Spring is Here - Tomato Time!

Spring has definitely sprung here in Los Angeles.  Everything is bloom.  The nurseries are buzzing and my green thumb is itching.  I had the pleasure of going to Tomato Mania with a couple new friends last weekend and I wanted to share with you my experience and what I bought. 

They have events all over Southern California this time of year. The event I went to was at the Tapia Brothers veggie stand in the Valley by the 101.  We drove up and I immediately felt anxiety.  It was Sunday, the event had been already going on since Saturday morning.  Would they be sold out of everything?  There were cars and people everywhere.  I wanted to run to the tomato area and snatch up plants ASAP. 

The pickings probably weren't as abundant as they were on Saturday but they were still good.  There must have been over a hundred variety of tomatoes.  Maybe more.  Some of the special hybrids were picked over and there were no more yellow pears left but I had no trouble buying more than my backyard can hold.

Here's what I bought:

• Celebrity - classic beefsteak
• Cherokee Chocolate - rosy brown skin, smoky flavor
• Church "Beefsteak" heirloom - been around for 100's of years, from Virginia
• Sweet 100's - classic cherry with "100's" of cherries per vine
• Black cherry - just as it says
• Sun Gold - golden smaller fruit
• Lemon Drop - Translucent yellow/green cherries, sweet/tart flavor
• Michael Pollan - brand new hybrid, pear shaped yellow fruit with green stripes, fits in palm of hand
• Costello Genovese - Hard to find old classic heirloom 8- 12 oz fruits
• Carmello French Hybrid - italian, deep red large fruit, deeply ribbed

I hope you are all excited about his as I am.  And if you have been a recipient of the fruits of my labor before, imagine the boon this year!