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Notable Edibles
Heirloom
Tomatoes-Heirloom
tomatoes can be found in a wide variety of colors, shapes, flavors and sizes.
They are “the” benchmark for real tomato flavor. I once read...
“There are two things money can’t buy, true love, and homegrown
heirloom tomatoes! “ I have selected my personal favorites: Brandywine,
Mortgage Lifter, Hillbilly, Pruden’s Purple, Stupice, Martinos Roma.
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| Hillbilly |
Mortgage
Lifter |
Brandywine |
Stupice |
Pruden’s
Purple |
Hillbilly -An Ohio heirloom beefsteak originally
from West Virginia producing 1-2 lb. huge, heavily-ribbed, orange-yellow fruit
with red mottled skin and red streaks within. Very sweet, fruity flavors. Low
acid.
Mortgage
Lifter -Developed by
M.C. Byles in the 1930’s, affectionately known as "Radiator
Charlie", had no formal education or plant breeding experience. He
created this legendary tomato by cross-breeding four of the largest tomatoes he
was able to find then sold his heirloom tomato plants for one dollar each (in
the 1940’s) and paid off the six thousand dollar mortgage on his house in
six years. Gardeners drove as far as 200 miles to buy Charlie’s seedling
tomatoes. The large, slightly flattened, pink-red fruits that range from 1
pound to more than 3 pounds are meaty, very flavorful and have few tomato seeds
Brandywine- An Amish heirloom that dates back to 1885
and is generally considered to be the world's best-flavored tomato. Plants look
like potato vines with good yields of extra-large (weighing up to 1-1/2 lbs.),
firm, clear-skinned, light rosy-pink fruits.
Stupice - This Czechoslovakian heirloom is an
extra-early, cold-tolerant tomato. The very flavorful 3 to 4 ounce fruit are
borne in clusters of 5 or more. Yields are very high and nearly every fruit is
perfect.
Pruden’s
Purple- Pruden's Purple
is outstanding from every aspect. The average fruit weighs 1 pound, is 4 inches
across and 3 inches high. The color is more of a distinctive pink than a true
purple. While there are occasional misshapen tomatoes, it never cracks, yet the
skin is not thick. Flesh is firm and meaty and the flavor is wonderful.
Martinos
Roma- Unusual amongst
old tomato varieties, this 2 ounce paste tomato will supply you with hundreds
of fruits. Fruit are borne in clusters of 4 to 6 and seem immune to the blossom
end rot that plagues the larger paste varieties. Yields begin in early
midseason and continue through a frost. Makes a truly fine sauce.
Strawberries ‘Earliglow’-Exceptional
flavor, vigorous growth, disease resistance and earliness are the hallmarks of
this variety. So sweet you won’t need sugar. Plant them around your
trees as an edible groundcover. My all-time favorite strawberry.
Tarragon
‘True French’-The Chef's best friend and a must for
every herb garden. French Tarragon has spicy anise flavor that turns
ordinary main dishes into gourmet ones. It goes well with meat (especially
chicken), omelets, vegetables and herbal vinegars.
Tarragon Chicken Salad: The Best Ever
Bake
frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts in a single layer on cookie sheet for
20 minutes at 400 degrees (or until no longer pink inside). Do not overbake or
chicken will become dry. Cool and cut into small cubes.
Dressing:
2
cups
mayonaise
juice
of ½ lemon
1
Tbsp.
sugar 2
tsp. dried tarragon (dried is best here)
1
tsp. dry
mustard
salt
and ¼ tsp. white pepper
½
tsp. garlic
powder dash
of cayenne
Mix dressing ingredients and combine with
diced chicken. Serve on croissants if desired.
Rosemary ‘Blue Spire’-Bright
blue flowers on tall upright stems give ‘Blue Spires’ its name. An
excellent culinary variety with very fragrant, rich green foliage. Good for
topiaries, too.
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