Hello again! Now that summer (my favorite time of year) is almost here, I can't stop thinking about fresh garden tomatoes. I don't know about you, but I can't and won't eat those hard, flavorless hybrid supermarket tomatoes that are available year 'round. To me, there's nothing like picking a juicy ripe heirloom tomato in my back yard, rinsing it off, slicing it and eating it with a little salt and pepper. By the end of each fall, I've probably eaten my own weight in tomatoes!

There are so many varieties of heirloom tomatoes out there, it could take a lifetime to try them all (though I'm well on my way). Contrary to my father's belief that all tomatoes are red, they actually come in a wide range of colors, as well as a multitude of sizes and shapes. If you want to grow any of these unusual heirlooms in your home garden you'll most likely have to order the seeds online, because most nurseries and garden centers only carry the boring Big Boy and Early Girl hybrid varieties. If you're close enough to stop into Worm's Way Massachusetts, though, we always have weird types of veggies available in the spring!

My favorite types are the black heirlooms. They're not really black, but more of a purplish-brown color. They don't keep long after being picked, which is why you don't usually see them available in produce departments. Carbon is my numero uno. They're juicy and some what tangy, yet sweet with that rich, old-fashioned tomato flavor. Other delicious black varieties include Black Krim, Black from Tula, and the only cherry tomato I like, Black Cherry.

Other fabulous varieties are the bi-colored Pineapple, which is yellow with red streaks inside and out. I once grew one that weighted over two pounds. It's meaty, sweet, fruity and delicious. Generally speaking, yellow tomatoes are lower in acid than the darker types. For those of you who get heartburn from tomatoes, you should try a yellow one; you may not have to give up tomatoes after all! Dixie Golden Giant and Lillian's Yellow are a few others. There is a pink Russian heirloom called Caspian Pink that recently beat Brandywine in a taste test. I love Brandywine, so I planted a Caspian Pink this year. I'll let you know how it goes.

Finally, whether you decide to grow heirloom or hybrid, remember this: never refrigerate a tomato. A tomato loses all of its flavor if it drops below 60 degrees, and what's the point of a flavorless tomato?

Happy gardening!