2015 mdps heirloom tomatoes cards - gardens manitoba · heirloom tomatoes 2015 mdps 26 black from...

Heirloom TOMATOES 2015 MDPS

1

RED Large Tomatoes

Andrew Raharts' Jumbo Red

Colour Red

Size Large

*D/I I

Mature 80

Regular Leaf

Beefsteak, Excellent Producer

A great slicer that is very dense and

meaty with exceptional taste and aroma.

*Indeterminate=staking Determinate=bush

* All of our seed is open pollinated, non-hybrid, non-

GMO, untreated, natural heirloom seed.

Angelo’s Red

Colour Red

Size Large

D/I I

Mature 80-85

Heavy Producer

Wonderful flavour

Perfect for slicing


* All of our seed is open pollinated, non-hybrid, non-GMO,

untreated, natural heirloom seed.


2

Ashleigh

Colour Red

Size Large

D/I I

Mature 85

Ribbing at stem end

Huge, Meaty

Abundant Fruit




Aussie Heirloom

Colour Red

Size Large

D/I I

Mature 90

Regular Leaf

Outstanding Flavour





3

Boxcar Willie

Colour Red

Size Large

D/I I

Mature 85

Old Fashioned Taste




Crimson Cushion

Colour Red

Size Large

D/I I

Mature 80

Large fruit can weigh up to 2 lbs

Old Fashioned Taste

Excellent for tomato sandwiches or

slicing for a platter





4

Sicilian Saucer

Colour Red

Size Large

D/I I

Mature 90

Very Large

(Averages 2 lbs but can grow larger)

Ribbed

Have seeds




Nile River Egyptian

Colour Red

Size Large

D/I I

Mature 80

Ox heart Shaped

Very Tasty

Productive

Great for sandwiches





5

RED Medium Tomatoes

Beaverlodge Slicer

Colour Red

Size Medium

D/I D

Mature 55

Bred in Alberta

Good Taste

2” Fruit




Brandywine (Landis Valley Strain) (1885)

Colour Red

Size Medium

D/I I

Mature 80

Regular Leaf

Excellent Taste





6

Druzba

Colour Red

Size Medium

D/I I

Mature 70

Regular Leaf

8-12oz

High Yields

Tasty

Very Disease Free




Early Annie

Colour Red/Orange

Size Medium

D/I D

Mature 65

Early

Blemish Free

Productive

Extremely Rare!





7

Ailsa Craig

Colour Red

Size Medium

D/I I

Mature 85

Deep Tomato Flavour

UK Variety

Have Seeds




Stupice

Colour Red

Size Medium

D/I D

Mature 50

Red with Green Shoulders

Sweet Taste

Have Seeds





8

Moira

Colour Red

Size Medium

D/I D

Mature 70

Meaty Flesh

Good Flavour

Not many seeds

Have Seeds




Silvery Fir Tree

Colour Red

Size Medium

D/I D

Mature 55

Carrot Like Foliage

Tangy

Good for containers

Have Seeds





9

Russian Saskatchewan

Colour Red

Size Medium

D/I D

Mature 60

Compact Plant

Perfect for Containers

Wonderful in salads




RED SMALL Tomatoes

Centennial Rocket (1967)

Colour Red

Size Small

D/I D

Mature 50

Regular Leaf

Developed in Alberta

Productive





10

Orange MEDIUM Tomato

Caro Rich

Colour Orange

Size Medium

D/I I

Mature 80

Low Acid

Contains lots of trace elements, which

make it super-healthy eaten raw

Have Seeds




Earl of Edgecombe

Colour Yellow / Orange

Size Medium

D/I I

Mature 73

Firm

Exceptional Flavour

Fruits are uniformly round, blemish free

and resistant to cracking and blossom

end rot.

Have Seeds





11

Early Annie

Colour Orange/Red

Size Medium

D/I D

Mature 65

Productive

Blemish Free

Extremely Rare!




PINK LARGE Tomato

Brandywine (Sudduth’s Strain)

Colour Deep Pink

Size Large

D/I I

Mature 90

Potato leaf

Delicious Beefsteak

Rare





12

Cleota Pink

Colour Pink

Size Large

D/I I

Mature 80

Potato Leaf

Pink Beefsteak

Great Taste

Extremely Rare!




Caspian Pink

Colour Pink

Size Large

D/I I

Mature 80

Juicy and Sweet

Nice Flavour

Good in Cold Climate

Great for slicing

Have Seeds





13

PINK MEDIUM Tomato

Anna Russian

Colour Pinkish Red

Size Medium

D/I I

Mature 65

Regular Leaf

Heart Shaped

Sweet and Juicy

Early, High yields




PURPLE MEDIUM Tomato

Purple Calabash

Colour Purple

Size Medium

D/I I

Mature 85

Highly ruffled and lobed

Acidic Taste

Drought Resistant

Resembles varieties depicted in old 16th

century herbals.

Have Seeds





14


15

Purple Russian

Colour Purple

Size Medium

D/I I

Mature 70

Plum Shaped

Very Productive

Gorgeous Fruit, Blemish Free

Outstanding Taste, Very Sweet

Ukraine Variety




PURPLE LARGE Tomato

Aunt Ginny’s Purple

Colour Purple

Size Large

D/I I

Mature 80

Outstanding

Slightly Sweet Flavour

Originally from Germany





16

YELLOW Tomato

Aunt Gertie’s Gold

Colour Yellow

Size Medium

D/I I

Mature 90

Potato Leaf

Golden Beefsteak

Often considered one of the best




Banana Legs

Colour Yellow

Size Medium, Elongated

D/I D

Mature 70

Lacy Foliage

Mild Flavour

Nice for adding colour and interest to

salads or making a mild yellow sauce.





17

Azoychka

Colour Yellow

Size Medium

D/I I

Mature 70

Beefsteak

Rich, Flavourful and Juicy




Fargo Yellow Pear

Colour Yellow

Size Medium

D/I D

Mature 70

Pear to Oval Shape

Prolific Producer

Excellent in Salads

In 1936 this tomato was awarded the Market

Gardeners Award of Merit. The 1937 McFayden Seed

catalogue stated, "This medium large, self pruning

tomato is the heaviest yielding tomato so far tested

at the Experimental Station in Morden, MB."





18

GREEN Tomatoes

Aunt Ruby’s German Green

Colour Green

Size Large

D/I I

Mature 85

Green Beefsteak

Sweet and Spicy

Have Seeds




Green Velvet

Colour Green

Size Medium

D/I I

Mature 80

Vibrant coloured interiors

Blush golden when ripe

Sweet

Extremely Flavourful





19


20

BLACK Tomato

Black Prince

Colour Deep Red-Brown (Black)

Size Large

D/I I

Mature 70

Juicy

Wonderful Flavour

Siberian




Carbon

Colour Purplish Brown (Black)

Size Large

D/I I

Mature 75

Complex and Flavourful Taste

Winner of many tomato taste tests

Have Seeds





21


22

WHITE Tomato

Duggin White

Colour White

Size 6-10 oz

D/I I

Mature 80

Good Flavour




BI Colour Tomato

Armenian

Colour Gold with Red Mottling

Size

D/I I

Mature 90

Nice Taste





23

Cherokee Purple

Colour Dark Purplish Pink with Green

Shoulders

Size Large

D/I I

Mature 75

Reliable and Very Productive

Delicious

Originally grown by the Cherokee, this

wonderful heirloom is more than 100

years old.




Arbuznyi

Colour Purple with Occasional Green

Stripe

Size 8 oz

D/I I

Mature 75

Reliable, Very Productive

Delicious, Unique Flavour

Extremely Rare

Originally from Russia





24


25

Black Altai

Colour Purple Red with Green

Shoulders

Size 6-8 oz

D/I I

Mature 75

Drought Tolerant

Originally from Russia




Black Krim

Colour Dark Purplish with Green

Shoulders

Size

D/I I

Mature 85

One of the Tastiest

A very popular heirloom that originates from the

Isle of Krim in the Black Sea off the coast of the

Crimean Peninsula.

Excellent for slicing, salads, and tomato

sandwiches.





26

Black from Tula

Colour Red Black with Green Shoulders

Size 10-12oz

D/I I

Mature 80

Rich Taste

Originating from Ukraine

Add color to salads and make delicious

tomato sandwiches.




Cherry/Grape Tomatoes

Andrina

Colour Red

Size Cherry

D/I D

Mature 60-65

Dwarf

For Containers

Plant grows 6” high

Pairs well with Hahm’s Gelbe in

containers





27


28

Riesentraube

Colour Red

Size Large Cherry

D/I I

Mature 80

Sweet

Rich Tomato Taste

Large Clusters

Have Seeds




Hahm’s Gelbe

Colour Yellow

Size Cherry

D/I D

Mature 60

Dwarf

For Containers

Pairs well with Andrina in containers

Originating from Germany





29

Black Cherry

Colour Purple

Size Cherry

D/I I

Mature 70

Extremely Sweet and Delicious

Very Vigorous

Great for eating out of hand or

summer salads

Excellent paired with red and yellow

cherry tomatoes




Cherise Orange

Colour Golden Orange with Faint

Striping

Size Cherry

D/I I

Mature 70

Very productive

Very small

Great for snacking and salads





30

Cheesemen’s

Colour Orange Red

Size Cherry

D/I D

Mature 60

Small

Oval Grape

Productive

Great for snacking or tossing into salads




Peacevine

Colour Deep Red

Size Cherry

D/I I

Mature 75

High Vitamin C and Amino Acid content

Have Seeds





31

Thai Pink Egg

Colour Pink

Size Grape

D/I I

Mature 65

Ornamental

Turns from white to pink

Tart to bland taste

Have Seeds




Droplet

Colour Red

Size Cherry

D/I D

Mature 60

Productive

Good for containers





32

White Currant

Colour White

Size Small

D/I I

Mature 75

Creamy white fruit all summer

Half the size of a cherry tomato




ROMA Tomatoes

Amish Paste

Colour

Size Roma

D/I I

Mature 85

Regular Leaf

6-8 oz

Elongated

Great for eating fresh or for sauce





33

Dix Doights de naples

Colour

Size Roma

D/I I

Mature 75

Productive

Disease Resistant

“10 fingers of naples”





34

Green Sausage

Colour Green with Yellow Stripes

Size Roma

D/I D

Mature 85

3-4”long

Cool Colouring

Cool Shape

Have Seeds





35

Black Plum

Colour Blackish

Size Roma

D/I I

Mature 70

Juicier then other Romas

Prolific

Complex Flavour

Have Seeds





36

Tomatillo

Tomatillo

Purple

Colour Purple

Size

Mature 70

Purple is sweeter then Green

NOT Self-fertilizing. MUST have 2 plants

for fruit to be produced.

Tomatillo

Green

Colour Green

Size

Mature 65

NOT Self-fertilizing. MUST have 2 plants

for fruit to be produced.


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Interesting Tidbits

There are tasty tomatoes, there are super-tasty tomatoes and there are tomatoes with almost no taste at all. With seed-

sowing time upon us, it’s worth knowing which are the varieties at the top of the flavour scale. Last August, I visited Worton

Organic Garden in Oxfordshire to try out lots of new and exotic varieties.

Every good vegetable chef will tell you it’s preferable to have a mix of tomatoes in any dish – raw or cooked. Each one has a

different level of sweetness and acidity and, combined together, this gives a greater depth of flavour, as well as looking

more interesting on the plate. Discerning types always look out for the more unusual varieties when choosing what to eat,

steering well clear of the middle-sized, neatly round, bright red supermarket version. I remember the National Trust café at

Knightshayes Court in Devon testing this on their salad counter. They added yellow 'Sungold’ to some plates, and red

cherries to others. The more interesting yellows outsold the red plates three times by the end of the day.

I’ve always grown a few plants of at least three or four types of tomato, which I can then harvest into the same bowl. My

first always-grow variety is good old 'Sungold’, hard to beat with its intense sweetness, pretty orange-yellow skin and huge

productivity from the end of June until at least November (if grown under cover). Add to that the large cherry variety

'Gardener’s Delight’, which also has good flavour and a useful long but light cropping pattern so that you don’t get too many

all at once, but can go on eating from your plants for at least three months if grown inside.

'Gardener’s Delight’ famously has the other advantage of the fruit ripening on the vine at much the same time, the first fruit

nearest the plant, red and sweet only a couple of days before the one at the tip, so you can harvest the whole vine and

roast it all together.

Also on my sowing list every year is the strange-looking but utterly delicious 'Black Krim’. It is outstanding eaten raw – with

a sprinkle of salt – in a salad. In a good year, the lovely pleated fruits of 'Costoluto Fiorentino’ will compete in terms of

texture and flavour, but in a wet, low-light summer, they’re not so good.

TOP FIVE HERITAGE TOMATOES

’Stupice’

This was David’s tried-and-tested number one. This is from the Czech Republic and is a determinate type (which means it

gets to a certain size, stops growing and bushes out, rather than continuing to climb like a vine). The advantage of the

determinates is that they need no training, with no need to pinch out lateral shoots. I love the pinching part, but it can be a

bit of chore and puts some beginners off growing tomatoes. 'Stupice’ does not even need a cane to support it – it prefers a

bed of straw on the floor.

I don’t usually grow determinate types as they tend to be very heavy croppers but for only a short time. That’s not true of

'Stupice’, which is very early to fruit (from mid June inside), prolific until September (one plant will produce about 10kg/22lb

of fruit) and is the last to succumb to blight at Worton, so could also be grown outside.

The fruit is small to medium-sized (about 125g/4½oz), very thin-skinned, does not crack and has a sweet but gentle flavour.

It’s always in the top three in taste trials in Australia and very widely grown there.

David usually does three sowings of 'Stupice’, one in January in a warm greenhouse (these fruit by the middle of June,

weather permitting), the next batch in early March, with a final lot in mid April to keep him in tomatoes until the first frost.

’Orange Banana’


38

This was David’s next choice, a very tall indeterminate type (i.e. vine-growing, which needs support and training) which will

grow to 7ft plus if you let it, with very little leaf compared to stem. This makes it look oddly gappy as it grows, but it’s a huge

producer (again 10kg/22lb of fruit per plant), even with quite bad light levels. The fruit is medium to large (150g-200g/ 5oz-

70z), with excellent flavour, lovely texture and a great shape. It starts to crop early and continues to the first frost.

'Aunt Ruby’s German Green’

This is a huge variety which I want to grow for its name alone. This is easy – disease-free and bountiful, with large fruit (up

to 650g/23oz) which are extremely juicy. They’re thin-skinned which makes them all the more delicious, but means they

crack a bit when nights get colder. This has a distinctly melony, sweet flavour, delicious with Parma ham. It is a late-cropper

which needs a little defoliating to keep the fruit free from leaves.

’Jaune Flamé’

This is a great colour and hugely popular in Australia and New Zealand. It is very sweet, with a rich aromatic flavour. It’s a

prolific indeterminate variety (at least 10kg/22lb per plant), but the crop tends to come thick and fast and then stops.

'Caro Rich’

This is so-called because it has very high carotene levels and apparently lots of trace elements, which make it super-healthy

eaten raw. The fruit can get huge but it is easy to grow, with a delicious salty, rich and acidic flavour and a perfect texture

for slicing for salad.

America's Favorite Tomatoes

This lineup of America's 20 favorite tomatoes will fill your growing season with an array of colors and fabulous flavors.

How We Picked Winners

We tapped into the minds of all kinds of experts to help narrow the field. First, we invited members of the Seed Savers

Exchange who have a special passion for tomatoes to nominate their favorite varieties. We also consulted people like

Carolyn Male of Salem, N.Y., who has personally grown and tasted more than 2,000 varieties, and Robbins Hail, who tends

600 tomato varieties each season at Bear Creek Farms in Osceola, Mo.

After collating variety recommendations from Maine to California, we compared our emerging list of names with those that

won top ratings in tomato taste tests around the country. Then we compared them with all the field trial performance data

we could find, and checked the online variety ratings hosted by Cornell University and Dave's Garden.

Hybrid vs. Open-pollinated Varieties

Before we reveal our top 20 picks, a few words on the hybrid versus heirloom variety debate. It's a fact that hybrids are

generally more productive and disease-resistant than open-pollinated varieties (most heirloom varieties are open-

pollinated). But open-pollinated tomatoes generally offer the richest flavors, plus you can save their seeds to plant in future

seasons. Hybrid tomato breeding focuses on the needs of commercial producers who favor tomatoes that resist diseases

and ship well, often allowing flavor to take a back seat.

For home gardeners who want top flavor, open-pollinated varieties often are your best choice. Of hybrids, only 'Sungold'

consistently ranks with revered heirloom varieties in lists of taste-test winners.


39

Since many open-pollinated varieties tend to take their time ripening, they grow best in climates where summers are long

enough to allow them to fully mature. Low productivity or disease susceptibility also can be issues. But when they are

properly grown in well prepared soil, the open-pollinated varieties profiled here stand strong long enough to produce good

crops of such richly flavored fruits that you will want to eat every last one. Additionally, open-pollinated varieties with

broad, potatolike leaves (such as 'Brandywine') often put up a good fight when challenged by diseases.

Kicking Off The Season

Everyone wants homegrown tomatoes as soon as they can get them, so a great patch starts with varieties that mature

early?--?in 65 days or less after transplanting. Since these early varieties will be eaten fresh, we suggest growing two?--?one

orange and one red. 'Sungold' (57 days) is a shoo-in for the orange slot because of its outstanding sweet, fruity flavor and its

ability to bear heavy crops over a long growing season. Mother Earth News Editor in Chief Cheryl Long reports that she has

shared 'Sungold' with several people who claimed not to even like fresh tomatoes, and they each exclaimed, "This variety is

delicious!"

Among early reds, the favorites for both flavor and productivity are Swedish-bred 'Glacier' (58 days) and 'Stupice' (62 days),

from Czechoslovakia. Both are open-pollinated varieties. 'Glacier' is often described as determinate or semi-indeterminate,

which means it loads up with fruit all at once, then declines. In comparison, indeterminate 'Stupice' continues to bloom and

produce tomatoes long after the first fruits have ripened.

A couple of early tomatoes are enough for most gardeners, but in short summer climates you should round out your

planting list with some early hybrids. In a 2004 field trial at Colorado State University, a cool spring followed by a hailstorm

in early August led to so many problems with heirlooms that early hybrids such as 'New Girl' (62 days), a smaller-fruited,

more flavorful rendition of 'Early Girl,' made the difference between having tomatoes and having none. Data collected by

master gardeners in Green Bay, Wis., tell a similar story: Except for 'Stupice,' all of the successful tomatoes in their trial

garden were fast-maturing hybrids like 'Crimson Fancy' (75 days), and 'Beefy Boy' (70 days), a naturally stocky producer of

sandwich-worthy red beefsteaks.

Four Perfect Pastes

The color parade continues as we venture into tomato varieties used to make sauces, or for drying into tidbits to jazz up

pizzas or pasta all year long. Paste varieties have thick flesh with few seeds and little gel, so they cook into sauce quickly.

You also can chop them into a chunky salsa. 'Orange Banana' (85 days) ranks highest for flavor among orange and gold

paste tomatoes at Fedco Seeds in Maine, where dozens of paste tomato varieties are evaluated after they're stewed with a

little garlic and olive oil.

If you want really red tomato sauce, or need resistance to verticillium or fusarium wilts (two common soil-borne fungal

diseases), try sturdy, dependable 'Roma' (75 days), which Cricket Rakita of Southern Exposure Seed Exchange says is the

most reliable paste tomato he's ever grown. Personally, I like the way 'Roma' bears its crop over a three to four week

period, making it easier to can big batches of sauce and salsa that smell and taste like summer.

If you're on a flavor quest, look at Polish heirlooms with pepper-shaped fruits such as 'Opalka' (85 days). This variety was

discovered by Male and is quickly becoming a favorite among gardeners who have canning and drying on their minds.

Rounding out our fab four is 'Amish Paste' (79 to 85 days), an heirloom from Wisconsin described by Nashville, Tenn.,

gardener Tracy Carter as "a great paste tomato that's heat tolerant and good for fresh cooking." Although it is sometimes

labeled as an indeterminate, 'Amish Paste' produces a huge concentrated set of orange-red fruits, followed by a few more

fruit clusters in good seasons.


40

Sandwich Superstars

When it comes to the main crop of summer tomatoes, people like Brookeville, Md., gardener Susan Belsinger are devoted

to 'Brandywine' (78 days). "It produces all summer, though not in huge quantities. I like the size, flavor and texture of this

Amish heirloom," Belsinger says. Others praise 'Brandywine's' rich balance of acidic and sweet notes, which pleases so many

palates that it's always the one to beat in taste tests. But 'Brandywine' can be challenging to grow; common problems

include diseases, uneven ripening, fruit cracking and aborted blossoms due to humid heat.

More dependable varieties that deliver huge, juicy fruits include 'Big Rainbow' (90 days), an orange tomato with red streaks

and blotches inside that give each slice a stained glass look. In Berea, Ky., Bill Best reports that 'Big Rainbow' shows good

disease resistance, and master gardener David Woods, of Peters Seed and Research in Riddle, Ore., says that the 16- to 20-

ounce fruits are worth the wait.

Both Male and Hail nominated another gold/red bicolor variety for our list. Hail says that 'Lucky Cross' (90 days) "literally

melts in your mouth," and Male thinks it's the best bicolor tomato she has ever grown. With 'Brandywine' as one of its

parents, 'Lucky Cross' is mostly orange with a glowing red heart.

So-called black tomatoes are really purplish, and their complex, smoky flavor often is associated with these dark fruit

pigments. Although it's a modest producer under the best conditions, 'Cherokee Purple' (80 days) is quickly forgiven by

thousands of gardeners who are addicted to its fruity, yet rich, tomato flavor. Released through the Seed Savers Exchange in

1991, 'Cherokee Purple' often appears in the top three taste test varieties, neck and neck with 'Sungold' and 'Brandywine.'

A deep purple color, inside or out, is a common hallmark of Russian heirloom varieties like 'Black Krim' (69 to 90 days).

Wade Collins, farm field leader at the Seeds of Change Research Farm in San Juan Pueblo, N.M., names 'Black Krim' as his

favorite "for pure gastronomic pleasure," noting hints of wine and saltiness in its flavor. In Oregon, Woods thinks 'Black

Krim' carries a taste of honey. Compared to 'Cherokee Purple,' 'Black Krim' is more productive and less prone to cracking.

However, both of these gourmet picks should be harvested just as they become ripe, and then eaten within a few days

before they turn soft.

Great Greens and Zebras

Green tomatoes lack the rich supply of lutein and other antioxidants found in red and orange tomatoes, but they earn a

place on our list with their kiwi colors and tart, citrus flavors. "Forced to pick one tomato, it would be 'Aunt Ruby's German

Green,'" (80 days) says Clarksville, Tenn., gardener Jim Fitch. Describing the flavor as "authentic tomato," Fitch says this

green variety with faint yellow streaks is "moist without being watery, and meaty without being mealy or pulpy." Woods

names it as his favorite for "rich, zingy, tangy flavor," but because of its tendency to melt down in steamy weather, we

recommend growing 'German Green' as a culinary treat, rather than as a main crop variety.

You can sample the spicy, piquant bite of green tomatoes with fewer production risks by planting 'Green Zebra' (75 to 80

days). Like most varieties that produce small, 3-ounce fruits, 'Green Zebra' prospers under a wide range of growing

conditions. If you want the emerald green color and spicy flavor of green tomatoes, 'Green Zebra' is the "better-safe-than-

sorry" choice.

Oranges, Strawberries and Lemons

Once you're covered for early tomatoes, cooking varieties and tasty lovelies for fresh eating, perhaps you still have room for

another delicious tomato. In Newtonville, Ontario, Mary Brittain, owner of The Cottage Gardener, suggests 'Kellogg's

Breakfast' (80 days), a melon-orange beefsteak tomato named by Darrell Kellogg of Michigan. "The 1-pound fruits are both

meaty and juicy, with a taste that packs a wallop," she says.


41

A comparable heirloom from Virginia, 'Aunt Gertie's Gold' (75 days), is one of Male's favorites because of its unique flavor,

unmatched by "any other variety, of any color or shape," she says. Others feel the creamy texture of 'Aunt Gertie's Gold,'

combined with her bold fruity notes of melon or mango, make her a true garden treasure.

Male also loves 'German Red Strawberry' (80 days), a bright red tomato shaped like a giant strawberry. It's also a better

producer than most heart-shaped varieties. Jere Gettle, owner of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds in Mansfield, Mo., notes its

unforgettable flavor. "In red tomatoes, 'German Red Strawberry' is one of the best I have tasted," Gettle says, calling its

flavor "sweet and rich."

Just to be on the safe side, consider allotting a planting hole or two to proven, disease-resistant hybrids that grow well in

your area. Orange/yellow hybrids that deliver both disease resistance and great flavor are listed in "15 Tasty Hybrid

Varieties," below.

15 Tasty Hybrid Varieties

Tomatoes are more frequently weakened by diseases than by insects, but several diseases are easily prevented by growing

resistant varieties. The disease-resistant hybrids named below are famous for good flavor and represent a range of forms

and colors. The letters indicate disease resistance:

V?-- Verticillium wilt is caused by a soil-borne fungus that causes plants to wilt and die while they are still green, usually

when they begin loading up with fruit.

F?-- Fusarium wilt fungi enter through roots and cause plants to turn yellow as they slowly wilt to death, often while holding

green fruit. Two Fs indicate resistance to two different strains of fusarium.

N -- Nematodes are a concern mostly in warm, sandy soils. These microscopic pests cannot attack the roots of resistant

varieties.

T?-- Tobacco mosaic virus is seldom a serious disease in gardens, though sometimes it occurs in serious regional outbreaks.

*

• 'Early Cascade': 55 days; small to medium size red fruits (VF)

• 'Sungold': 57 days; golden cherry (VFNT)

• 'New Girl': 62 days; red slicer (VFF)

• 'Milano': 60 days; red paste (VF)

• 'Jelly Bean': 60 days; red grape (VFFNT)

• 'Sweet Tangerine': 68 days; orange slicer (VFN)

• 'Golden Girl': 69 days; yellow-orange slicer (VFFNT)

• 'Sun Leaper': 69 days; heat-resistant red slicer (VFF)

• 'Beefy Boy': 69 days; red slicer (VFT)

• 'Crimson Fancy': 69 days; red slicer (VF)

• 'Carmello': 70 days; red slicer (VFNT)

• 'Lemon Boy': 72 days; yellow slicer (VFN)

• 'Viva Italia': 72 days; red paste (VFN)

• 'Roma': 75 days; red paste (VF)

• 'Supersonic': 79 days; red slicer (VF)


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Recipes

Roasted Purple Tomatillo Salsa

2 lb purple tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed

1 rather large onion, peeled and quartered

1/2 lb of mixed peppers/chilies

1 or 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

Juice and zest of one large lime

1/4 to 1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped (depending on taste)

1 tablespoon of fresh oregano, chopped

1 teaspoon of sugar

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cumin (optional and depending on taste)

1 teaspoon of kosher salt (or more to taste)

Green Enchiladas

2 lbs tomatillos – chopped

1 large onion – chopped

2 cloves garlic – minced

1 large bag spinach – chopped

1.5 C cooked black beans

1/2 jar New Mexico Green Chili (optional)

1 bunch cilantro

1 package corn tortillas (blue or yellow), torn into quarters

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

2 tsp salt, or to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Saute onion and garlic in canola oil until slightly brown.

3. Add tomatillos, salt, cumin, coriander and green chili (for medium heat, use 1/2 jar, for hot use whole jar,

or leave out if you’re not a fan of real spiciness). Cook covered for 5-7 minutes.

4. Add spinach and beans. Cook uncovered until most of the spinach is wilted.

5. Add cilantro just before assembling the enchiladas in the pan.

6. In some kind of oven pan (rectangular brownie pan, or whatever you have), put down one layer of tortillas,

followed by a layer of tomatillo mixture. Keep alternating layers until pan is almost full, ending with the

sauce on top.

7. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Variations:

Experiment with throwing just about anything into the green sauce, like yellow squash, mushrooms, or potatoes. If you’re

feeling ambitious, or want to impress people, roll the enchiladas instead of layering.

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