Heirloom Tomato

Know this

A great heirloom is heavy for its size, fragrant right at the stem, with skin that gives slightly under your thumb. The chef secret: cold ruins a tomato. Below 55 degrees the flesh turns mealy and the aroma is gone for good, so keep them on the counter, stem-side down, out of the sun. And do not fear the ugly ones, the lumpy, cracked, lopsided fruit is almost always the sweetest.

Cook

At peak ripeness, do almost nothing. Cut thick slabs, hit them with flaky salt and good olive oil, and let them sit ten minutes to weep before you eat. If you must cook them, halve and slow-roast to concentrate the sugars.

Season

High summer, July into September.

Best pairings

burrata · basil · flaky salt · olive oil · red onion · balsamic

Also worth trying: mozzarella, anchovy, garlic, black pepper, ricotta, corn, cucumber, feta, shallot, sherry vinegar, oregano, grilled bread.

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