My favorite slicing tomato this year is definitely the True Black Brandywine. It’s a beautiful fruit. More productive than my regular Brandywines. And it tastes incredibly good. Either just plain, or with mozzarella, basil, and olive oil. Or layered on top of an eggplant with cheese, basil and olive oil then broiled to tenderness.

This tomato is sold by Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. I don’t think it’s really black – it has dark green shoulders. Dark green shoulders are the result of a gene that prevents the breakdown of chlorophyll, a process that normally happens and allows a green tomato to ripen to red. If some chlorophyll stays intact, the combination of red and green makes a dark green, purple or “black” color. Anyway, that’s the biology of it… Whatever the reason, it’s a great tomato.