This long, warm summery fall has extended tomato season in our little garden. Last year, we harvested only green tomatoes. This year, we’ve had the best harvest ever, growing this heirloom variety for first time.

I don’t know their official name. My husband grew them from seeds he saved from an heirloom tomato we bought from Sport Hill Farm the previous summer.  They’re multi-colored, showing shades of yellow, orange, pale green, blushed with red. They grow to be over a pound.  The sweet flavor takes well to quick sauces filled with fresh herbs.  They also slice up beautifully as a side dish for dinner, or for sandwiches.

For a size comparison, here’s one of our Peachy Giants (which is what I’ve named them because when I chop up a quart to freeze, they look a lot like the quarts of frozen peaches)  with tomatoes we got at the Black Rock Farmers Market.

Of course, those tomatoes were delicious too. Juicy and ripe.

Sliced, sprinkled with salt, drizzled with olive oil, and scattered with fresh herbs, basil, chives, fresh mint, or edible nasturtium flowers, which are still blooming vigorously this October.

With julienned basil. Or with big pieces of torn basil. (We grew several heathy basil  plants from ailing  stalks from a container of basil bought from the supermarket.)

There’s nothing like eating tomatoes grown from seed in your own kitchen. Seedlings that faced erratic hot and cold spring weather. That kept growing despite birds pecking, squirrels digging, and the damn groundhog nibbling. They grew to be six feet tall. The big tomatoes nestled against cages made from thick privet stems cut from crazy hedges.

Tomatoes still ripening on the counter. Green tomatoes hanging on in the garden.  I have a feeling these guys are going to make great fried green tomatoes. And green tomato relish.