Let’s take a look at how tomatoes are faring in this wet, warm-but-not-hot summer we’re having.
“The tomatoes are not really happy. They’re not splitting, which you might expect from all the moisture, but disease is rampant. When the plants are consistently wet for almost a month from the summer rains, it’s not good for air circulation and that’s the right condition for disease to spread,” said Joe Reynolds.
After dealing with drought and high temperatures for the bulk of his time in farming, Reynolds says, “I wasn’t prepared for global cooling.”
Reynolds and Judith Winfrey are partners in Love is Love Farm and farm at Gaia Gardens near Decatur. They bring their produce to the Thursday evening East Atlanta Village Farmers Market and Gaia Gardens offers a community supported agriculture program as well.
Still, he says, all things considered the tomatoes are doing OK.
“There’s a lot of fruit out there. We’re just combating disease, trying to stay away from the plants when they’re wet. That’s when it’s easy to spread disease from plant to plant,” he said.
Reynolds is growing large red slicers and an assortment of heirloom varieties, including two saladette tomatoes. Saladettes are the Roma-types, meaty and less juicy, a good choice for salsa and sauces. ‘Jaune Flamme’ is one and as its name implies, it’s a French heirloom with apricot-colored fruit.
“It’s very sweet, but it’s got depth to flavor so it’s not a one-note wonder,” said Reynolds.
He’s also growing ‘Indigo Rose,’ a tomato so dark that it almost looks black.
“It looks almost like an eggplant, it’s that deep colored. As it ripens, it develops an orange ‘belly’ and that’s how we know it’s ready to pick,” said Reynolds.
Packed in pints with Jaune Flamme, it makes a beautiful presentation which Reynolds was able to bring to market in about mid-July.
“Indigo Rose also has a nice acidity to it, so it’s a great counterbalance to the very sweet Jaune Flamme,” he said.
If you’re interested in trying these varieties out next year, Reynolds offers vegetable seedlings every spring at the East Atlanta Village Farmers Market.
How does he enjoy his saladette tomatoes? Like many, Reynolds slices them into a salad with cucumbers or basil or both, or folds them into a bowl of freshly cooked pasta. These saladette tomatoes would also make a perfect topping for a pizza, if you’re in the mood to heat up the oven or the grill.
AT LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS
Cooking demos:
4–8 p.m. Thursday, August 8. Chef Seth Freedman of Forage and Flame offers demos throughout the market. East Atlanta Village Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.farmeav.com
9 a.m. Saturday, August 10. Chef Andy Carlson of Bacchanalia, working with tomatoes. Morningside Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.morningsidemarket.com
10 a.m. Saturday, August 10. Chef Peter Dale of the National. Peachtree Road Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.peachtreeroadfarmersmarket.com
FOR SALE
Vegetables, fruit and nuts: acorn squash, arugula, Asian greens, Asian pears, beets, blackberries, blueberries, carrots, celery, chard, collards, corn, cucumbers, dandelion, eggplant, fennel, field peas, figs, garlic, green beans, herbs, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, Malabar spinach, melons, mushrooms, Okinawa spinach, okra, onions, pecans, pea tendrils, peaches, pears, peppers, potatoes, radishes, sorrel, spaghetti squash, spinach, spring onions, squash blossoms, summer squash, sweet potato greens, tomatoes, turnips
From local reports
Orzotto with Burst Tomatoes
Hands on: 20 minutes Total time: 30 minutes Serves: 2
Orzo is a small pasta that resembles rice. In this recipe, it’s cooked risotto-style. Serve this dish immediately or make it an hour or two ahead of time and serve at room temperature or reheat gently.
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups water
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup orzo
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
1 pint saladette tomatoes
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
10 basil leaves, finely sliced, plus more for garnish
Salt
In a medium saucepan, bring broth and water to a simmer.
In a large skillet, warm 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add orzo and stir together. Cook until orzo is lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Add wine and cook until evaporated.
Ladle 1 cup hot broth mixture into orzo and simmer, stirring frequently, until the liquid is almost absorbed. Repeat this process, adding broth and cooking until liquid is absorbed until orzo is tender and mixture is thickened, about 20 minutes.
While orzo is cooking, in another large skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes and cook, tossing occasionally, until they begin to collapse, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 3 minutes. Add slices of basil and toss together. Season with salt and keep warm until ready to serve.
When orzo is ready, top with tomatoes and sprinkle with Parmesan. Season to taste and top with more cheese and basil if desired.
Per serving: 476 calories (percent of calories from fat, 59), 20 grams protein, 33 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 33 grams fat (6 grams saturated), 8 milligrams cholesterol, 242 milligrams sodium.
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