Tomatoes and Tomatillos

Fresh, dried or canned, tomatoes are one of the most versatile and loved vegetables of the summer garden.  With the wide variety of colors, shapes, sizes and the amazing flavor that only heirloom tomatoes can provide, it’s no wonder that heirloom tomatoes are highly prized.  Who doesn’t love a bright and delicious fresh salsa or tomato bruschetta, or a fresh tomato pasta sauce?  How about a jar of homemade tomato sauce or canned whole tomatoes in the middle of the winter, having a wonderful, richly flavored meal that reminds us of the bounty we harvested the last fall?  And of course just eating them fresh with a pinch of salt, one of the joys of summer!

Most heirloom tomatoes are indeterminate, meaning that fruit will continue to set throughout the season.  A few heirloom tomatoes are determinate, with large yields of tomatoes all at once.  Determinate tomatoes are great for canning and preserving, since the whole crop comes in at about the same time.  All tomatoes listed are indeterminate unless otherwise noted.

Tomatillos are little green, tart fruits that are a traditional Mexican vegetable used in salsa verde.  I love to use them with sauteed sweet peppers and onions to add a contrasting tart flavor to make a wonderful topping for pork, fish or rice.  Ground cherries are closely related to tomatillos, growing lower to the ground, and when ripe have a wonderful sweetness to go with the tart flavors.

Sorry, we cannot ship organic seeds to Canada.