Heirloom tomatoes are a special crop that I look forward to every year. Unlike other common supermarket tomatoes that have had their flavor bred out of them (not to mention they're usually picked green and forced ripened using ethylene gas), heirlooms are true, unique strains of tomatoes that haven't been messed with. Each variety of heirloom tomato has it's own unique color, flavor and shape, just like nature intended. And did I mention that they're absolutely delicious and about to hit their peak?
That's right, heirloom tomatoes peak in August and September, and because most of the US had such a mild winter, the season promises to deliver a bumper crop.
Although there are many things you can do with an heirloom tomato, a simple caprese salad is hard to beat, especially when accompanied with a good hunk of bread and glass of chianti classico (hint: the real stuff never comes in a wicker basket!).