Executive Chef Kyle Kellogg of the Evansville (Ind.) Country Club shares the many flavors of summer’s best heirloom tomatoes.
Any homegrown, sun-ripened tomato is going to be delicious, but heirloom varieties, with their thinner skins and juicier textures, often have the most stunning and unique flavors and appearance. Aimee Blume of CourierPress.com explains heirloom tomatoes don’t ship or keep as well as hybrid varieties, so unless you have a southern hemisphere friend, high summer is the only time you can get them ripe from the vine, if at all.
“When it comes to summer vegetables we grow here locally, the local heirloom tomatoes are what I look forward to most,” said Kyle Kellogg, Executive Chef at Evansville Country Club.
He said the club’s grounds manager, Jeff Sexton, is growing a few varieties for them along with some fresh herbs.
“Heirloom tomatoes are something you get for a limited time and in limited quantities,” Kellogg said. “You can get ‘tomatoes’ all year, but it’s not the same.”
At Evansville Country Club, Kellogg and Sexton grow Cherokee Chocolate, Black Cherry, deep pink Brandywine (often labeled as world’s best tasting tomato), Black Krim and golden Fuzzy Peach tomatoes.
“I like the Cherokee Chocolates best,” said Kellogg. “They’re sweet like candy. I like having a variety to use for different things. The Brandywines are perfect for a BLT, not too sweet, not too tart. Neusky’s (Fresh Market’s premium apple wood smoked bacon) has got to be my favorite bacon to pair with them.”
He uses local heirloom tomatoes in a number of basic and creative preparations, both raw and cooked.
“I like them raw, obviously, and I think simple recipes are better,” he told CourierPress.com. “We have an heirloom Caprese salad where we make a bed of arugula with a white balsamic and honey vinaigrette and top it with slices of heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil and a balsamic vinegar reduction. We also make fresh basil pesto, and when we’re tossing it with the pasta add raw halved cherry tomatoes. They heat enough just to barely get warm, and we top it with a little fresh mozzarella and Parmesan.”
Kellogg roasts tomatoes in the oven to concentrate the flavor, then turns them into pasta sauce or a lightly cheesy roasted tomato fondue that’s excellent on top of panko-crusted chicken breast.
The difference in color and sweetness level is what makes heirloom tomatoes so exciting reports CourierPress.com. Serve a variety side by side to make the most of a great tomatoey experience, from the shockingly sweet-tangy bright green Zebra, to deep rose Brandywine or Pink German Johnson. Pair a tangy red variety with a sweet Yellow Sunray. Alternate slices of mild Great White with deep burgundy Cherokee Purple. Or just mingle as many sizes and colors as you can find with a simple vinaigrette of olive oil and white wine vinegar with a sprinkle of herbs.
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