The Heirloom Tomato Cookbook
By Mimi Luebbermann
Photographs by Dan Mills, Robert Holmes
Chronicle Books, LLC. 2006. 132 pp. $16.95
Unlike the flavorless, almost-red tomatoes many of us find in our grocery stores, heirloom tomatoes come in a shocking variety of colors. They range from fire red to emerald green, sun yellow, bright orange, pale pink, dark purple, smoky black, and some are smattered with a rainbow of spots and stripes. But the truly amazing thing about heirloom tomatoes is—they taste wonderful!
In The Heirloom Tomato Cookbook, author Mimi Luebbermann showcases 20 heirloom tomatoes and many delicious ways to enjoy them. The tomatoes, with savory names like Pantano Romanesco, Aunt Ruby’s German Green, Sweetie, Georgia Streak and Persimmon are transformed into salsas, soups, main courses, preserves and more. Besides the easy-to-make recipes, the book includes tips on choosing tomatoes at the market, storing and basic preparation techniques. The delectable recipes in the book include mouth-watering ingredients like:
Cherokee Purple Tomato BLT with Apple Wood-Smoked Bacon
Cherokee Purple tomatoes, or other large red or black heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick crosswise slices
Apple wood-smoked bacons, cooked until crisp and drained
Dry Jack or semi-dry Jack cheese, shaved or thinly sliced
Baby arugula or mixed greens
French or sourdough bread, toasted
Mayonnaise
Hot pimenton (Spanish smoked paprika)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt to taste
Because these are heirloom tomatoes—be sure to save some seed! Luebberman wisely devotes an entire chapter to saving the open-pollinated seed and growing your own heirloom tomato plants. But she warns with a wink and smile—what starts as a single plant can easily and joyfully get out of hand.
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