At the Farmers Market: Tempting Tomatoes

Vegetable or fruit? That is the question. Despite its seemingly dual personality, botanically speaking, the tomato is a fruit and even a berry. For culinary purposes, however, it is considered a vegetable.

Near the entrance of the farmers market, one will find a stall solely devoted to this versatile vegetable. Vine-ripened and hand-picked, the tomatoes from Houweling’s are grown in their greenhouses in Camarillo and British Columbia, Canada.

Houweling’s uses hydroponics, a soil-free, pesticide-free and climate-controlled method of growing produce. Hydroponics also allows this technologically-advanced grower to offer tomatoes year-round.

Patch sampled a select few of the tempting and tasty tomatoes.

Beefsteak tomatoes

Large and round with a vibrant red color, beefsteak tomatoes got their name from their meaty texture and thick skin.

This particular type is ideal for eating raw, slicing and including in sandwiches, burgers, pizzas and bruschetta.

Grape tomatoes

Smaller than cherry tomatoes but tastier, these tiny tomatoes have a unique, delicious flavor and a firm texture.

Grape tomatoes make perfect salad additions, appetizers or light snacks.

Strawberry tomatoes

Resembling the shape of a strawberry, thus the name, these still taste like sweet, juicy tomatoes. Strawberry tomatoes are also known for their firm skin, deep red color and concentrated flavor.

Salads and appetizers bring out these tomatoes’ intense flavor and sweetness. Low in acid, these can also be roasted or eaten raw.

Tomatoes on-the-vine

“Allowing the tomatoes to ripen on the vine ensures that they are at their peak when they are purchased and consumed,” said a Houweling’s employee.

Juicy and low in acid, these all-purpose tomatoes, can be used in salads, salsas, pastas, sauces and in bruschetta.

Medium-sized and thin-skinned, tomatoes on-the-vine come in red, yellow and orange.

For $2 to $4.50 a pound, bring home your choice of Houweling’s tomatoes.

The Calabasas Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday at 23504 Calabasas Road, across the street from the Sagebrush Cantina.