There is nothing that epitomizes the summer season quite like a perfectly ripe, juicy tomato, and as the sun permeates heat throughout the extra long days, summer’s bounty only grows sweeter and more flavorful.
Members of the nightshade family, tomatoes were first thought to be poisonous. The brightly colored, shiny appearance didn’t aid this misconception. Now, countless varieties of the vegetable make their way into sauces, soups, sandwiches, salads and any other dish one might imagine. The ubiquitous tomato seems to know no boundaries.
Tomatoes might be one of the simplest, yet most versatile fruits. One may perfectly complement a main dish, while a fresh tomato can be enjoyed sliced, with a bit of salt and pepper. Some people may simply take bites out of a ripened tomato as if it were a red delicious apple. It’s simply hard to imagine a Southern place setting in the summer without a dish of freshly sliced tomatoes.
Chef Corbin Evans of Oxford Canteen, a food truck-style restaurant specializing in dishes featuring local fare, enjoys his favorite varieties of tomatoes, jersey beefsteak or creole, in between two slices of Martin’s potato bread with mayonnaise, salt and pepper.
The tomato pickings in Oxford are many and vibrant. With one trip to the Oxford City Market, one can have the perfect tomato for any dish or taste. From salty romas, to perfect-for-slicing beefsteaks and knobby, colorful heirlooms, the selection only seems to grow. Of course, I would be cheating if best online casino I left out the colorful varieties of cherry and grape tomatoes. So small, yet so flavorful, one is like a burst of sunshine when bit. These small tomatoes make wonderful snacks and are also ideal for dehydrating.
Timothy Rub of Native Son farm enjoys heirloom tomatoes, and particularly, he says, the black krim variety, a “large, knobby, dark red tomato.”
Native Son farm hits the Oxford City Market every Tuesday with different types of heirlooms, slicing tomatoes, and orange varieties. The mark of a fantastic tomato, according to Rub, has to do not only with the look of the tomato, but also the feel.
“What you’re looking for is an even coloring on the bottom, the base of the tomato, and sort of a darkening of the color,” Rub said. “You can also tell by feel – if it gives to the touch, just a little bit.”
Just across the grass under the market’s tent sits Steve of St. Bethany Fresh, selling his ever-popular baskets of huge red beefsteak tomatoes. Steve attests that sunlight is the ultimate ingredient in a tasty tomato.
“The best tasting tomato is a tomato that is getting 14 hours of sunlight. That’s why a July and August tomato is the best tasting tomato. Regardless of how it’s grown, and regardless of the variety,” Steve said. “Yes, they need water. Yes, they need nutrients, but the number one ingredient for a tomato- a great tasting tomato- is sunlight.”
In spite of the juicy beefsteaks Steve sells every Tuesday, his favorite tomato is more on the small side: the sun gold cherry variety.
Evans, who relies on the Oxford City Market to provide fresh, local ingredients for Oxford Canteen’s menu, said that the restaurant usually goes through around 25 pounds of tomatoes. This is not too surprising, as tomatoes are featured in some of the restaurant’s most popular menu items, like the BLT sandwich and the watermelon, feta and heirloom tomato salad.
One fact all tomato-lovers can agree on: summer is the best time to enjoy this succulent vegetable.
“I think it’s a shame that we Americans insist on having tomatoes year round when they really should be enjoyed locally and seasonally,” Evans said. “I also think that overall tomatoes are one of the most healthy, flavorful and versatile ingredients for us chefs to work with.”
