Vine Guide

For tomatoes, it’s the juiciest time of the year

by

FOOD & DRINK

In terms of iconic summer pastimes, eating a dripping, mayo-slicked tomato sandwich over the kitchen sink is right up there with catching a foul ball at a Flying Squirrels game. No ingredient signifies summer in Virginia quite like the tomato, and everyone has their favorite varietal —whether it’s a sugar-sweet Sungold or the hearty heirloom Brandywine — and their own special ways to enjoy them.

Cultivars We Love

Five Prime Tomatoes

Oxheart

These bulbous beefsteaks have a tenth of the seeds of the average tomato — about 60 compared to the typical 300 to 500, according to farmer and tomato authority David Hunsaker of Hanover’s Village Garden. (The farmers are cofounders of the annual dinner series that celebrates tomatoes and Virginia wine, Summer Supper Somm.) “I tell chefs you could knock someone out with one — all meat. Great for slicing, sauces or canned, they are just superior in every way,” Hunsaker says.

Green Tiger

Strikingly green with just the barest blush of red, the Green Tiger is a smallish, oblong cherry-plum tomato. Beloved by farmer Amy Hicks of Amy’s Garden, the Green Tiger is sweet with a bright kiss of citrus. “The good news is that Green Tiger is an open-pollinated plant, so you can save the seeds and have your own,” says Hicks, who sells the tomatoes and, in the spring, entire plants at the Birdhouse Farmers Market.

Black From Tula

Lore has it that this tomato hails from a Ukrainian family heirloom. For John Bryant of Old Tavern Farm in Quinton, Black From Tula is a farmer-prized cultivar thanks to its quintessential peppery, acidic flavor. “To me, it’s what a tomato should taste like,” says Bryant, who vends at Birdhouse Farmers Market. The juicy slicing tomato works well in a caprese salad or piled up on a sandwich. 

Bronze Torch

The visual inverse of the Green Tiger, with a ruby red exterior striated with green, Bronze Torch is a super sweet hybrid grape tomato ideal for snacking straight from the pint or adding to salads. “Bronze Torch is a perfect marriage of productivity, disease resistance, texture, aesthetics and flavor,” says Dan Gagnon of Broadfork Farm, found at the Farmers Market at St. Stephen’s. “It occupies a fantastic niche — it’s not a corporate variety hyper-focused solely on yield, nor is it an heirloom that struggles to produce.”

Italian Red Pear

Italian Red Pear is the blanket moniker used by Autumn Campbell and Brian Garretson for several similar varietals of robust Italian beefsteak tomatoes with thin skin and small seeds that they grow at Tomten Farm, including the true Italian Red Pear. “The flavor and texture is superb,” Campbell raves. Their meaty flesh makes them well suited for slicing for a BLT or caprese or for chopping up in pico de gallo. Find Tomten at Birdhouse Farmers Market and Thursdays at the market at Pizza Bones.

’Mater Moments

The tomato dishes we always order

Mozzarella di Bufala Caprese

Dinamo

With cool, creamy buffalo mozzarella — so fresh it makes you think of milk — adorned with slabs of warm tomatoes, peppery olive oil, a flurry of basil chiffonade (and, if you’re wise, a few briny anchovies), Dinamo’s Mozzarella di Bufala Caprese is a masterclass in simple, perfect pleasures.

Upsouth Fried Green Tomatoes

Shagbark

Fried green tomatoes, with a perfectly crispy cornmeal crust that complements the meaty green fruit, have been a staple of Shagbark chef Walter Bundy’s repertoire for years, and he nails them every time. The golden fried tomatoes are served simply with Manakintowne greens, pickled onions and a creamy gulf shrimp remoulade.

Tomato Watermelon Sorbet

Ruby Scoops

Originally developed for the bygone event Duke’s Hot Tomato Summer, Ruby Scoops’ ingenious tomato-watermelon sorbet combines sweet, ripe watermelon and earthy tomatoes from Village Garden. The highly seasonal flavor is on the menu for August and as long as the best summer tomatoes are available.

Tomato Pie

ZZQ

A seasonal staple at Scott’s Addition smokehouse ZZQ is the Put up Your Duke’s Tomato Pie, which layers peak summer tomatoes with melty cheddar and fontina cheeses, smoky roasted poblanos, and an herby pesto aioli, all tucked into a flaky biscuit crust.

Eye of the Beholder

Industry pros share their formulas for the best tomato sandwich

Julie Roberts, Sunday Bagel

  • Type of Bread: Sesame Sunday Bagel
  • Nonnegotiable Element: A tomato grown by Sunday Bagel cofounder Jesse Roberts
  • Extras: Scallion cream cheese
  • Where to Enjoy: “On the patio in the sun with our little chihuahua grabbing any tomato bites that might slide off, because she deserves a summer snack, too.”

Leah Branch, The Roosevelt

  • Type of Bread: Brioche toasted in butter
  • Nonnegotiable Element: Tomatoes layered with flaky sea salt
  • Extras: Cracklings and ranch dressing. “If there’s some basil around, it’s really nice, too.”
  • Where to Enjoy: At work in the morning before everyone gets in for the day

Manny Baiden, Manny Eats

  • Type of Bread: Crusty sourdough, toasted on one side with butter
  • Nonnegotiable Element: Red wine vinegar, seasoned with salt and cracked pepper through and through
  • Extras: Duke’s Mayo and bacon
  • Where to Enjoy: On the back porch or walking around the garden

Fresh Picks

Locally made tomato-adjacent gifts

Tomato Candle, $18-$32, Odd Bird

Tomato Print, $25-$65, Molly Reeder

BLT Dad Hat, $36, Crewel & Unusual

Tomato Candle, $26-$34, Na Nin

Tomato Jam, $13, VegTable