Harvesting Vegetables and Tomato Tasting

We are in full swing for summer harvest. All of those delicious warm-weather vegetables that we associate with endless, sunny days and warm temperatures are at their peak. It’s likely that you have some of these goodies in your own garden. Edibles that are thriving now include:

• tomatoes
• peppers
• eggplant
• melons
• summer squash
• basil
• cucumbers
• beans
• okra
• onions

In order to maximize taste, it’s important to know when and how to harvest. Renee’s Seeds has a terrific how-to article posted on this very topic. It covers a broad range of edibles, including the ubiquitous tomato.

Here are some of Renee’s recommendations for this symbol of summer:

For best sun-ripened flavor, pick tomatoes when they are richly colored and have no trace of green on the skin. If, however, you are experiencing alternately wet and dry weather and are concerned about cracking of thin-skinned heirlooms, you can pick them when they are just blushed with color and let them ripen indoors (not in the refrigerator). For best flavor and texture, do not store ripe tomatoes in the refrigerator.

And, if you are in the mood to do a little tomato taste testing, there are lots of tasting events across the country. If you happen to live in Iowa, the 6th Annual Tomato Tasting and Seed Saving Workshop is being held on Saturday, September 3, 2011; 1:00 – 4:00 pm. If you are in other parts of the country, never fear, tastings are easy to find! Head over to PickYourOwn.org for a geographical listing of events or check with your local extension office.

Finally, here Ros’ simple, delicious recipe for heirloom tomatoes with lemon-herb vinaigrette. She really knows how to capture their beauty and their luscious taste…enjoy!

Tomato Platter with Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette

Homegrown heirloom beefsteak tomatoes, such as ‘Brandywine’ and ‘Big Rainbow’, can be shown off to advantage on a platter and drizzled with this simple but tangy dressing. Serve with a rustic loaf of bread.

6 to 8 large beefsteak tomatoes, approximately 4 pounds

Garnish: fresh basil or mint leaves

For the vinaigrette:

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon dry white wine

1 tablespoon fresh minced basil or mint

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon of pickled green peppercorns (optional)

To make the vinaigrette:

In a bowl, whisk together the mustard, lemon juice, wine, and basil to combine. Slowly whisk in the oil, beating continually until the dressing is thoroughly blended. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate.

Just before serving, slice the tomatoes. On a large platter, lay them out in a decorative patter. Drizzle the vinaigrette over tomatoes. Garnish with fresh basil and green peppercorns and serve.

Serves 6 to 8.

**post written by Jean Ann Van Krevelen