With a per capita consumption of around 25 kilos per year, they are our absolute favorite vegetable. And now wonderfully aromatic again. This is thanks to changes in cultivation methods and new or rediscovered varieties. Our favorite tomato varieties are:

Oxheart or Coeur de boeuf

Piece weighing up to 250 g. Ribbed, fleshy, super juicy. Tastes slightly sour when freshly harvested, later sweet. Ideal for stuffing and salads.

Panicle tomatoes

Spherical to oval, weigh approx. 80 g each. Taste intensely fruity. Great for sugo and for stewing.

Colorful cherry tomatoes

25 g light minis in yellow, red or dark brown. Deliciously sweet, perfect as a snack or for skewers.

Chocolate tomatoes

About the size of a plum and weighing approx. 30 g, sugar-sweet and juicy. Only taste good raw, the color fades when cooked.

Lily of the valley

Firm and tart, weighing approx. 80 g each. Delicious for baking or filling with cream cheese.

Store correctly

Best stored in an airy place at room temperature. Tomatoes lose their flavor in the fridge. Only freeze pureed. Place next to apples to ripen.

Recipe tips with tomatoes

The perfect tomato sauce

For 4 portions, scald 1.5 kg of fully ripe tomatoes (preferably San Marzano tomatoes or vine tomatoes) with boiling water, peel and dice. Peel and finely chop 2 onions and 2-3 cloves of garlic. Sauté in 6 tbsp hot olive oil until translucent. Stir in 1 tsp tomato purée. Add the tomatoes, season with salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar and thyme. Simmer uncovered over a low heat for 20-30 minutes. Puree if necessary and pass through a fine sieve. Season to taste again.

Baked in cheese dough

For 8 pieces, knead 180 g flour, 100 g butter, 1 egg and 40 g freshly grated Parmesan until smooth. Chill the dough for 30 minutes. Then roll out into a round (Ø 25 cm). Mark 8 pieces. Cut 6-7 cm from the center to the edge. Spread a thin layer of pesto on the undivided dough ring. Place the yellow and red tomato slices on top. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Fold over the pastry tips. Bake at 200 degrees (electric) for 30 minutes.

In a cream cheese coating

For 20 pieces, season 250 g well-drained cream cheese with lemon zest, salt and pepper. Shape into 20 very flat patties. Wash and coat 20 cherry tomatoes. Coat in breadcrumbs mixed with ground pistachios or ground almonds and chili powder. Thread onto skewers and serve decorated with mint leaves. TIP: Try using fresh goat's cheese for a spicier taste.

Great recipes with tomato:
Avocado and tomato salad
Mediterranean bulgur salad with sun-dried tomatoes
Roast lamb with tomato and garlic crust
Vegetarian wholemeal penne with broccoli, tomatoes and sunflower cream
Rigatoni in spicy tomato and pork schnitzel ragout with peas & olives
Couscous and vegetable salad with cucumber, tomatoes and mint
Coriander chicken with tomato salad
Tomato tart from the pan
Potato and salmon gratin with braised cherry tomatoes