Heirloom tomato salad

It’s been almost a year since we began growing this heirloom variety of tomatoes and I have to say that we are loving it. I always used to look at gorgeous images of heirloom tomatoes in glossy magazines from abroad and marvel at the colours and varieties of tomatoes available at the farmer’s markets there. Since the tomato plant has its origins elsewhere , I automatically assumed that there would not be any heirloom variety growing here.

What exactly is an heirloom food ? It is a variety which is the original cultivar and left in its natural state. It also means that the seeds and plants have withstood the test of time , battling change in climate patterns and pest attacks. So these ingredients can not only protect themselves but also offer a great many health benefits. They have not been altered in any way or genetically modified in a lab.

We are so conditioned in schools to think of red tomatoes, orange carrots, yellow corn, pinkish purple beetroot etc…. Someone made the choice to cultivate just one variety for ease of farming and that became the norm. so not only did we end up losing so many varieties of heriloom/heritage ingredients but also failed to benefit from the goodness these foods can offer for a healthy body and mind.

Did you know that this is a variety of pink ladysfinger (okra) ; white brinjals, purple ,white and yellow carrots ; red & purple corn ; yellow beetroot ; purple cauliflower ; pink & purple potatoes…it is just endless.

So when we came across this variety of tomatoes called Kasipatana thakkali , from Kasipatanam in Andhra Pradesh, we were so besotted with the colours. The plant fruits in profusion once and the tomatoes ripen differently. so at one time we have green , yellow, orange, rosy pink and red. It looks so pretty. And the shapes…oh my, they have so much character too ! The flavour is so delicious that i can’t bear to ruin it by cooking so this salad is a favourite. also see how pretty it looks !

I could not be more thrilled that it took well to the soil here in Coimbatore. I am sure the bees, wasps and butterflies must be happy too. Look around in your farmer’s markets, travel out into the countryside…we need to bring back these ingredients… for our health and most importantly the well-being of the environment. Oh and when cutting these, please remember to reserve the seeds for sowing. If you aren’t into gardening, please do find a neighbour /friend with a green thumb , who is !:) 🙂