Heirloom tomato plants arrive

A few weeks ago I ordered several heirloom tomato plants from Laurel' Heirloom Tomato Plants. She has so many to choose from. Last year I was only semi-successful with them because I flubbed up on some import things like food and water, and basic neglect because I started back to work as soon as I got them in the ground. But the ones that I did manage to revive were incredible. This year will not be a repeat and we will have more tomatoes than we know what to do with. Although I already have some recipes I'm looking forward to trying.

Here are descriptions and photos of the types of plants I got.

Yummy yummy!!!

New for 2009! Black Sea Man (4.95) 75 days (D) So many customers have gone wild over this tomato that I have decided to include it for 2009 as one of our premier varieties. A Russian tomato, the smallish determinate plants produce an enticing mahogany color fruit with olive green shoulders when mature.

Inside, the flesh is deep dark red with a beautiful hint of dark green and loaded with full-bodied, complex, intense, creamy tomato flavors. Wonderful for medium sized (10 to 15 gallon) containers, Black Sea Man has entered the running for the best black tomato in the world.

Japanese Black Trifele (TRY-feluh) AKA Truffle Black ($5.25) (SM) 80 days. Japanese Black Trifele, which translates to truffle, is a big juicy 6 -10 ounce pear-shaped, deep purple-black tomato with pretty green shoulders. In Russia the Trifele varieties of tomatoes--of which there are several colors--are highly prized and command high prices. Growing on a short potato-leafed plant, it's the size and shape of a Bartlett pear and among the darkest hued and finest flavored of the black tomatoes.

The skin is smooth and crack resistant and production is huge. Flavor is deep, chocolaty, smoky and rich, just wonderful. Took their picture and ate 'em.

Mortgage Lifter aka Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter ($4.95)(BB) (HG) 80 days.

Radiator Charlie and his big tomatoes in

a newspaper photograph from 1964.

This gigantic legendary heirloom from Logan, West Virginia developed by M.C. 'Charlie' Byles in the 1930's, is huge, sweet, juicy, delicious and prolific, with splendid old time tomato flavor. The meaty pink-red fruits weigh at least a pound, averaging 2½ lbs. and reaching up to 4 lbs. A very prolific plant which continues to bear fruit right up until frost, it also keeps very well.

Marshall Cletis Byles, who much preferred to go by MC or just Charlie, owned a garage specializing in radiator repair.

He developed Mortgage Lifter over a six year period by crossing German Johnson, Beefsteak and 2 other really big varieties, all chosen for their huge size and grand flavor. He sold the resulting plants for a dollar each (in the 40's), and was able to pay off his $5000.00 house mortgage in only 6 years with the profit from his plant sales. "I didn't pay but six thousand dollars for my home, and paid most of it off with tomato plants", said Charlie in a tape recorded interview with his grandson which aired recently on National Public Radio.

Charlie's repair shop was at the bottom of a steep hill so travelers whose radiators over-heated during the climb had to coast back down to Radiator Charlie's for repair. Other folks heard about these huge luscious tomatoes and came from hundreds of miles to buy the plant. As my customer John in Virginia says, "It's just not a real tomato garden without Mortgage Lifter." Charlie Byles lived to be 97 years old. Here is a link to the story, in Radiator Charlie's own voice:

http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.htm?programID=06-P13-00027&segmentID=6

Our deepest thanks to Jeff McCormick, a famed seed saver, for keeping Charlie Byle's tomato seeds and so many other great heirloom varieties alive and thriving for gardeners worldwide. Without Jeff's efforts many of these grand old family heirlooms would have been lost forever.

Paul Robeson ($4.95) (VE) (HG) 65-70 days. This is my all-time favorite tomato and our top seller.

It is a gorgeous, dark and dusky-hued fruit with intensely sweet earthy taste with a hint of tanginess, a luscious velvety smooth texture, beautiful skin, rich with juice. You will love it. The seed was made available by Marina Danilenko, a Moscow seedswoman.

This luxurious tomato is named for Paul Robeson (1898-1976), the elegant, renowned and charismatic operatic singer, law school graduate, champion athlete, film star, stage actor, and boundlessly brave champion of civil and personal rights throughout the world. This marvelous plant will give you its perfect 3"- 4" fruit in only 65 days from planting. Incredible; a symphony. I do believe this is the finest tomato in existence.

Peacevine Cherry ($5.25) F/C 70-75 days. The tiny tomato with the gigantic taste. Developed from Sweet 100 by Alan Kapular of Oregon, the Peacevine currant type tomatoes grow in clusters of 18 to 20 fruits on a big strong , vining plant with vines that can reach15 feet., and ripen in only 50 to 60 days from plant out.

When ripening, these marble-sized tomatoes can range from deep dark red to orange and yellow. The elaborate sparkling flavor of Peacevine literally changes from rich and sweet to tart and tangy and back again as you munch them--the Everlasting Gobstopper of tomatoes.

The Peacevine name was chosen because of the high amino acid content which has a calming effect on the body. This indeterminate variety had the highest vitamin C content in a cherry tomato among 30 varieties analyzed by Rutgers University.

Porter's Dark Cherry ($4.95) (Ch) (E) (SM) 65 days. This is such a fine tomato! Produces early, is abundant on the vine in charming clusters of 6 to 8. Small and gem-like, 1" long grape type fruits in an oblong oval shape, with a deep pink hue, it is becoming a much sought after favorite for discriminating tomato maniacs nationwide because the flavor is complex, rich and fabulous--just ambrosial. One of the prettiest tomatoes I've ever seen, marvelous in salads, snacking, and a brave plant that stands up extremely well to hot weather.

Sun Gold ($4.95) F/C (EE) (H) 45 - 55 days.

This is the one of the best cherry tomatoes I've ever tasted, rivaling Isis Candy, and ready to pick in only 55-60 days. It has the big, rich flavor of a full-size tomato, in a beautiful little deep-golden fruit growing in bountiful clusters on a huge plant. Sweet, rich, so beautiful...just left of center in the photograph at the top of this page. Most of them won't make it into your house from the garden. If you send someone to pick them for you, keep your binoculars trained upon the picker. The tomatoes in the photograph were picked on November 25th with our Los Angeles night temperatures in the 40's, Sun Gold is still going strong.

Super Snow White ($4.95) 70 days. F/C (E)

A gourmet's delight. I can't say enough about this exquisite, ping pong ball sized, white cherry tomato which ripens from white to ivory to palest yellow with a bright, rich and sweet juicy flavor. Very prolific, easy to grow, pretty as starlight and a top seller.

Sweet Pea ($4.95) (Ch) 62 days. This is the smallest and most endearing little tomato I've ever seen. Sweet Pea produces thousands of tiny ¼" deep-red currant tomatoes with an elaborate, rich, old time tomatoey taste--complex and sweet. They grow on a big wispy plant in bountiful clusters like handfuls of rubies. I had seen these itty bitty fruits decorating chef's creations at culinary events and had eaten them in salads at foodie soirees, then, after tasting them again at TomatoFest I knew I must bring home the seeds and grow plants for you.