Real Summer Tomatoes

[equal_Mark]

On Friday Sickles in Little Silver had what they called "Jersey Tomatoes" for sale at a premium price, but they were all of a uniform size and color (I refer to it as "ethelene pink"), and they felt chilled as if having spent time under refrigeration. :-P

Still waiting for blotchy cracked authentic field and heirloom tomatoes...

[fershore]

Just got an email from Dean's market:

Farmer Francis was just here again, making his weekly drop-off of fresh-picked organic veggies (Yukon Golds, petite Red Potatoes, cukes, kale and collards the size of your head) from his farm down in Egg Harbor. Right after he left, we got in a fresh batch of Beefsteak Tomatoes and Golden Beets from Marolda Farms in Vineland, Adirondack Blue Potatoes (yes, BLUE potatoes! Try them mashed, it’s a trip.) from Savoie Organic Farm in Williamstown and Golden Zucchini from Jeff’s Organic Farm out in Monroe.

[pine time]

I harvest by walking into my back yard. Have had truly ripe tomatoes for a couple of weeks, along with lots of green beans and eggplant. (Live in So. CA, so get to plant early.) Plus more herbs than I can use. Didn't plant corn this year, which I'm now regretting. Nothing like having a boiled pot on the stove, then go "harvest" the corn, clean it, and drop it in within minutes of picking.

[HillJ]

Nice pine time! Mine are still growing; including corn, eggplant, pumpkins, peppers, herbs and zukes. I still love buying from the local folks.

[JustJake]

att: J Hill. Upon rereading my post about DO, please do not take my post personally. It comes off a bit snarky. Just can't see overpaying for produce when there are other options which are better - price wise as well as taste and variety.

[HillJ]

Heck no JustJ. Life's too short and tomatoes too delicious to worry about that.
I'm going to slice a mater for lunch and cheers to you!

[HillJ]

equM, if the prices at Sickles don't deter you, head to Delicious Orchards instead. They have a marvelous selection of tomatoes; including 2 sizes of heirlooms. All the colors of the sun-kissed variety, warm and fantastic.

I don't understand why you found disappointment there, I was just at DO and left with lbs of maters.

[JustJake]

if the prices at Sickles don't deter you, head on over to DO??? A very close friend and neighbor who I visited with yesterday commented that his satchel cost near $50 (though there were 2 tarts purchased which totaled $13). Peaches at $4.99/lb? Pies priced anywhere from $24-$28? He told me the place was empty and he basically ate lunch there via the 'freebies'. I told him I paid $14 for a lb of tomatoes, a lb of peaches, fresh bunches of carrots, beets, garlic head, a small basket of plums and 4 ears of corn (the best I've had all year).

I'll use that $36 differential to buy sushi.

No thank you.

[aklein]

bump that...hate DO, the pies aren't made there anymore and there are so many other quality farm markets on the way to Colts Neck that I don't see the point anymore

[HillJ]

Heck, I was referring to the OP asking for real summer tomatoes, gentleman. Not the entire DO inventory.

I was surprised by Mark's comment about DO upthread.

Off to the races....

[mingus2]

aklein-- When did they stop making their pies?

[aklein]

Guess i should clarify: i was told by someone who worked there that DO had contracted pies out with a modified recipe to an outside bakery.said that they came in frozen and DO baked just them,

I WAS MISINFORMED

[HillJ]

http://deliciousorchardsnj.com/welcom...

Absolutely not. Baked on premise daily. Take a tour of their pie kitchen next time you go.

In my very early start to college my roommate worked the pie shift.
Today, a quick call to their pie dept and confirmed-baked fresh, crust/filling/seasonal.

[mingus2]

aklein- I've worked at DO for the past 28 years and all our pies and other baked items are made on site completely from scratch. I'd be happy to give you a tour sometime.

[aklein]

then I retract my statement based on lousy information I was given by someone I thought was reliable... I usually only believe what I see with my own eyes, I slipped on this one then

[equal_Mark]

All well and good, but they still don't have decent tomatoes (I don't figure they offer house made tomato pies).

[aklein]

oh, right... tomatoes!

[cjjfoodie]

Moores farm market rt 9 Pine Beach has the real deal best price I've seen so far this season

[RGR]

Battleview Orchards has their own tomatoes. 99¢/lb. Delicious!

Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11863391@N03/sets/72157630629334280/

http://thewizardofroz.wordpress.com

[igrove]

I just wanted to thank RGR for her recommendation of Battleview Orchards. Every summer, I Iook forward to the best of NJ's produce, but lately I have been disappointed. I have grown my own tomatoes, but I'm not that great of a gardener, and even when they were delicious,my heart has been broken due to whiteflies, or fungus, or some other tomato growing catastrophe. I've given up, and only grow herbs.

So, I took the short ride from Belmar to Freehold, and bought some lovely tomatoes. But what was so exciting was the corn! So tasty, so not over-sweet! It's the best corn we've had in years! So thanks, RGR, for pointing me in the right direction.

[RGR]

You're very welcome, igrove! :)

http://thewizardofroz.wordpress.com

[aklein]

As much as I hate it, Delicious Orchards has a rep for good local produce, including tomatoes. If you're will to drive a little bit, go to Matt's Market in Wall at the corner of Rt. 71 and 18th St. THOSE are tomatoes (along with squash,eggplant, corn, berries, onions, fruit...)

[equal_Mark]

Stopped at Delicious Orchards today and they were selling the same uniform sized "ethylene pink" tomatoes that Sickles was carrying, though they were charging a dollar less per pound. Stopped at a small roadside stand on Rt 537 and they were not selling heirlooms either.

[Picnicchef]

Gorgeous tomatoes at Abma's Farm today!

[JustJake]

Mark, I have had some delicious Jersey grown tomatoes for two weeks now - from my favorite farmer up in Middlesex County.

Have you checked the Asbury Park Farmer's Market yet? That's where I usually get mine, though I have to tell you, the farmer cited above has been growing organically with the farm a working farm for nearly 100 years - they use their own seed and the tomatoes let alone their corn is off the hook.

[eatinman]

Just Jake:

So whose your fav farmer in Middlesex? Yourself or someone we could purchase tomatoes from?

[JustJake]

Dieker's Farm, Bordentown Ave. Sayreville. Terrific farm that has been Preserved, the stand is not open every day (but is now open on the weekends); His farm his behind the stand and he also leases some farm land in the Cheesequake Rd area.

His corn is typically the best I find anywhere, but there's so much more - garlic to beets, his peaches and plums have been 'to die for', to a variety of beans, to at least a dozen differnt varieties of hot peppers later in the season.

Middlesex County had some of the best top soil in all of NJ, if not the country - too bad most of it has been stripped or paved over.

[eatinman]

Thanks for the prompt reply JustJake. will check out Dieker's Farms hours and go there this weekend

[SusieQQ]

Wegmans has what they are labeling as New Jersey Grown Hot House Tomatoes....

[newfie29]

Well, if my Ocean County garden is any indication, I picked my first yellow pear tomatoes this past weekend, along with several uber sweet black cherry tomatoes - my heirlooms are still green but slowly turning - I anticipate they'll be ready to eat by this weekend...

[MGZ]

I'm in the same boat - just a few straggler pears and one plum so far. Plenty of fruit on the other plants, but no real color yet. I'd say we're probably two weeks away from the first sandwich of summer.

[Njchicaa]

I have ripe grape tomatoes and a couple of green Romas. And 4 plants with just a few flowers on them and that's it. My tomatoes are awful this year!