Another feature to keep us going through the lean months – tomato snap-shots. Most of these were taken at West Dean – either in the glasshouses, outside in the beds of the flint-wall enclosed splendour of the kitchen garden or some on the benches of the potting shed, which on the specialist weekends, double up as gallery space for viewing representative ripe fruit of different variety. These benches are where tomato (or chilli/apple) lovers come to shuffle along in turn, to gaze, dream and add to ‘must try’ lists.
Todays’ tomatoes are heritage varieties, grown in the long glasshouse (with some mighty fine gourds to keep them company).
Brandywine Yellow (above) – a large fruited, beefsteak, potato leaf cordon. It has cousins – pink, red and Sudduth’s Strain.
Striped German – all the reviews I’ve read of this cordon variety wax lyrical about its attractive red and yellow bi-colour appearance and marbled interior. It’s flavour also comes in for much praise. It’s achilles heel- splitting.
Slankards – pleating: miserable on a navy school skirt, beautiful rendered in dusky pink-red on a flavoursome heritage, cordon tomato.
