The Great Tomato Book

Rating:
Summary: The Great Tomato Book
Review:

This is a beautifully illustrated, beautifully presented book depicting the tomato in all its glory. Much of the full-color photography was done by the author himself, who, among other things was the editor and publisher of a high-quality slick magazine in the Monterey, California, area, when I lived there.

Gary Ibsen was a good customer of my commercial art business, and we were friends, back in the 1970s. But, this book is not about Gary. It's hero is the tomato (Fruit, or vegetable?) in all its forms and varieties.

The book contains tips on planting and growing tomatoes, as well as an education on the differences between the varieties, and recipes from notable chefs on how to use them and enjoy them. And, of course, it is replete with a great many fine full-color photographs, all well-presented and illustrative of the fruit, for the tomato is a fruit--the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to the contrary notwithstanding.

Well done, Gary Ibsen!

Joe Pierre
former owner of Publisher's Art Service

Rating:
Summary: Great overall book
Review: Great book to learn which ones to grow and what soil should be ammended w/. Best all around tomato book i have and i have 15.

Rating:
Summary: Great overall book
Review: Great book to learn which ones to grow and what soil should be ammended w/. Best all around tomato book i have and i have 15.

Rating:
Summary: Great Tomato Lover Book
Review: I thought this book was a great general book. You get a little o everything. I love the part where Gary is talking about his favorite tomatoes. The information on the festival is inspirational!

Rating:
Summary: Good overview - would have liked yield and maturity info
Review: This is a beautiful book. The pictures show many varieties of lush tomatoes. The recipies look delicious as well and I look forward to trying many of them this coming Summer. The author's general descriptions on certain varieties is nice as an overview. The book is really an overview of tomatoes and growing methods and fertilizers and offers specific recipies.

If the author would have included tomato info on time to maturity for each of his tomato descriptions, then the book would have been more helpful to those trying to plan out what varities to grow to space out harvesting. Now I have to bop between the book's tomato descriptions and some seed web-sites to figure out what to plant to get a relatively spaced harvesting, which I have to do often since the tomatoes described in the look comprise a long list. Also, it would have been nice to know which varieties were hybrids and which were heirlooms. I'm surprised the author didn't mention Red Brandywine in his list as the flavor is the same with a better yield and some say it's easier to grow than the pink variety.

The chapter of "Tomato Fest" could have been eliminated. I wasn't sure as it's purpose other than noting that the author liked to set up tastings.

The chapter on favorite soil amendments can be summarized as a description of the soil amendment (typically organic which is great) and then the use "apply to soil prior planting." Again, this was an overview and I would have liked to know why to use one over the other, how to use, etc.

If you're looking for a beautiful overview book on tomatoes, then this is it.

But if you've become passionate about tomatoes and not only want an overview, but also require better instructions on the "how to" of growing and seeding and access to to more specific info on the varieties themselves then check out "100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden" which is beautiful as well.

Rating:
Summary: Tomato culture and recipes for those who want to grow them
Review: This was sold as a companion book to Carolyn Male's "100 Heirloom Tomatoes." Dr. Male's book is pretty complete for a home tomato grower, but this book has extra tips for growing those love apples, and a lot of recipes, too.

So I am reviewing this primarily as a cookbook, though it is half cookbook, half gardening guide. The recipes range from soups to desserts such as a tomato granita (frozen sorbet.) There are of course spaghetti sauces. And here's where the book surprised me. The recipe for Bolognese sauce (tomato and ground beef gravy) is excellent, in fact, one of the best I have used. At home I have a taster who compares all things Italian to "Ma's". (Ma was born in Sicily, lived to be 100 and routinely cooked for a crowd of invading Visigoths on a Sunday.) The sauce lived up (almost) to Ma's unachievable heights. It was meaty, but balanced with plenty of fresh tomato and bolstered by canned sauce and paste. The addition of carrot and celery provided natural sweetness to offset the acid of the fresh tomatoes. No sugar was needed. We used farmstand plum tomatoes (my homegrown were dwarfed by the draught.)The directions for peeling them (bowl of boiling water, bowl of ice water) worked well. In no time, I had the fresh tomatoes peeled and seeded. A handful of fresh opal basil was substituted for some of the dried herbs. The proportions in this recipe are what makes it work so well. A huge, huge success.

The tomato growing tips add more information and lore than in Dr. Male's book. If you are deeply into growing tomatoes, I still would recommend "100 Heirlooms" but this book is stands alone for useful recipes and great hints.

Rating:
Summary: Tomato culture and recipes for those who want to grow them
Review: This was sold as a companion book to Carolyn Male's "100 Heirloom Tomatoes." Dr. Male's book is pretty complete for a home tomato grower, but this book has extra tips for growing those love apples, and a lot of recipes, too.

So I am reviewing this primarily as a cookbook, though it is half cookbook, half gardening guide. The recipes range from soups to desserts such as a tomato granita (frozen sorbet.) There are of course spaghetti sauces. And here's where the book surprised me. The recipe for Bolognese sauce (tomato and ground beef gravy) is excellent, in fact, one of the best I have used. At home I have a taster who compares all things Italian to "Ma's". (Ma was born in Sicily, lived to be 100 and routinely cooked for a crowd of invading Visigoths on a Sunday.) The sauce lived up (almost) to Ma's unachievable heights. It was meaty, but balanced with plenty of fresh tomato and bolstered by canned sauce and paste. The addition of carrot and celery provided natural sweetness to offset the acid of the fresh tomatoes. No sugar was needed. We used farmstand plum tomatoes (my homegrown were dwarfed by the draught.)The directions for peeling them (bowl of boiling water, bowl of ice water) worked well. In no time, I had the fresh tomatoes peeled and seeded. A handful of fresh opal basil was substituted for some of the dried herbs. The proportions in this recipe are what makes it work so well. A huge, huge success.

The tomato growing tips add more information and lore than in Dr. Male's book. If you are deeply into growing tomatoes, I still would recommend "100 Heirlooms" but this book is stands alone for useful recipes and great hints.