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A Tomato Unlike Any Other

 

Estiatorio by Milos Greek salad
Estiatorio by Milos Greek salad

 

Raise your hand if you don’t like tomatoes. I’d like to hear from you. That being said, it’s doubtful there are many of you out there. But there are probably a lot of you who, like me, have mourned the passing of the juicy, flavorful, full size, meaty tomato with the right balance of sweetness and acidity. And that’s not just in the USA, but also in France, Italy, Spain, Latin America, and less so Greece and the Middle East . Tomatoes from all of those countries have crossed my palate. Here in South Florida, the best I’ve found are the tomatoes at Pinecrest Gardens Farmer’s Market on Sunday from one farmer in particular (he has the biggest tomato display). But you have to go now when they’re at their peak of ripeness. They’re not the gold standard, but pretty darn good. (Estiatorio by Milos also has very good tomatoes in their Greek salad). Cheer up, the gold standard is on its way back, hopefully soon to our tables (faster, if you plan to grow them from seed).

So what’s the gold standard you ask? The New Jersey tomato that dated from 1934 and reigned supreme for several decades. It’s a tomato I grew up on, especially the beefsteak that was sometimes the size of a saucer. As told in a recent article in the New York Times, “A New Jersey Tomato, a Victim of Modern Farming, Makes a Comeback,” a professor in Rutgers’ department of plant biology and pathology said “it was the groundbreaking tomato that redefined what a tomato should be and was the most popular variety in the world”.

Best Tomatoes
Rutgers250, bringing back the heyday of the Jersey tomato

 

The good news is that after many years of research, Rutgers University in New Jersey came up with what they’re calling the Rutgers 250 last November, its name commemorating the 250the anniversary of the university. It was developed from the genetic material of the variety of tomato from the 30’s. Already, the article reports that the Rutgers 250 is so popular that 5,000 packets of seeds made available to the public on the university’s website in February sold out. According to the Times’ article, if  you happen to be at Red Bank farmers market  in Red Bank, New Jersey (northern Monmouth County, an hour and 20 minutes from Manhattan), a Jim Giamarese will be growing the variety this season and hopes to sell them at the market. In Rutgers’ facebook page, they also have a signup for information on tomato program updates.

So keep on the lookout in the stores for Rutgers 250 and in the meantime, run on over to the Pinecrest Gardens Farmers Market, 11000 Red Road, this Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and get your tomato fix and enjoy the market (you can buy Zak bread and pastries there too, along with excellent homemade chunky guacamole).

Let’s hear from you if you have a source for really good tomatoes!

Karen Escalera

Karen Escalera

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