Along with the beefsteak and plum tomatoes that are ready in gardens & at farm stands throughout our region, the heirloom tomatoes are ready. But what exactly are they? Heirloom tomatoes are varieties that have been around for at least 50 years. Many have unfamiliar names & unusual colors. They come from seed that has been handed down for generations in a particular region or area. Long ago, these varieties were hand-selected by gardeners or developed by a university (in the early days of commercial breeding) for a special trait. Heirloom vegetables are open-pollinated, meaning they’re naturally pollinated by insects or wind, with no human intervention.
The characteristics of heirlooms tend to remain stable from year to year. With tomatoes in particular, heirloom varieties boast a greater flavor than that found in the commercial hybrid varieties. Heirlooms trade the uniformity of appearance and size for more flavor, but they also tend to have a shorter shelf life. As soon as I brought home last week’s CSA bounty, I used a portion of our 6 pounds of heirloom tomatoes to make a colorful salad for dinner. And it was even more appealing to our taste buds than it was to our eyes!
Tomato-Feta Salad
Tomato-Feta Salad (adapted from foodandwine.com) Time required: 20 minutes, Serves 4 -6
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 pounds heirloom tomatoes, each cut into 1-inch wedges
- 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon finely grated lime zest
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup lightly packed mint leaves, chiffonade
- salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions:
In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with the onion, olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, and garlic.
All the ingredients are prepped & ready to go!
Gently fold in the feta and the mint. Season the salad with salt and pepper and fold it all together again. Serve the salad right away.
The flavor combination of tomatoes, lime & mint is made even better when heirloom varieties of tomatoes are used!
I’m hoping we have an extended tomato season this year! ~Linda
Tomato-Feta Salad (adapted from foodandwine.com) Time required: 20 minutes, Serves 4 -6
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 pounds heirloom tomatoes, each cut into 1-inch wedges
- 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon finely grated lime zest
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup lightly packed mint leaves, chiffonade
- salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions:
In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with the onion, olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, and garlic. Gently fold in the feta and mint. Season the salad with salt and pepper and fold it all together again. Serve the salad right away.