This is my first year growing heirloom tomatoes and the first-picked of the season is quite the show-stopper.
Cherokee Purple tomato – with their signature green shoulders up top near the stem.
And the other side….amazing!
These tomatoes have just as much character in their flavor as they do on the outside. They taste rich and sweet, with a smokey flavor all their own. I pair them sliced with good whole milk mozzarella cheese, fresh basil from the garden and a splash of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt & pepper (aka Caprese Salad).
Bountiful Backyard 
Hi Jessica,
That beautiful tomato looks like a heart!
I only planted two tomatoes this year since we just moved to San Diego. I have to say that the one I planted in a big pot is doing a lot better than the one I planted in the ground. I fertilize both but, I think the soil here may be a bit too sandy.
Next year I’m going to try planting from seeds…most likely into big containers.
🙂 Susan
The majority of my tomatoes also do best in containers. I have amended my soil quite a bit and it’s still not ideal for them. I hope you’re harvesting some great tomatoes this month!
Yes, we’re starting to get quite a few on the container grown tomato. The one in the ground looks bad. My husband saw your nematode photos and thinks that we got them too. I’m going to pull it out of the ground this weekend and put it out of it’s misery.
I hope you’re husband’s suspicion is wrong! Let me know what you find after pulling it out…
I tried Brandywines one year. They were strangely shapen as well….but I didn’t think they tasted any better than the standard varieties. I do, however, plan to start shopping for non-GMO seeds for all of my garden plants in the future. Much more natural. Hooray for your beautiful heirlooms!
I’m definitely pro non-GMO, although many of my seeds are not, mainly due to the lazy convenience of buying seeds at local stores. Like you, I’m going to take the next step and order from non-GMO seed catalogues, like Bountiful Gardens.