Each year in May I go to Portland Nursery, pick out about six different heirloom tomato plants, and then water them for three months. Mid to late August they start turning red, and then suddenly in September I'm up to here (raise your hand level with your hip) in tomatoes.
The trouble is, I never remember which tomatoes I bought in May. So, this year I'll make a note of it...
The Early Cascade weren't the earliest tomatoes, but they came on pretty early. In Portland it takes more than 55 days for a red tomato, regardless of the variety. These tomatoes are smallish, but tasty and pretty. They go well in sauce, salsa, or sliced in a BLT.
The Glacier tomatoes were the earliest ripe toms, but not very exciting. The largest fruit was about the size of a grocery storeRoma, and quite a few were more cherry-size.
The German tomatoes are amazing. They don't really turn red, so it's easy to overlook the ripe ones until too late. By that time they're more of a bloody purple. When you slice into them they have a meaty texture, and they melt in your mouth. I've made salsa and sauce out of these, but a good BLT, or a greek salad is what they deserve. Or, just wedges of German tomatoes, sprinkled with fresh garden basil and drizzled with olive oil.
My Better Boy VFN plant was the only one that had problems with aphids this year. I run the garden on a timer, and water it for 20 minutes a day around 9pm using a drip hose. I think the Better Boy wanted more water than this, and that's why it was susceptible to the aphids. Also, the plant didn't end up making that much fruit.
The Legend plant made a lot of nice sized tomatoes that lasted a long time on or off the bush. These toms are great in a greek salad, and also go well for hand-cut fresh salsa.
I used to work at Macheezmo Mouse and often have a craving for the way they'd make fresh salsa. Here's the recipe: Four largish tomatoes to one yellow onion. Cube everything and mix it together in a large bowl. I use glass, although we used aluminum at Macheezmo. Then finely chop a bunch of cilantro and toss that in the bowl. Finally, add some peppers. I use one whole Jalapeno, minced (at Macheezmo they used to use serranos). Mix by hand, although you'll probably want to wear rubber gloves or put baggies over your hands to protect them from the acid. It's important that you chop the tomatoes and onions by hand. If you use a food processor the salsa is too liquid.
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