Tomatoes

[dellzeqq]

do you like 'em green and crunchy, or deep red and dribbly? Small or large? 'Normal' round jobbies or those fancypants plum items that shriek 'Jamie Oliver'. Are you an organic tomatoiste, or do you insist on locally grown tomatoes.

Do you buy them on the day, or keep them for a few days? Do you buy them from the supermarket in plastic, or from the market or your local greengrocer in a paper bag? If you're an Ocado or Waitrose Direct sort of person, can you tell us how you know whether the tomatoes you're getting are the ones that you really, really want? Or do you just not care?

What proportion of your tomato consumption is cooked? Are you a salad tomato person, or a fried/grilled with full brekky type person.

If you want to go on about 'passata' or tinned tomatoes, be my guest - but start your own tomato thread. This thread is for tomatoes in tomato form.

And, yes, there is an almost serious question here. For what it's worth I rate tomatoes as the touchstone of shopping. If retail analysts or futurologists want to know where grocery shopping is going, then they'd do worse than look at the tomato.

 

[coffeejo]

Devil's advocate: I don't like them.

 

[Fnaar]

I like all tomatoes. The person who invented them should be given an award. They are the food of the gods, and good for you. They are also at the heart of Italian cuisine, which is the best in the world.

 

[Silver Fox]

I've just had some chopped Napolina tomatoes on thick toast, deeeeelish.

 

[Ashtrayhead]

I'm not keen on the tasteless, same size, grown to fit in the bag ones. Otherwise I'm quite cucumbent on the subject.

 

[dellzeqq]

I should really have mentioned home-grown, if only because, back in the days that I was courting Susie, she was mightily impressed by the fecundity of my growbags and the plump, juicy redness of my tomatoes. As a rule, she's not at all fond of tomatoes - she just liked the look of mine.

 

[Fnaar]

I should really have mentioned home-grown, if only because, back in the days that I was courting Susie, she was mightily impressed by the fecundity of my growbags and the plump, juicy redness of my tomatoes. As a rule, she's not at all fond of tomatoes - she just liked the look of mine.

Were they plum ones, or perhaps 'big boy' ?

 

[buddha]

I didn't need to buy any tomatoes until november. I found around five different types growing from the compost heap.
I was surprised at how well they grew and tasted. But I think the cat's toilet behaviour had something to do with it

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I like the small deep red intensely flavoured ones that Waitrose get in on the vine. I love the acres of glasshouses alongside the Arun Valley railway line near Barnham wherein they are grown. But otherwise I'm not much of a fan to tell the truth and haven't grown them since we demolished the greenhouse. Now the Aged P, there was a man who could grow a tom.

What is the preferred home grown variety theses days. My last crop were Moneymaker iirc.

 

[Keith Oates]

I eat tomatoes a lot, both in salads and cooked but I prefer the red ones and am not so keen on the green ones unless they have been made into a chutney!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[accountantpete]

I find most shop bought tomatoes tasteless so it's 2 or 3 of the usual plants (like Gardener's Delight) in the greenhouse for me.

They are either fried with bacon or cut in half with a sprinkling of salt and eaten uncooked.

 

[theclaud]

I should really have mentioned home-grown, if only because, back in the days that I was courting Susie, she was mightily impressed by the fecundity of my growbags and the plump, juicy redness of my tomatoes. As a rule, she's not at all fond of tomatoes - she just liked the look of mine.

Does the new work-safe option filter this stuff out?

It's December, so I really only buy tinned tomatoes at the moment. In the Summer, I usually buy them from my local greengrocer or market. Nevertheless, despite looking for quality it's quite rare these days that I am very impressed with the flavour of a tomato. I'm not really impressed by clever shapes or colours, and I find the vogue for "cherry" tomatoes a touch naff.

I think there's been a process of containment. Things that once might have served as indicators of authenticity or quality have been co-opted in the name of added value by big industrial growers, distributors and retailers. And none of the blarney on all the fancy supermarket-packaged varieties counts for anything much. The best tomatoes I had this year were Italian - cushiony Marmande things in a variety of sizes and a bit irregular in surface and colour. If I can't get anything that tastes especially good I settle for local ones that taste alright, and season very generously. I won't mention this to Susie, but appearances can be deceptive with tomatoes - those Moneymaker ones that are very popular can look spectacular in a good year because of the yield and the colour, but are inevitably disappointing when you get your tastebuds around them...

 

[Fnaar]

... but are inevitably disappointing when you get your tastebuds around them...

Get your gums around some plums

 

[martint235]

Is it a quiet day in some offices then???

 

[alecstilleyedye]

i don't like them unless they're pureed/sieved and an ingrediant...