If you happened to visit the Historic Lewes Farmers market last week, you were treated to a scene of all things tomato. The annual Tomato Festival has been a favorite August event for years. I’ve tried to guess how many tomatoes were stacked in the jar and have never picked the correct number, so I headed over to the cooking demonstration, which this year featured a delicious tomato sandwich.

With all the different varieties of tomato offered at the market, it can be a little confusing to decide which type to select. To make it a little easier, consider breaking them into three categories: slicing and beefsteak, cherry and snacking, and sauce and canning. Examples from the first category (Better Boy) can be seen in the photo, but this group also features heirlooms such as the large, juicy, pink Brandywine and Cherokee Purple.

This type of tomato is the one most of us reach for when preparing a famous summer treat – the tomato sandwich. They work well when thickly sliced and placed on a bed of mayonnaise slathered over toast (or plain white bread for purists.) Because of the generous juice content of these tomatoes, the layer of mayo keeps the bread from becoming soggy, ensuring your sandwich doesn’t disintegrate.

Cherry tomatoes are small, round balls with thin skins and high water content. The most common red cherry tomato is the Super Sweet 100, which home gardeners favor for their prolific growth habit and large clusters of fruit. You’ll also find them in other colors, such as Sungold’s vibrant orange and the dark purple-brown shade of the Black Cherry.

You may also encounter grape tomatoes in this snacking group. These are oblong or oval in shape with thicker skins and denser flesh than cherry tomatoes. They offer a firm crunch in a salad and hold their shape well when roasted. Cherry tomatoes are ideal for a quick sauce, as they collapse and release their juices when heated. Grape tomatoes will last longer on your kitchen counter; their thick skin protects them.

The final group includes tomatoes used for making sauces. The most common variety found at the market is Roma. They are oval in shape and deep-red in color with a low water content, making them well-suited for rich, slow-simmered sauce. Although you can find canned Roma tomatoes, if you make the sauce from fresh specimens, the result will be memorable.

Another type of sauce tomato is the San Marzano, and you won’t find them at the market, as they are grown in Southern Italy, between the cities of Naples and Salerno. Their famous sweet taste comes from the potassium-rich volcanic soil in which they are grown. These are only available canned; seek out those with a label that reads, “Pomodoro San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese Nocerino D.O.P.” This ensures the tomatoes are grown in the authentic region.

Although typically considered snacking or salad tomatoes, cherry tomatoes are ideal for a simple pasta sauce that tastes like summer. They cook quickly, bursting with juice, and their natural pectin helps the sauce thicken slightly. Another option is to turn your slightly less-than-beautiful tomatoes into a creamy soup that comes together in just 15 minutes. Or, you can make a tomato sandwich!

Cherry Tomato Sauce

1/4 C olive oil
4 minced garlic cloves
4 C halved cherry tomatoes
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
pinch sugar (optional)
1/4 C basil leaves

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, salt, pepper and sugar (if using). As the tomatoes soften, mash them with a fork. Cook the tomatoes until they have broken down and the juices are incorporated, about 6-8 minutes. Tear basil into small pieces and sprinkle over the sauce before serving. 

Quick Tomato Soup

2 T olive oil
4 tomatoes, roughly chopped*
2 C vegetable broth
4 basil leaves
1 thyme sprig
1 tarragon sprig
salt & pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium in a saucepan. Add tomatoes and onions. Cook until softened slightly, about 3 minutes. Pour in broth and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Roughly chop basil leaves, and strip thyme and tarragon leaves from their stems; add herbs to the pot. Remove from heat and purée with an immersion blender or in the bowl of a food processor. Season to taste with salt and pepper. *Note: select tomatoes that aren’t pretty enough to serve sliced.