Vegetable varieties are considered heirloom when they are over 50 years old or have been cultivated prior to the Second World War.
Heirloom Tomatoes
Tomatoes aren’t just red – the world of heirloom tomatoes presents a full spectrum of colours, sizes and shapes. Tam Andersen, owner and operator of Prairie Gardens & Adventure Farm near Bon Accord, grows over 50 varieties of heirloom tomatoes for its CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. She also sells fresh tomatoes and tomato plants at the farm gate, and supplies a few Edmonton restaurants. “Why just grow a red tomato when you can grow a black trifele or a yellow pear or a green zebra?” she says.
Taste the rainbow
Heirloom tomatoes come in all shades, from classic red to orange, pink, green and purple. They can be solid in hue or multi-coloured with stripes and spots. Heirloom tomatoes also come in all sizes, from tiny cherries to hefty beefsteaks, as well as shapes ranging from the usual globe to pear-shaped and oblong.
Golden oldies
Varieties are considered heirloom when they are over 50 years old or have been cultivated prior to the Second World War. They are also open pollinated, meaning that you can save the seeds year after year and you’ll get the same plant. Many heirloom tomatoes have been passed down in families – Andersen grew up eating the yellow pear tomatoes that her mother grew, which she grows now. “Heirloom tomatoes are truly the varieties that have withstood the test of time,” she says. “Some of them originate back in the 1800s. Their flavour is why people keep them going – they taste so wonderful.”
Pretty plates
Heirloom tomatoes can be used in any recipe that calls for regular tomatoes, though their beautiful appearance and lovely flavour means they truly shine in fresh, uncooked dishes that best show off their unique colours and shapes – think salad, bruschetta, sandwiches, or on top of pizza.
