I grew up in Central Illinois where tomatoes are King from mid-June through August. Big, juicy, sweet beef steak tomatoes held their own on plates against big, juicy steaks and sometimes were eaten straight out of the field.
When I moved to Texas I soon realized that growing delicious, juicy tomatoes was a lot harder.
Why? The bigger breeds of tomatoes need 70 degree nights to set fruit. We don't have a lot of those nights here in North Texas (I vote with the tomatoes....I'd like a lot more 70 degree nights!)
So I've had to adjust my tomatoe expectations to heirloom tomatoes (that's a future column) and grape tomatoes. Heck, back in Illinois we didn't even know what a grape tomato was! But here in North Texas, several varieties grow really well, both in summer and fall.
One of those varieties was featured at the La Esperanza Farm booth last Saturday. Chocolate Cherry Tomatoes. I bought a basket and proceeded to give several to my husband to chomp on at the market and I downed 3 or 4. Wow! They were great....sweet with a bit of spice underneath. Definitely snack tomatoes! When I went back to buy another basket (because we were eating them too fast to use them in the dish we planned) La Esperanza was sold out! Lesson learned: the good stuff goes fast at a local farmers market!
So...if you make it home without eating all of your Chocolate Cherry Tomatoes from La Esperanza Farm's booth, here's a recipe to make a light, fresh pasta sauce with them.
Tarragon Cream Sauce with Chocolate Cherry Tomatoes
3 TBSP Texas Olive Ranch Olive Oil (available at Olives and Oils Booth)
3 cloves garlic
1/2 yellow onion, diced
20 Chocolate Cherry Tomatoes
4 TBSP Sour Cream
1/8 ounce Tarragon (may substitute basil)
