There has been talk of this farming project for some time now and finally with a little help from mother nature we have finally reaped natures bounty. A collaboration between my farming partner James Khi and myself, these tomatoes are the first step in a long process that will have many ups and downs. Already we have identified varities that do not meet our taste requirements or simply do not respond well to the temperate climate of the Cameron Highlands.
Our first batch of 15 different heirloom seeds produced some astonishing results. The Carbon Tomato, with a skin of deep purple and a dark dense flesh was irresistable. Loaded with tomato flavor that was nuanced with sweet tobacco and a pleasant acidity, this was hands down the best toamto of the lot. Not far behind was a unique yellow hued variety named the Copia, which was striking with a tiger print of yellow and orange streaks. The flavor was quite subdued but pleasing and the flesh was firm and dense.
I think what was striking in hindsight was that before we tasted any of the varieties, James and many of the farmers concluded that one variety would outshine them all. The Henderson Crimson Cushion. A beautiful toamto to look at with picture perfect pleats reminiscent of a pin cusion with a vibrant red hue and perfectly round physique.A jewel by all accounts. But, when we sliced it open we knew immediately that we had been fooled. What was once so promising proved to be a huge dissapointment, as the pinkish flesh gave way to a pithy core and small greenish seedsacks. In many ways this was a blessing and was exactly the reason why we are doing this project. All of those perfectly round, homogenous looking tomatoes we see in the markets are a direct reflection of the consumers need for uniformity. In this pursuit we have lost touch with what good eating is all about, flavor.
If you would like to taste a few of these beautiful gems we will be featuring them over the next few days, so stop on by and say hello. Till next time. Good Eating!
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