 'Garden Peach,' which is small and sweet and golden and covered with fine fuzz, just like a peach. And there are Green Zebras, which are green and have stripes—yes, stripes!"

By the time I caught my breath the table had usually ordered at least four. True, they're not cheap. A pound at Whole Foods will cost you $4 (conventional tomatoes are a dollar or two less), and farmer's market prices are approximately the same. But I promise you're getting every cent's worth.

When I'm buying just for myself, I get the most out of my bagful by choosing small tomatoes of a lot of different varieties, rather than grabbing for the biggest ones that can top a pound or two by themselves. That way I get to try as many as I can in single-size servings, so I don't risk wrecking the flavor by packing a half-eaten tomato in the fridge overnight. If you're serving a group or cutting up a salad, though, the big ones are a treat to see and touch, with rippling, creased flesh that makes them look like a cross between a toad and a tulip.

There are tons of recipes you can try with heirloom tomatoes, including roasted with garlic or fried with a crispy cornmeal coating. But in my opinion, there is no better way to eat them than the way I first learned how: sliced fat and sandwiched between layers of glistening fresh mozzarella and basil leaves (plucked from the same plant referenced in June). I made a dinner of that just last week, featuring the dark-skinned Black Prince variety, and I have to admit, when I finished the salad I actually picked up the bowl, tipped it into my mouth and slurped up the last drops of tomato juice.

Sigh. Great tomato, bad manners.

Convinced yet? Try them for yourself:

Farmers' markets The heirlooms at Whole Foods are great and convenient, but nothing can match the experience of purchasing direct from the proud and knowledgeable local farmers who grew them. Check out our Farmers' Market Guide for the where-and-when.

Grow yer own If you have the space, cultivate your own crop, because nothing is quite as good as a sun-warm, fresh-picked tomato. Midwestern summers provide a great climate for tomato-growing, and the process isn't as difficult as you might think. You can start with seeds, or save time with small starter plants. Read on for tips, seed resources and even recipes.

Save 'em for later Once you're hooked, buy extras and put them in the freezer for use in winter. Any refrigeration makes tomatoes mushy, so your freezer preserves won't substitute for fresh tomatoes, but their complex flavors are heaven in sauces, lasagnas or other cooked dishes. Freeze tomatoes, with or without skins, in freezer bags after washing.