Beware the Nematodes! Tomato season is finally here! You’ve picked your favorite varieties, planted them in a sunny spot, lavished them with love, organic fertilizer, and compost, but you notice that something just isn’t right. The plants are stunted or growing poorly, leaves and stems are yellow, the tomatoes just aren’t happy. The culprit could be something you can’t see: […]

Gazpacho       Ingredients: There are hundreds, probably thousands of gazpacho recipes: green, red, and white; smooth and chunky; thick and thin. This version evolved over many years to be my standard. This recipe makes enough for several meals, and the vinegar ensures that it keeps superbly. Please note that gazpacho recipes are flexible; a little more or less […]

  1. Pick heirloom seeds from the Tomato Collections or individual heirloom tomato plants.   2. Review our basic growing guide and consult our helpful experts for specific advice. Detailed tomato growing information for the hot house or home grower.   3. Enjoy your harvest with some of our delicious recipes (and share yours)! Order Heirloom Tomato Seeds   Tomato […]

What is an Heirloom Tomato? Tomato terminology Growing Tomato Seed Growing Tomato Plants Growing Tomato Seed Problems Trellising your tomato plants Watering and plant fertilization Soil amendments Plant disease and pest management Harvesting your tomatoes Cleaning and storing tomato seeds Hot House Tomato Growing   Manage Plant Growth: Your seedlings will grow best around 65F (18C) with gentle air circulation […]

What is an Heirloom Tomato? Tomato terminology Growing Tomato Seed Growing Tomato Plants Growing Tomato Seed Problems Trellising your tomato plants Watering and plant fertilization Soil amendments Plant disease and pest management Harvesting your tomatoes Cleaning and storing tomato seeds Hot House Tomato Growing   Damping Off: Characterized by a lack of germination or a narrowing of the newly emerged […]

Baked Brandywines       Ingredients: 4 large ripe Brandywine tomatoes of any variety 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1/4 cup breadcrumbs 2 tablespoons freshly minced parsley 1 tablespoon sherry or sweet white wine 1 teaspoon olive oil Preparation: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a paring knife, cut a line of connected “v” shapes (like […]

Very Baked Tomatoes       Ingredients: 4 tomatoes 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced Chopped fresh herbs. A good start might be 2 tablespoons chopped basil. If you are using rosemary, which is stronger, use 1 tablespoon or less. Personally, I’m in the mix and match group, and use parsley, thyme, oregano and rosemary. […]

Canning Tomatoes       Carefully can tomatoes to avoid spoilage and food poisoning. Some tomato plants, even high-acid varieties, produce lower-acid fruits under some conditions. Always add bottled lemon juice or citric acid to avoid the risk of botulism. • Control spoilage by heat processing filled jars in a boiling water canner or a pressure canner. • Select only […]

Catsup       Ingredients: 1/2 bushel of ripe tomatoes, paced 1 quart vinegar 2 tablespoons mustard 1/2 pint of salt 2 tablespoons black pepper 1 tablespoon cloves 2 tablespoons allspice 1 tablespoon ginger 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 1 tablespoon cinnamon Preparation: Cook the tomatoes until very soft; press through a fine sieve to remove the seed, return to the kettle, […]

Tomato and Avocado Salad Ingredients: 4 large tomatoes, chopped 4 avocados – peeled, pitted and diced 1 red onion, thinly sliced 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste 1 (8 ounce) bottle balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing Preparation: 1 In a large serving bowl, toss together the tomatoes, avocados and red onion. Dust lightly with black pepper, and pour salad […]