Big Red Tomatoes

Abraham Lincoln ($4.95) (HG) 80 days. This is the lusciously Illinois tomato. Very tasty, sweet, and juicy, with intense old fashioned tomato flavors, this wildly popular heirloom was introduced in Illinois in 1923 and produces big, red, round, scrumptious 1-pound fruits in bountiful clusters of up to 9 tomatoes and has excellent disease resistance. A real classic which grows beautifully everywhere.

Aussie ($4.95) 82 days. This big Australian heirloom plant produces a heavy yield of 1 to 2 lb. deep-red, round, meaty, bold-flavored beefsteak tomatoes, sometimes ribbed or lobed as in the photograph, always richly flavorful. Perfect for sandwiches and fresh eating, or right off the vine chomping-- great show tomato! The plant has also been shown to be very disease resistant and productive.

Beefsteak (AKA Red Ponderosa or Crimson Cushion) ($4.95) (BB) 85 days. Here is the original beefsteak heirloom tomato. Beefsteak will conjure memories of how real tomatoes taste. Huge, fragrant, delicious red fruits, up to 2 pounds, on a big vine, this amazing plant will need extra support to keep up with the giant, juicy, sweet and scrumptious old-time tomatoes. A classic.

Big Beef ($4.95) (VE) 72 days. This awesome, big-flavored tomato offers huge yields of 12 oz. old-time, grand-flavored, yummy red round tomatoes with superb disease resistance in only 75 days. The early harvest and bountiful season-long production along with superior prize winning flavor have made it a big favorite for home gardeners.

Boondocks ($4.95) (B) 72 days. These big beauties are a bright reddish pink with green shoulders, and have a superbly rich flavor, luscious, high in both sugar and acid. Fruits are from 1 to 2 lbs. each, very smooth in shape, growing on a huge plant with the biggest potato type leaves I've seen on a tomato plant--huge leaves. Boondocks is often compared to Brandywine but produce more tomatoes than most Brandywines, especially in the humid South and areas with very hot summer climates.

Box Car Willie ($4.95) 80 days. This New Jersey variety produces an abundance of 12 to 16-ounce, smooth, bright-red fruits with a beautiful orange glimmer. These excellent tasting tomatoes are very juicy, dependably tasty and abundant throughout the season, Box Car Willie is a staple in many home gardens. Most likely named for the country western singer, it has excellent resistance to disease and cracking, very easy to grow. Bred by Joe Bratka's father.

Bragger ($5.25) 80 days. This is the old time Bragger tomato so many folks have been trying to find for years. This gorgeous ,passionately flavored, big, one to two lb. red juicy tomato has been a long-ago memory for many gardeners --but now it's back. You may have heard stories from old time gardeners about Bragger, its heavy production and sublime flavor. I have spent many years tracking down the seeds and have finally found them; now you can grow Bragger in your home garden.

It is truly a classic old fashioned grand flavored tomato and grows well in all climates. Warm weather and rich soil will encourage a heavy harvest and the best flavor!

Bragger photograph is the property of Gene Steinman and used here with his kind permission.

Brandywine OTV ($4.95) (B) (E) 72 days. A truly marvelous stand-out member of the great family of Brandywines, this one arose in Craig LeHoullier's garden years ago. Big 1 pound red fruits with orange shoulders and complex rich flavors. An outstanding tomato for your garden; it also sets fruit very well during high temperatures and bears all season. A reliable producer, very disease resistant, and easy to grow; OTV stands for Off The Vine, which was a wonderful online tomato newsletter published by Carolyn Male and Craig LeHoullier. They describe this tomato as "the best strain of Brandywine set apart from others by its smooth, creamy, almost buttery texture, and harmonious sweet flavor." It originated from a natural cross-pollination of Yellow Brandywine and an unknown red parent, and was further developed and stabilized by Carolyn Male.

Brandywine Red, Landis Valley Strain ($4.95) ((HG) (E) 78 days. This old time legendary and very special strain of Red Brandywine is named for Brandywine Creek and comes from Chester County Pennsylvania where it originated in 1885. These big, vigorous vines produce 8 -12 ounce, deep bright-red round fruits in clusters of 4 to 6. Outstanding, prolific, robust, with intense tomato flavor which stands up to its legendary 100 year history. Among my favorites. (This is a different strain from regular Red Brandywine which is slightly larger, later and more ribbed.)

Clint Eastwood's Rowdy Red ($5.25) (HG) (E) 78 days. From Gary Ibsen, owner of Carmel TomatoFest, "Clint Eastwood's Rowdy Red is a deep-red, round, beefsteak type fruit with a robust unruly tomatoey flavor and firm, juicy flesh that invites tomato feasting and seed-saving. The tall, indeterminate, very disease resistant plant produces loads of 3" to 4", 10-12 oz. fruits. "

"This is one of those big, bold tasting tomatoes that is not for sissies," said Ibsen. "Although it has some of the highest sugar levels I've ever seen from a tomato, the sweetness is in the background and its fruity flavors are balanced beautifully with plenty of acidity, earthy nuances and flavor complexity. It's a perfect tomato for eating fresh, cooking or canning."

"Clint Eastwood's Rowdy Red has proven resistant to several of the most common tomato diseases: verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt, nematodes and tobacco mosaic virus."

"Within the hundreds of varieties of heirloom tomatoes I've grown each year has been a selection of previously undistributed, un-named varieties, the seeds of which have been handed down within different families from around the country for generations, then tucked into letters from gardeners wanting to share their legacy with me."

"For years I've wanted pay tribute to our neighbor Clint Eastwood for the generosity he's bestowed upon our Carmel-Monterey community, for his actions to preserve the natural beauty of our coastline and for the years of support he's given to the Carmel TomatoFest," said Gary Ibsen. With Clint's permission I chose to name it 'Clint Eastwood's Rowdy Red', after Clint's character, Rowdy Yates, from the old television series Rawhide."

"The seeds of this variety came from Archie Millett who is now 86 and living in the foothills of the Sierras. Archie was a tomato breeder with the University of California at Davis since the early 50's. Following years of crossing thousands of tomato varieties at the university to produce a disease resistant tomato with intense flavor, he retired in 1987 and continued cross breeding to enhance the flavor qualities of his favorite tomato from his small home garden."

"Archie gave me these seeds by pressing them into my palm while we were in his garden," said Ibsen. "He said, "Here Gary, these are for you. I've only shared these with friends and family. This is the best tasting tomato of my 50 years of growing tomatoes. Name it what you want, share it with others. You are the person I'd like to introduce this tomato to the public."

Gary named this fabulous tomato for his friend and fellow environmentalist, Clint Eastwood.

Gary Ibsen's friendship and encouragement continue to inspire my love for heirloom tomatoes. He has been my mentor and finest inspiration, and his award winning book, The Great Tomato Book, is always nearby.

Archie Millett is a national treasure. If I have a tomato question that even Gary can't answer, he points me to Archie," Time to call Archie..."

I called him with a question one summer. Archie's sweet wife answered and asked me to hold the phone for a moment. She called to him--he was way out in the tomato field. Gracious and kind, this wonderful 81 year old gentleman came to the phone and helped me solve my gardening question.

We are very proud to be the exclusive source for Clint Eastwood's Rowdy Red.

Costoluto Genovese ($4.95) (P-S) (E) 70 days. A big beautiful and classic Italian heirloom, the deeply fluted, ribbed intensely-red 8 oz. fruits are mouthwatering and utterly scrumptious. This stunning tomato has a splendid, complex old-time flavor which makes it a perfect choice for sauce and fresh eating.

Cuostraleé ($4.95) (Koo-struh-LAY) (BBB) 85 days. Big, hearty, prolific plant, with huge red beautiful beefsteak tomatoes, up to 4 lbs. I have to use both hands to pick them. Gigantic fruits have a superb, classic tomato flavor. Very easy to grow, disease resistant and a reliable producer, in my top 10 favorites. Another hot weather favorite which will grow easily and wonderfully in all gardens.

New for 2010! Grandfather Ashlock -- AKA Grandpa Ashlock ($4.95) 85 days. This extremely rare and hard to find variety was grown by the Ashlock family of Franklin, North Carolina. Descendents of 3 Ashlock brothers who served with George Washington during the Revolutionary War, this has been their family heirloom for many, many years. Carl Ashlock and his father grew this outstanding fruit during the 1920's in Kentucky and shared seeds of this elegant tomato with fellow tomato growers. These hearty plants produce large, stunning, exceptionally delicious beefsteak tomatoes in the 12 to 16 ounce range. Fabulous!

Italian Giant Beefsteak ($4.95) 85 days. This fine old variety was brought to the U.S. from Italy more than 80 years ago. Its big one to two pound sweet, meaty fruits are a favorite for fresh eating and cooking. The yield is high, the flavor terrific. A great sandwich tomato.

Italian Tree ($4.95)(B) 84 days. This huge prolific vining plant is called Italian Tree because it grows to 15 feet and produces enormous harvests of meaty 1 to 2 lb. gorgeous 4" to 5" red tomatoes with superior flavors and a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity.

Great for fresh eating or canning, be sure to give it extra support like a trellis as each plant can produce bushels of big tasty tomatoes. When laden with fruit it becomes very heavy.

One of the best for Tomato Sandwiches. (This season we will be posting tomato sandwich recipes from new and returning customers. Call Laurel for more information, 310-534 8611) One of the best tomatoes for market growers because of its excellent productivity, heartiness and old-fashioned tomatoey flavor.

Julia Child ($5.25) (E) (HG) 78 days. The talk of the tomato world, borne on a big, elegant potato-leafed plant, Julia Child's 4" 1 lb. lightly fluted deep pink beefsteak fruits have gigantic flavor--robust, hearty, with classic old-time tomato taste, bursting with divine richness. Juicy, beautiful, just splendid. Named for Julia Child by her dear friend and owner of Carmel TomatoFest, Gary Ibsen.

Marianna's Peace ($5.95) 80 days. (B) (HG) One of our top 3 sellers. The sugary nectar of this huge 5" tomato's creamy, dense, red flesh is intensely rich, with perfect sweet-acid balance and sublime, complex flavors reminiscent of the finest of the "old-fashioned" tomato flavors. This big, beautiful irresistible up to 3 lb. deep red fruit is the talk of the tomato world and has found its way into Top 10 favorite tomato lists of gourmands worldwide. It is perfection. Supply is limited, please order early. It is said that Marianna's Peace is among the 3 finest tasting tomatoes in existence.

Marianna was from a family of farmers in Bohemia, Czechoslovakia. During World War II, in May of 1945 when she was 17, Russian soldiers came to her school and forced Marianna and all her schoolmates into a truck to be taken to Siberia. During the journey, she and a few others escaped by jumping from the moving truck, but Marianna was shot in the leg just as she crossed the Czech border. With the help of her friends, she was able to continue on to the town of Weiden, Bavaria. She lost all contact with her parents and brothers for the next ten years, but after a long and diligent search with the aid of The Red Cross, she finally found them in 1955.

Before he died, her father gave her a little bundle of the seeds.

Marianna married, and in 1957 moved to Washington State with her husband where they raised four children.

The legacy of these seeds reaches back to the early 1900's and year after year the tomatoes borne from this marvelous heirloom continue to be treasured for their outstanding taste and beauty. Incredibly sweet, creamy, with dense red flesh, rich and luscious, reminiscent of the finest of those "old-fashioned" tomato flavors, the memories of which are the stuff of dreams for all tomato lovers.

For those who want the best; these plants are precious and worth the cost. A Marianna's Peace plant makes a delightful and treasured gift for any tomato lover.

Mortgage Lifter aka Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter ($4.95) 80 days.

Radiator Charlie and his big tomatoes in

a newspaper photograph from 1964.

This gigantic legendary heirloom from Logan, West Virginia developed by M.C. 'Charlie' Byles in the 1930's, is huge, sweet, juicy, delicious and prolific, with splendid old time tomato flavor. The meaty pink-red fruits weigh at least a pound, averaging 2½ lbs. and reaching up to 4 lbs. A very prolific plant which continues to bear fruit right up until frost, it also keeps very well.

Marshall Cletis Byles, who much preferred to go by MC or just Charlie, owned a garage specializing in radiator repair.

He developed Mortgage Lifter over a six year period by crossing German Johnson, Beefsteak and 2 other really big varieties, all chosen for their huge size and grand flavor. He sold the resulting plants for a dollar each (in the 40's), and was able to pay off his $6000.00 house mortgage in only 6 years with the profit from his plant sales. "I didn't pay but six thousand dollars for my home, and paid most of it off with tomato plants", said Charlie in a tape recorded interview with his grandson which aired recently on National Public Radio.

Charlie's repair shop was at the bottom of a steep hill so travelers whose radiators over-heated during the climb had to coast back down to Radiator Charlie's for repair. Other folks heard about these huge luscious tomatoes and came from hundreds of miles to buy the plant. As my customer John in Virginia says, "It's just not a real tomato garden without Mortgage Lifter." Charlie Byles lived to be 97 years old.

Neves Azorean Red aka NAR. (Pronounced Neh-ves Ah ZOR ee uhn) (4.95) 75 days. Boy are you in for a treat! This terrific, boldly flavored, 1 to 3 lb tomato is produced on a big hearty plant with a large central stem branching out into loaded branches of big beefsteak tomatoes so delicious they have become the talk of the tomato world. I have been custom growing this variety for certain very discriminating customers for the past couple of years, and now that the world is catching on to this spectacular fruit, it could become the ultimate sandwich tomato or to show off your special tomato salad. This one packs quite a flavor punch--not for sissies. Featuring great disease resistance and an excellent production right up until frost, we heartily thank Anthony Neves who brought the seeds home with him from a trip to The Azores, a Portuguese archipelago in the Atlantic about 900 miles west of the mainland.

Sunmaster ($4.95) (H) 72 days. (E) This yummy specialty tomato is a very heat tolerant hybrid variety which produces delicious bright red 7 to 8 oz., sometimes up to 12 ounces, rich, full-flavored tomatoes in only 72 days. The fruit sets best during high heat, when days are 87º to 97º and night temperatures are 73º to 82º. Very disease resistant. Photo courtesy of my tomato buddy, Char Conley.

Sunset's Red Horizon ($4.95) (B) (E) 72 days. This outstanding big, red, ambrosial and glorious fruit is, along with Neves Azorean Red, Grandfather Ashlock, Marianna's Peace, Vintage Wine, Yellow Zebra, Green Giant and Goose Creek, the talk of the tomato world this season and being described as the best tasting tomato in existence. Producing like a champ in cool weather, resistant to frost, it is a splendid producer of big red oxheart shaped, 5" fruits with great old-time intense tomato flavors and a juicy silken texture. Very heavy in the hand, weighing from 10 to about 16 ounces. One of the first varieties to produce, and continue bearing fruit well into November and December in the cooler coastal regions of Washington, Oregon and California, Sunset's Red Horizon will also produce beautifully and reliably in all climates and has proven resistant to frost, blossom end rot and cracking.

Introduced to the west by Nik Peplenov who immigrated to the US in 1999 and brought with him his favorite heirloom seeds from the Rostov Don region of Russia, it was named by tomato grower Gary Ibsen in 2003 after Sunset Magazine. Sunset's Red Horizon is a spectacular, all-around champion tomato. The fruit in the photograph was picked in our garden on January 27th, 2007. Photograph by Gary Ibsen.

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