I hate to favor one food over another. Each has it's own virtues and it's own unique place in the food chain. But some foods have just been blessed and have a superior flavor and texture than their culinary counterparts, which brings me to the beloved tomato. Tomatoes are the most widely eaten vegetables (even though we all know it's a fruit) and we see them in our grocey store 365 days a year. But there is so much more to a tomato than those things you buy in the store.

Mid-August through September is prime "heirloom" tomato season. The farmers markets are flooded with them, and these are no ordinary tomatoes - these are fancy tomatoes. It's a shame to lump all fancy tomatoes into a single category - even if that category has a cool name like heirloom. There are literally hundreds (if not thousands) of types of tomatoes out there. Most heirloom tomatoes you'll find at the market are Brandywine tomatoes - which are red, more or less tomato shaped (although not quite round) and taste like the equivalent of 2 regular tomatoes in a single fruit. Brandywines are so popular because they are not too difficult to grow and are reasonably sturdy so can be transported easily. I have nothing against Brandywines, but the heirloom tomato trail only starts there.

The great heirloom tomatoes are often the weird looking ones. They can be red, yellow, brown, orange, green, striped or mottled and are craggly and lumpy. They most likely are not round, they bruise easily and have a short shelf life (only 1-2 days) - and may be the most delicious food you've ever eaten in your life. They will have names like Green Zebra, Hawaiian Pineapple, Black Prince, Banana, Italian Heart.

There's one more thing about these tomatoes. They probably cost about $5.00 per pound. But please take my word for it - they're worth it - every penny. Please remember, refrigeration destroys tomatoes, it stunts their flavor, so don't do it, even if it forces you to eat the whole tomato in one sitting.