[Sen831]

My old heirlooms that I prospected in Northeastern Pennsylvania often don't do well down here in the much warmer Delmarva Peninsula. Plus growing them in a community garden exposes them to diseases (and sometimes nasty pests) that were not problems in my isolated home garden back north. That said, the champions this year are:

1. McKinley Pink. An old beefsteak variety from Ohio, it was shy to set during the hottest part of the summer but now is covered with good-sized ripening fruits. This is the second time I've grown it here, and it's been the best yielding (though later than I'd like) both times.

Eating one tonight -- just by itself, no dressing or even salt -- reminded me of how distinctive the taste of a real backyard tomato is. While the fruits from roadside stands have been good, their grainy texture is off-putting and makes me wonder if they were picked green and left to ripen in the barn. The McKinleys were firm enough to slice, tender enough to mash on the palate.

2. Riesentraube. A red cherry type with a distinctive point on the bottom and a delicious tart taste. It has always been a solid producer here, though I have noticed it's tendency to set heavily, then collapse when the fruits start to come ripe. This year I've been nursing it through this crisis period, and it seems to have enough young green suckers to replace the older ones that are turning yellow and dying.