The Heirloom Tomato: From Garden to Table: Recipes, Portraits, and History of the World's Most Beautiful Fruit [Hardcover]

Amy Goldman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 5, 2008

From the world-class garden of acclaimed food writer Amy Goldman, a gorgeously illustrated guide to the world’s most beautiful and delicious tomatoes.

Every year, renowned grower Amy Goldman produces an amazing 500 varieties of tomatoes on her farm in New York’s Hudson Valley. Here, in 250 gorgeous photos and Goldman’s erudite, charming prose, is the cream of the crop, from glorious heirloom beefsteaks – that delicious tomato you had as a kid but can’t seem to find anymore – to exotica like the currant tomato, a pea-sized fruit with a surprisingly big flavor. Along with the photos are profiles of the tomatoes, filled with fascinating facts on their history and provenance; a section of more than 50 delicious recipes; and a master gardener’s guide to growing your own. More than just a loving look at one of the world's great edibles, this is a philosophy of eating and conservation between covers — an irresistible book for anyone who loves to garden or loves to eat.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Amy Goldman is a passionate gardener, seed saver, and well-known advocate for heirloom fruits and vegetables. She is the author of The Compleat Squash and Melons for the Passionate Grower, and she appears frequently on such TV programs as Martha Stewart Living and Victory Gardens.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA; 1st edition (August 5, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159691291X
• ISBN-13: 978-1596912915
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #133,017 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #35 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Cooking by Ingredient > Fruits

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's A Masterpiece, August 6, 2008

By 

Rose Marie McGee "Rose Marie Nichols McGee" (Corvallis, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Heirloom Tomato: From Garden to Table: Recipes, Portraits, and History of the World's Most Beautiful Fruit (Hardcover)

Amy Goldman so captures the magic of heirloom tomatoes the reader almost inhales that distinct summer fragrance with every turn of the page. Each tomato has a carefully researched history and sometimes even a romance shared with the reader. I especially value the detailed notes on each variety for sweetness, flavor, texture and general growing information.
Victor Schrager's tomato photographs are extraordinary and used lavishly throughout the book. This is a book to share and show every friend who gardens or enjoys good food. And, yes, there are some fine recipes included.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The VERY best book on Heirloom tomatoes, October 5, 2008

By 

Sharon Hazelton "Tomato Girl" (Fortuna, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Heirloom Tomato: From Garden to Table: Recipes, Portraits, and History of the World's Most Beautiful Fruit (Hardcover)

I bought this book for my husband Dennis for our anniversary. He planted over 50 tomato plants this year and we have been enjoying some and others we made salsa and sauce from. We have been buying Heirlooms at our local farmer's market but wanted to grow some or our own. So if you are a home gardener and into growing the very best Heirloom tomatoes on your block this is the book for you. Amy Goldman has researched everything you'd want to know about Heirloom tomatoes from which are the best, what types are available and which do well in certain areas. She's done all the work for you. There is information on taste, color and the various types of tomatoes so that you can grown tomatoes to match your tast palate. And she's included recipes as well. Another great thing about this book is the seed guide in the back which are divided by states and there are several to choose from. This is by far the quintessential book on Heirloom Tomatoes.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For heirloom tomato lovers, September 24, 2008

By 

Jeff (Potomac, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Heirloom Tomato: From Garden to Table: Recipes, Portraits, and History of the World's Most Beautiful Fruit (Hardcover)

This book is all that it claims. For those wanting to grow heirloom tomatoes, it can be confusing as to which have the attributes one is seeking (sweet taste, good for sauce, good for munching, etc.) This book takes the mystery out of heirloom tomatoes with great descriptions of each tomato's attributes. The book also has beautiful photographs of each tomato so it is easy to visualize how they would appear in the garden. Finally, there is an extensive list of seed sources.

Great book--well worth the money.